This Place. Prompt #296

  • This Place. Prompt #296

    petaluma-museum-150x139Write about a place . . .  a favorite place . . . either real or imagined, currently in your life or from your past.  A geographic place or an emotional place.

    Now, think about an uncomfortable place, a place or situation that makes you squirm and dread.

    Write about a favorite place or an uncomfortable place.

    Here are some sentence starts. You don’t have to use every suggestion . . . just pick the ones that jump out at you.

    Describe the place . . .

    A physical description. It is made of . . .
    The stone came from . . .
    The marble came from . . .

    What did the workers think while they built this place?

    When I first saw this place, I thought. . .

    As I approach this place, I . . .

    My first time inside this place . . .
    I wonder what these walls would say if they could talk . . .

    I will never forget . . .

    My emotions about this place . . .

    Now go down a layer . . . My real thoughts about this place . . .

    Marlene C

  • Twenty-six letters.

    Neil Gaiman, excerpt from Brain Pickings,  “Why We Read and What Books Do for the Human Experience“

    When you watch TV or see a film, you are looking at things happening to other people. Prose fiction is something you build up from twenty-six letters and a handful of punctuation marks, and you, and you alone, using your imagination, create a world, and people it and look out through other eyes. You get to feel things, visit places and worlds you would never otherwise know. You learn that everyone else out there is a me, as well. You’re being someone else, and when you return to your own world, you’re going to be slightly changed.  — Neil Gaiman

     

    https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/08/03/neil-gaiman-view-from-the-cheap-seats-reading/

    Marlene C

  • Your favorite season. Prompt #295

    autumn-lights

    I refuse to ignore autumn. I refuse to go from Halloween straight to Christmas.

    So let’s give a cheer for this wonderful time of year. . . Autumn.

    Before the hectic holidays begin, savor this moment. The slant of the sun casts a soft glow, highlighting fall colors of yellows, burnt oranges, umber and browns.

    Pause and enjoy the wonderful golden light of autumn.

    Recently, I looked everywhere for a garland of fabric autumn leaves to decorate the archway between my kitchen and dining room.  None of the usual suspects had them in stock.  “Oh, you missed it by a week,” said a store clerk amidst Christmas decorations . . . on November first.

    A friend told me about gluten-free oatmeal with quinoa at Raley’s. Sounded good, so I headed there. I strolled the seasonal section, as I had been doing in every store, looking for that elusive autumnal garland.  I was drawn to the shelves filled with orange color. Could it be?  Could my autumn garland be in Raley’s?  Eureka! I bought four garlands of golden brown autumn leaves laced with twinkling lights.  Twinkling lights! And autumn leaves. I’m in heaven.

    It’s the small things that make life a big, wonderful, full event. Embrace life. Enjoy Autumn! Savor each special moment, no matter how small or big, how simple or wondrous. Embrace whatever or whoever brings you joy.

    Prompt: Write about your favorite season.

    autumn-wreath

    Marlene C

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  • Darkest Hours Contest

    Have you been following the writing prompts on The Write Spot Blog? Especially Prompt #293 and Prompt #294. If you have, you might have some ideas for The Writer magazine writing contest.

    If you wrote true stories for these prompts, turn fact into fiction and enter the contest.

    Write a 2,000 word fictional short story using any nuance, definition or understanding of the word “dark.”

    “Our Darkest Hour” writing contest, sponsored by The Writer Magazine.

    Deadline: November 15, 2016

    Story starts from The Writer magazine:

    After dark . . .

    Deep, dark secrets . . .

    A dark horse . . .

    The dark side of the moon . . .

    That line’s gone dark . . .

    Don’t leave me in the dark . . .

    Marlene C

  • Dark times can illuminate . . . Prompt #294

    all-hallows-eveThe bewitching hour is near. All Hallows Eve approaches. Are you ready, my dear? Are you sure, my pretty?

    If it happens in the dark and no one sees it, did it happen?

    What goes on down those dark, narrow, alleys?

    What happens after dark here and there and everywhere?

    Are you the keeper of deep, dark secrets? Did you ask for that position? Can you give it up? Do you want to give it up?

    Write about the dark. . . dark times, dark streets, dark thoughts. Don’t leave us in the dark. Enlighten us.

    Marlene C

  • Dark, murky, spooky . . . Prompt # 293

    ledger.ink wellWriting Prompt:  Write about your darkest moment, or a murky hour, or a gloomy day or a dreary night.

    Dark. Murky. What odd words. Dark. Murky. Is it the “k” sound that makes them spooky?

    What is it about these words that convey doom and gloom?

    What if you could spin the wheel, turn the dial, press a button and turn that dark day into a bright day? Would you do it? Would you trade your weary days for cheery days?

    Write about a lesson learned, an epiphany realized, a notable reconnaissance gained from what looked a worst nightmare.

    Marlene C

  • Porter Gulch Review

    Cabrillo Community College produces Porter Gulch Review, a literature and arts journal.

    The journal reflects the diversity and creativity of its contributors. 2,000 print copies are given away free and there is a longer online version.

    Submit: stories, poems, novel excerpts, plays, screenplays, photos and artwork.

