There is excellent young talent emerging from Parkes Writers' Group.

I have been in writers' classes where the untalented encourage the equally untalented to churn out more of the same.

It's not like that at Parkes Writers' Group, where members of disparate ages and background will tackle almost any subject however profound or profane.

Some of those aged 15 to 30 years are demonstrating amazing verbal dexterity, developed not so much by reading, as by listening, watching and sharing.

And their imaginations are fearless.

Many of their subjects are from the dark side, but they have tackled sessions involving human relationships with humour and even sensitivity. 

Horror is probably the favourite theme of an enthusiastic number of Parkes High School students.

They have even produced their own version of Psycho, writing the script, choosing the sets and costumes, and playing the parts.

In art groups of any sort, there is usually some pedantic person whose passion is to waste the time of his peers questioning such things as whether "writers" should have an apostrophe after the "s" and other annoying obsessions.

At Parkes Writers' Group, participants have one passion, writing.

And they are really fortunate to have Matt Finch PhD (London) to stimulate their passion, providing exercises and advice for the development of thinking and writing skills.

Obviously from the same gene pool as former England cricket great, Andrew Flintoff, Dr Finch is an intelligent, clever and self effacing person, who travels the world promoting literacy.