What do you want to let go of?
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.
Now vs then . . . Prompt #832
What did you do in your twenties that you can’t, or won’t, do now? What can you do now that you couldn’t do in your twenties?
Success. Now vs then . . . Prompt #831
Now vs then What did success mean to you when you were in your twenties? What does success look like to you now?
More or less . . . Prompt #830
I wish I were more . . . I wish I was less . . .
Spring Cleaning . . . Prompt #829
Spring Cleaning time is here – will you be doing any cleaning? How about cleaning up more than your living space? Relationships? Goals? Write about Spring Cleaning.
Write What Is True
“Don’t write what sounds clever, write what’s true.” —Ethan Canin Excerpted from “Novelist Curtis Sittenfeld Thinks Middle Age is Underrated,” by Lane Florsheim, The Wall Street Journal, March 1-2, 2025 Sittenfeld continued with, “That’s good advice for writing, but it’s also good advice for how to be a person. It can be hard to be sincere, but I think you have a much greater chance of connection with others if you are.” Note From Marlene: You know what I say . . . Just Write! But, what if you can’t remember what’s true? “Write as honestly as you can about whatever it is.” Abigail Thomas “Perhaps” is another blog post that might help when you can’t quite remember exactly what happened. You know what to do . . .Just Write!
Break-up Letter . . . Prompt #828
Writing Prompt: Write a break-up letter to something, or someone who brings tension into your life. Prompt from Rebecca Evans and Gayle Brandeis, Musings & Movement Workshop. Rebecca will be the Writers Forum Presenter on April 15 and April 22. Free on Zoom 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm Pacific Topic: Crafting Flash in Creative Nonfiction “Unlock your superpower through conveying deep truths and universal human emotions in just a few short paragraphs.”
Perhaps
Note from Marlene: “Perhaps” is one of my favorite words. It’s an easy method of offering alternative ways of thinking. If you are writing a memoir and aren’t sure of the details, you could write, “Perhaps it happened this way.” If you are conjecturing, “perhaps” is a gentle way of saying, “It could have happened like this.” Here’s what Guest Blogger Lisa Knopp has to say about “Perhapsing.” At some point, writers of creative nonfiction come to a roadblock or dead end in our writing, where we don’t have access to the facts we need to tell our story or to sustain our reflection with depth and fullness. If only it was ethical to just make something up, we might think, or to elaborate a bit on what we know. But of course, then we wouldn’t be writing creative nonfiction. It might appear that our choices in such cases are…
Dancing Through Life
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Dancing Through Life By Diane Dupuis Dancing can transport you as you get lost in the music and lyrics, simply connecting with the beat, and potentially learning how truly magnificent our bodies are. We are all born to dance. Look at children. They dance in their seats long before they can walk. They don’t even need music. Unfortunately, as we grow, we learn to be self-conscious or feel “not good enough.” Many people stop dancing when the joy is gone, and all they feel is pressure. Added to that is the pressure of having the “perfect” form and the “perfect” dancer body. Some dance classes can add the stress of competition or feeling the need to fit in. Many studies have highlighted the amazing health benefits of dancing. Not only is it good for your heart…
Forwards and Backwards . . . Prompt #827
I bet you do this and perhaps don’t know it has an official name, or many names . . . Words that create new words when spelled backward are called: heteropalindromes, semordnilaps, semi-palindromes, half-palindromes, reversgrams, mynoretehs, reversible anagrams, word reversals, or anadromes. The term “semordnilap” is a playful invention. Though the term is relatively modern, the concept has been used for centuries. Lewis Carroll is known for creating “Semordnilap” (the reverse of Palindrome). Examples of semordnilaps are found in the works of James Joyce, particularly “Finnegans Wake” (1939). Joyce was known for his experimental use of language, and “Finnegans Wake” is filled with complex puns, wordplay, and linguistic tricks. Although the book primarily focuses on palindromes and complex word formations, it also features instances where words and phrases take on new meanings when reversed or rearranged. Joyce’s innovative approach to language helped cement semordnilaps as a legitimate and intriguing form…