Write about something you have had since you were a child. #amwriting #justwrite #creativewriting #memories
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.
The Smell of Old Leather, the Scent of Cigars
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. The Smell of Old Leather, the Scent of Cigars Karen FitzGerald Every so often Georgia would pull out that tin cigar box her Gramps gave her some 75 years ago. Imagine—75 years she’d been hauling that old tin box around, moving it from the family homestead to her college dorm, to that sweet pensione in Italy in her 20’s, to the little garden apartment when she and Gitulio married. Good gosh! And how many other moves in her 85 years had there been? But, here she was, in Happy Valley Seniors’ Residence with her tin box from Gramps, about to open it for possibly the last time in her life; open it to retrieve the cherished item inside —her very first diary. Her arthritic hands wrestled with the lid of the container while a thought crossed her…
I left my heart . . . Prompt #608
Writing Prompt: I left my heart . . . #amwriting #justwrite #creativewriting
Just Looking
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Just Looking By Ken Delpit What’s in a look? Quite a lot, actually. Consider looks in their simple verb forms, for instance. The meanings range from imperatives to advisories to admonitions to out-and-out warnings. Look away. Look up. Look over there. Look down. Look around. Now, look here! Look sharp! Look out! Look at you! Or, consider the noun forms. As with its cousin verb forms, noun looks span a range of meanings, from complimentary to critical to probing to mysterious. Let’s take a quick look. That is a bad look for him. They kind of gave me a funny look. We need to take a deep look. Now, that is a good look for you. I was left speechless when she gave me that look. Or, consider “ing” forms to describe appearances and states, from…
Cagibi
CAGIBI is versatile in its purpose and mission to readers and writers. The journal centers on literature in which character conflict, ultimately story, is tied to place. Nicole R. Zimmerman succeeded with what CAGIBI looks for in a story. Read “Autumn Inferno” by Nicole R. Zimmerman, an example of exceptional, extraordinary writing, an unforgettable story told in an illuminating format. Cagibi, qu’est ce que c’est? What is a cagibi? American phonetic transcription: /kä’jēbē/ A cagibi, from the spoken French, is versatile in its purpose: it may be a shed, a cubbyhole, a cupboard. It is a space to store tools or personal items for safekeeping: shovels, love letters, suitcases, pails, heirlooms, tchotchkes. It is a space too low for grown-ups but perfect for children to hide and play. It is that snug space under the stairs just large enough to fit a small writing desk. It is a space that isn’t quite a room, usually windowless, but also door-less, a space…
Choose a scene . . . Prompt 607
Choose a scene and write. Scene 1 You are sitting at your kitchen table. The morning sun lights up the room. You wrap your hands around a mug of warm, steaming, fragrant [type of drink]. What are you daydreaming about? Scene 2 You are sitting on a porch, looking out at [wherever you are]. A movement catches your eye, reminding you of . . . Scene 3 You and (name of dinner partner) are enjoying dessert. You are surprised by . . . Scene 4 There you are, in the middle of [something]. What are you thinking about? #amwriting #justwrite #creativewriting
Ekphrasis . . . Prompt #606
Ekphrasis: Art describing other art. Created by the Greeks, the goal of this literary form is to create a word-painting, so the reader can envision the item described as if it were physically present. Write whatever the image conjures up. You can see ekphrasis art at the Artists’ Co-op of Mendocino, a collaboration between writers and visual artists where writing is paired with visual arts. Writing was nspired by art as well as art that inspired writing: 2021 Ekphrasis X Exhibition. #just write #amwriting #ekphrasis
Weave narrative, dialogue, and action . . . Prompt #605
Have you read something that feels “off?” Or been bored with the sluggish, plodding plot? Do you wonder why the novel isn’t moving along? It could be the lack of balance between narration, dialogue, and action. As a writer you want to keep your story moving and engaging. Weaving “We want to balance our scenes using three elements of fiction: dialogue, action and narrative. This is one reason you want to put your character in a scene with other characters as often as possible: Scenes that weave together these three elements engage the reader at an emotional level much more effectively than scenes that are only dialogue, only narrative or only action.” —Gloria Kempton One at a time Sometimes you want to focus on one aspect. Use dialogue, for example, to show a character’s personality and motives. “If you want to highlight a particular character trait in your viewpoint character…
Passion is the engine . . .
Robert Crais: Passion is the engine that has to fire the whole thing. Successful writing is all about passion, to create a world that’s full and complete and engrosses the reader. First and foremost, the reader is you. If you’re writing about a world in which you need to research to learn about it, then feel passionate about it. If you’re not passionate about what you’re writing, you’re writing the wrong thing. You want heat, you want fire. That’s what we gather around and warm our hands with. Excerpted from “Fired Up,” by Jessica Strawser, Writer’s Digest, Nov/Dec 2016 #amwriting #justwrite #creativewriting
Claudia
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Claudia by Nona Smith We held our wine glasses up and tapped their rims together. Clink. “Do you know why that’s done?” Claudia asked. “I have no idea,” I said. “The French began the custom centuries ago. It’s to make us appreciative of all five of our senses.” Claudia had a treasure trove of that kind of information. “Ahhh, les Francais; ils savent tout,” she added. She spoke three languages fluently and had enough vocabulary in others to find bathrooms in foreign countries and order wine in restaurants. Born in Germany and well-travelled, Claudia had European sensibilities and a sophisticated sense of style. Her hair was cut by a Sassoon-trained stylist, she wore only Italian-made shoes, and the walls of her dining room were painted Chinese red, seasons before that trend appeared…