Did you wear a uniform for work or school? If yes, describe the uniform. What were your duties while wearing this uniform? Worst part of the duties and uniform? Best part of the duties and uniform? OR: What is your reaction when you see somebody in uniform? Marching band, sports uniform, law enforcement, firefighter, doctor (white lab coat or scrubs), prison inmate, postal workers, FedEx and UPS employees, private security guard, housekeeping staff, life guard, food delivery person, etc.
Author: mcullen
Marlene Cullen is enthusiastic about encouraging people to write, even those who think they can’t write. Her series of books, The Write Spot anthologies, features writing that entertains as well as inspires writing. Every story, vignette, and poem in The Write Spot books include writing prompts motivating readers to become writers.
Marlene hosts The Write Spot Blog, a treasure chest of inspirational gems for writers.
Fulfilling her passion for writing and sharing with others, Marlene has created unique writing environments such as Jumpstart Writing Workshops, where participants often experience transformational changes. Her workshops provide essential elements for successful writing.
Marlene is the founder of Writers Forum of Petaluma, a monthly literary event featuring presenters talking about the craft and business of writing.
Marlene's awarding winning short stories and essays have been published in literary journals, anthologies, and newspapers, including Tiny Lights, Building Bridges, More Bridges, Redwood Writers anthologies, and The Write Spot anthologies.
She is a member of the California Writer's Club.
How to Create Memorable Writing . . . Prompt #811
How to make your writing memorable. Step 1. Choose something you have written. Step 2. Circle all to-be verbs. Step 3. Replace “to be” verbs with strong verbs. Step 4. Rewrite, using the idea of “show, don’t tell.” Links to blog posts about strong and memorable writing: Why Should You Use Strong Verbs? Strengthen Your Writing How to be a better writer Sparks, memorable writing on The Write Spot Blog
A place or time you want to return to . . . Prompt #810
In “The Wizard of Oz,” the tinman wants a heart, the scarecrow a brain, the lion wants courage. And, of course, Dorothy wants to go home. Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, and Professor Marvel also want Dorothy to return safely home. Their neighbor Almira Gulch wants to capture Dorothy’s dog, Toto. Is the Wizard of Oz a charlatan, like Professor Marvel? Or is he a bumbling, absent-minded imposter? And, of course, Dorothy must overcome obstacles before she can return home. And then there is the wicked witch, the Munchkins, the monkeys, the hired hands, and of course, Glinda, the good witch, or is she a witch? Which Oz character do you identify with? What do you want? In general, what do you want? Is there a place or time you want to return to?
Body Awareness . . . Prompt #809
October is breast cancer awareness month.I would like to expand to body awareness.Write about an illness or a physical change you, or someone you know, went through.Include your age and who was involved.How did you find out about the illness?What was the next step?What happened?Are you still affected by this illness/physical change? #justwrite #amwriting #iamawriter
Safe Handling
Travel on a journey with Rebecca Evans in “Safe Handling” as she and her son traverse the skies, the streets, and the floors of a hospital where her son needs immediate and important surgical intervention. Skilled as a poet, Rebecca writes eloquently about survival, a mother’s enduring love, a caring surgeon and nurse among a busy, always moving, weary world. “Safe Handling” offers a respite, a calm from our busyness, to reflect and respect what others are going through. Bio from Rebecca’s website: “Rebecca Evans writes the difficult, the heart-full, the guidebooks for survivors. Her work reflects, among many things, fractured relationships. This fracturing influences every subsequent relationship—carrying scars and wounds throughout one’s life. Evans weaves disability, domestic violence, and a fight for survival throughout her narratives, hoping to start conversations, create awareness, compassion, and tolerance. She hopes to inform what it means to navigate this world as a woman,…
Why Write?
“Writing sheds light where there is darkness. It brings people a greater understanding of themselves and each other and the world. It connects them and brings them together. It makes our world warmer and brighter and more hopeful.” —Tiffany Yates Martin, Nov/Dec 2024 Writer’s Digest magazine. More on “Why write:” Writing Resilient: Why Write? Why Write Your Story?
Fish out of water . . . Prompt #808
Photo by David Zinn Prompt: A fish out of water story. Write about a time you felt like a fish out of water, where you didn’t fit in, or you wondered if you belonged. Inspired by Sept/Oct 2024 Writer’s Digest, “Level Up Your Writing Life,” by Sharon Short. #justwrite #amwriting #iamawriter
Are you an introvert or an extrovert or a combination? Prompt #807
According to Diane Stark, author of “Life of the Party,” a Chicken Soup story in “Be You:” “If your favorite activity is a busy one that involves lots of people, you are an extrovert. If your activity is a quiet, solitary pursuit, you are an introvert. The vast majority of writers are introverts. It’s just how we’re wired.” Diane discovered, “I am a social introvert. It’s someone who is outgoing, but also requires alone time to be healthy.” Prompt: Are you an introvert, an extrovert, or a combination? List your three favorite activities. Are these things you do by yourself or in a small group, or with a lot of other people? When you are tired or stressed, what activity appeals to you most? After being by yourself all day, are you anxious to be around other people? Or, do you need downtime to recover? What energizes you? What restores…
The Emotion Thesaurus
Review by Marlene Cullen. I have heard about this book, read about this book, seen posts about this book for years. So, I bought “The Emotion Thesaurus” by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi. Yes to this book! From the introduction: “What we [recognized] was our own difficulty conveying character emotion in a way that would engage readers. This problem was a big one, because only when the character’s emotions are clearly shared can readers become more involved.” I have often thought about how to “show” body language when writing. As you know, when we interact with others, there is much about body language that conveys our mood, emotions, reactions. How to show these things? The Emotion Thesaurus to our rescue! “We wanted to ensure that our character’s feelings would trigger the reader’s own emotional memories, encouraging empathy that would draw them deeper into the story.” Tips on how to write…
You Can’t Catch Death
Sometimes you read a memoir, put your book away, and get on with your life. “You Can’t Catch Death” by Ianthe Brautigan is not one of those memoirs. Ianthe’s stories about her father and how she was affected by him results in a loving tribute to her conflicted and artistic father, Richard. Ianthe shares details that are painful to read and yet, I read far into the night, needing to know what happened next. I appreciate Ianthe’s gentle handling of difficult and misunderstood subjects: alcoholism and death by one’s own hand. “You Can’t Catch Death” could be a text on how to write a memoir – go deep. Be truthful. Be as honest as you can be. Be authentic. Ianthe excelled on all these levels. Writing Prompt “Watershed moment,” inspired by Ianthe Brautigan from a Writers Forum writing workshop. Thoughts about hurting people’s feelings when writing true stories: Writing has…