Central Hawke’s Bay training up more creative writers

Araina Te Atua-Tipene, left, took out first place in the CHB ACE Creative Writers’ Course competition, just ahead of classmate Daniel Hapi, right.

A few months ago a woman approached Central Hawke’s Bay author Shelley Burne-Field and said “I want to write a book.”

“You’re the third person who’s said that to me,” replied Shelley.

“I’m going to start a class. I’ll text you.”

Shelley was as good as her word, launching two ACE beginners’ creative writing classes at EIT’s Waipukurau campus - one from a te ao Māori perspective.

The classes filled quickly with 14 keen beginner writers, including the budding writer who had approached Shelley.

Araina Te Atua-Tipene said initially she just wanted to find some friends who also liked writing and wanted to share writing.

“Next minute - I’m in a class,” she said.

“I’ve always journalled and loved poetry and language. But my writing was only for me. Whenever I was asked what I did ‘for myself’ I’d say ‘I write’.

“In the class we wrote, shared, and got feedback and I realised my writing was something to be shared - someone cares what I write about and wants to read it.

“I asked Shelley, ‘when do we get to say we’re a writer?’ And she said ‘do you write? Then you’re a writer.”

Daniel Hapi was another creative who was keeping his writing for himself.

“I had done a creative writing paper and that triggered me to keep on writing, but I kept it to myself.

“It was my wife who told me there was a writing course at EIT. I said I wasn’t going all the way to Hastings to a course, but she told me it was here, in Waipukurau, so I thought I’d give it a shot and put myself out there.”

Both Daniel and Araina found the class to be a “safe space” to explore their craft.

Daniel says “any critique came with kindness and allowed me to open up and express myself. There was camaraderie, a lot of awhi. There’s nothing quite as effective as talking to other people who share a love of writing.”

Shelley had told the students there would be an optional short story competition at the end.

Araina says “I wasn’t going to enter the competition - all I wanted was to make ‘writing friends’ but Daniel encouraged me.”

Daniel says “Araina wrote.. .and I was blown away. I really wanted her to enter, even if it meant she would beat me.”

But the thought of competing was a challenge for Araina. “I wrote something, trying to be competitive, and my writing was terrible. I had to sit down and try again, writing from my heart. "

In the end, nine anonymous short stories were placed before the judge, CHB Mail editor, HB Communities news director and Voyager Award finalist Rachel Wise, who says “I sat down to read the entries with the intention of reading just a couple at a time.

“That was a fail... once I started reading them I couldn’t stop. It was like a box of chocolates - all so different, different voices and different tales to tell. It was a hard choice but The Screw by Araraina came out the winner, with Her Before Tomorrow by Daniel in second place. I had no idea who the writers were, until Shelley announced the winners.

“We have such a lot of writing talent in Central Hawke’s Bay - it’s great to see more of it being nurtured in this way and I can’t wait to see more from Daniel and Araina and their classmates.”

Daniel has now applied for the Te Papa Tupu mentoring programme for aspiring Māori writers, and Araina is looking forward to keeping up with her writing friends. “We’re going to have catch-up days. It will keep me going.

“Writing’s like going to the gym. You don’t want to take the time but when you get there you like it. I used to write to zone out when life was chaotic.. I’ve now realised prevention is better than cure.

“When I’m writing I’m in control, I’m in charge of how it’s going to work out. I’m the master of my own destiny.”