There are just three more places left on the March 23 course in Beginners Acting. If you want to sign up email us at actthemaggot@gmail.com to secure your place. After Easter, there will be Beginners Drawing and Beginners Screenwriting, more Beginners Acting (May 11) and a new Beginners Creative Writing course. All courses cost €180 and take place in Temple Bar. Hurry. They do book up!
ADVICE TO WRITERS
Even if it keeps you up all night,
wash down the walls and scrub the floor
of your study before composing a syllable.
Clean the place as if the Pope were on his way.
Spotlessness is the niece of inspiration.
The more you clean, the more brilliant
your writing will be, so do not hesitate to take
to the open fields to scour the undersides
of rocks or swab in the dark forest
upper branches, nests full of eggs.
When you find your way back home
and stow the sponges and brushes under the sink,
you will behold in the light of dawn
the immaculate altar of your desk,
a clean surface in the middle of a clean world.
From a small vase, sparkling blue, lift
a yellow pencil, the sharpest of the bouquet,
and cover the pages with tiny sentences
like long rows of devoted ants
that followed you in from the woods.
Billy Collins
Well done to the maggots who have just completed their six-week beginners’ creative writing course tonight. An excellent bunch of writers in all with so many interesting characters and stories. Watch this space! Congratulations is also due to last week’s bunch who completed their six weeks in beginners’ acting. A rowdy lot they turned out to be once they got to know one another! A great time was had with both groups and we look forward to the follow on courses as well as launching our new introductory courses in drawing and screenwriting. Oh yes, it’s going to be a very creative spring here at Act The Maggot. Sure we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Act The Maggot is thrilled to have been invited to deliver a month of Creative Writing sessions to the longstanding writers’ group at Gateway Mental Health Association. It was an absolute pleasure to work with such a talented bunch. We even got to help members prepare for a public reading of their own written work. We wish them the best of luck launching their Creative Writing booklet in Rathmines Library on March 10th, 2017.
Newsflash. Act The Maggot is offering a bunch of new, fun evening classes at the end of March and after Easter, 2017. Take a look around if you are interested in Creative Writing, Beginners’ Acting or try our brand new Introduction to Screenwriting. Also, if you have some acting experience already and fancy getting up on stage, consider joining our Improvers Acting class where you can focus your energies on a character and work on a monologue for performance. Later in the Spring, we will be introducing a new Acting – Level 3 class and a fun Drawing for Beginners class. There is also talk of a Creativity Retreat somewhere beautiful in Ireland. C’mon join the Maggot Machine! Keep your eyes peeled for our posters about town and on our Twitter and Facebook feeds for more news and info on creative happenings in Dublin and beyond. Happy Weekend. Read our testimonials to help make your decision.
When I Met My Muse
I glanced at her and took my glasses
Off –- they were still singing. They buzzed
like a locust on the coffee table and then
ceased. Her voice belled forth, and the
sunlight bent. I felt the ceiling arch, and
knew that nails up there took a new grip
on whatever they touched. “I am your own
way of looking at things,” she said. “When
you allow me to live with you, every
glance at the world around you will be
a sort of salvation.” And I took her hand.
Stafford, William, An Oregon Message, 1987
So we are almost ready for lift off with the 2017 maggot machine and we are excited about the numbers and variety of people signing up so far. There are a few remaining places on next Thursday’s Beginner’s Acting class and the following Tuesday’s Creative Writing class. Read up on us and take a look at the testimonials to inform your choice. Each course is six weeks only and costs €180. Send us a mail to actthemaggot@gmail.com if you want to hop aboard.
1. You will be exposed to lots of different styles and will write a lot but the emphasis will be on having a fun, relaxed time.
2. You will increase your vocabulary and critical thinking skills.
3. You will increase your self-confidence through sheer productivity and by learning to give and receive constructive feedback.
4. You will meet like-minded creatures and may even form lasting friendships.
5. You will widen your social network. Never underestimate people power and knowledge-pooling. You may help one another with current jobs or be of assistance in finding new opportunities.
Read more about our next beginner’s creative writing class starting on Jan 31.
Drop us a line, actthemaggot@gmail.com if you want to sign up.
“If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn’t matter a damn how you write”. – Somerset Maugham
We like this quote from novelist Somerset Maugham. It’s true. It’s all about story and character. For those starting out, we often say, if you can talk, then you can write. It’s a simple as that and the quote underneath is particularly poignant when it comes to writing. 
Consider Joining our next beginners’ creative writing class. Fancy embarking on a new, fun hobby this winter. It’s laid back and it’s a lot of fun. You will get to write in every class and read out what you have written if you want. Come on, let’s get those creative juices flowing. You’ve tonnes of things you want to put into words right? Let 2017 be your year.
actthemaggot@gmail.com
Yes indeed. Only a few days now before another new year dawns. What are your resolutions for 2017? Have you often thought about trying an acting class? Would you like to try creative writing? Want to go on stage? Did you know that tapping into your creativity will improve your mood and your productivity? So many Act The Maggot students say they can see the difference in how they approach their work and their personal lives during and after the beginner’s acting class. In just six short weeks, you can build confidence, meet new people and have lots of fun to kick off 2017. Try it. Go on, surprise yourself!
actthemaggot@gmail.com to book your spot.
Read more about the Beginner’s Acting class in Temple Bar (six Thursdays) starting January 26th.
Read more about the Beginner’s Creative Writing class in Rathmines (six Tuesdays) starting January 31st.
Read more about the Improver’s Acting class (Level 2) in Rathmines (six Tuesdays) starting January 24th.
Read our testimonials