    Submit work to PGR – at – cabrillo.edu; include the work as an RTF (rich text format) attachment, with your name on it, a short, playful bio, and your contact information. All visuals images must be high quality, 300 DPI or higher. They may need to sent individually or uploaded through Dropbox.

    Deadline for Spring issue: December 1, 2016

    NOTE: If you have work ready to submit, scroll through Places to Submit, find a place where  you can submit, check the deadline and go ahead. . . Submit.

    Places that are currently accepting submissions:

    Reed Magazine (No. 1, 2016)

    Writer Advice Scintillating Starts (Dec. 1, 2016)

    The Forge Literary Magazine (ongoing)

    Marlene C

  • Writer Advice Scintillating Starts Contest

    Writer Advice Scintillating Starts Contest for Fiction, Memoir, and Creative Nonfiction is now open to anyone who has not signed a contract for the book (which the scintillating start is in).

    Submit up to 1000 words of your first chapter by 12/01/16. Details on Writer Advice.

     

    B. Lynn Goodwin

     

    Writer Advice (B. Lynn Goodwin) is known for their feedback and “would love to tell you what’s working and what an agent might say.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Marlene C

  • From Chaos To Creativity

    Guest  Blogger Suzanne Murray writes:

    What if the chaos we experience in the world today and in our lives is actually an invitation to let go of the old ways and create something new. What if in letting go in the face of fear of the unknown we actually make room for the new to enter. Often when we give up trying we find a sort of magic that can bring unexpected opportunities beyond what we thought possible.

    We tend to resist chaos. We associate it with war or natural disasters or with the unraveling of the structures that we have always thought of as solid. We cling to what feels comfortable. Chaos can rattle our bodies and emotions leaving us feeling overwhelmed. It can trigger a reaction of fight or flight which puts us in our reptilian brain which is incapable of creative problem solving.

    What we call chaos can actually be part of the process of creativity and renewal. Look at nature. Fire recycles nutrients and restores certain species of trees like the Lodgepole Pine that require heat to release seeds from their cones. Immediately after a fire, nature gets to work restoring a new kind of order.

    In her book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, Janine Benyus explains, “The new sciences of chaos and complexity tell us that a system that is far from stable is a system ripe for change. Evolution itself is believed to have occurred in fits and starts, plateauing for millions of years and then leaping to a whole new level of creativity after crisis.”

    Then there is the chaos in our individual lives. We lose our job, a relationship ends, we are diagnosed with an illness or a loved one dies. Such changes can leave us feeling disappointed or sometimes even devastated. Yet often out of such chaos it’s possible that we get a better job, we met the love of our life, we develop increased kindness and compassion or we deepen our spiritual life.

    Allowing for chaos can open up new doors. I know a woman whose house burned down. At the time she didn’t see it as a gift. Yet a year later she is living in the house of her dreams paid for by her insurance. She is laughing as she tells me it’s the best thing that ever happened to her. In my own life it was the disturbing loss of job that prompted me to become self employed combining my love of teaching, writing, creativity and nature.

    Chaos is at the heart of being creative. Creativity begins from a place of swirling possibilities. It can be messy. On the creative journey we often feel like we don’t know what we’re doing or where exactly it’s going. Yet as we take it step by step following the threads of intuition and inspiration, and showing up for the work we are guided to do, we discover the process itself to be deeply rewarding and satisfying.

    We find that we are okay when something doesn’t work out the way we want. We let go of wanting to control everything and learn to let ourselves be surprised by what unfolds. We let ourselves be like a child with finger paints, who isn’t the least bit concerned about the mess. We learn to trust something greater than ourselves is working on our behalf.

    By bringing creativity into every area of our lives it can help us transcend the chaos by reordering the world and our lives in new and inspired ways. Take a minute consider a place in your life that feel chaotic and ask “what newness wants to be born in my life?” Don’t think about it, just allow an idea to pop in, follow your heart. Then see what one small act that you can take to start creating from this inspiration. What if we could help change and evolve the world that way?

    Suzanne Murray

    Join Suzanne Murray for a one day workshop in Point Reyes, CA. October 15, 10 am to 4 pm.

    Marlene C

  • That Family Member . . . Prompt # 292

    Let’s do some relaxation exercises before writing.

    Settle into your chair.  Feet flat on floor. Hands relaxed.

    Rotate shoulders in a circle. Reverse direction.

    Stretch arms out in front. Arms overhead. Arms to the side.

    Big deep breath in. Hold. Let go.

    Feel your feet connected to the floor. That connection goes down into the earth, way down, deep down, to the center of the earth. Firmly planted, deeply rooted.

    Take a nice deep breath in and bring your shoulders up to your ears. And then let them down with a loud hrumph sound. Another deep breath in, shoulders up and down with the outward breath.

    Completely supported in your chair. Feeling the connection to the earth. Feeling connected to the center . . .  the core of the earth. Your connection goes deep.

    We’re going to do a bit of exploration here. . . scanning memories.

    family photosSitting comfortably in your chair, scan your relatives for the person who affected you the least.

    Now, a relative who affected you the most.

    What are some of the emotions that came up for you?

    Which relative affected you in a way that surprised you?

    Prompt:  Write about that relative and a time that holds deep emotions for you.

     How to write without adding trauma is a Write Spot Blog post from July 2013. You might want to read this before writing about difficult experiences.

     

    Marlene C

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