Write about someone who . . . You would like to have a meal with. You want to have a do-over with. You have a question for. What is the question and why do you want to know the answer?
Tag: freewrites
I write to understand . . .
“So, while I still write for understanding, for truth, for clarification, to tell a story, to help people, to help myself and even for fun—I also write for communication, for discussion, for connection. In a world that can feel fragmented and lonely, I write to bring myself closer to others.” —Diane Forman, “Why I Write,” Brevity’s NonFiction Blog, October 31, 2022 More on “Why Write?” Why Do You Write? Why I Write Just Write!
Mycorrhiza
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Mycorrhiza* by Patricia Morris I live under the canopy of a grandmother valley oak. It grows in what is now called “my neighbor’s yard,” due to the way we white settlers swept through this what-is-now-called a nation over the past 300 years and took over everything. Massacred people who were living here, infected them with deadly diseases, tried to re-make them in our image. Declared that we “owned” the land, bought and sold it; built structures to live in, structures that got bigger and more permanent as time passed; built fences to delineate MINE. But before all this, there was the valley oak. Like all oaks, it began as an acorn, scrunched into the dirt next to a small seasonal creek. Its roots sank deeper each year, reaching for the water. Its mycorrhizal fungi spread wide,…
Silence . . . Prompt #549
Write about a silence. A silent night. A silent vigil. A quiet experience perhaps in a church or in nature. Or a calm experience, perhaps while watching a performance, or listening to music, or while watching children or animals or while walking.
Freewrites: Opening Doors to Discoveries
Notes from Marlene Cullen’s talk about freewrites. Scroll down for links about how to use freewrites and how to write about difficult subjects without adding trauma. I gave a talk about freewrites at the Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club. I’m sharing my notes so you, too, can enjoy the freewrite method of writing. I love freewrites because they are so . . . freeing. Freewrites can open doors to discoveries. I was thrilled to discover freewrites, unlike short story and novel writing, this was something I could do. I hope these tips help make your freewrites fun and successful in inspiring your writing. What is a freewrite? A freewrite is writing spontaneously with no thinking. Just putting down word after word, with no worries about spelling, punctuation, how it will sound, and no worries about the final product. Sometimes when you are engrossed in your writing project and…
Word Problems . . . Prompt #422
Remember math word problems? If x = a + c, then what does b equal? If Johnny and Tony want to end up at the same place and at the same time, why didn’t they just travel together? Prompt: Word problems
Faced your fears . . . Prompt #421
Write about a time you faced your fears. Or a time you could have faced your fears, and didn’t.
What did you used to do . . . Prompt #414
What did you used to do that you no longer do?
Today I saw . . . Prompt #413
Writing Prompt: Today I saw . . . You can write about what you saw today. Start writing and see what happens. Write freely and with no cares about the outcome. Just write!
You have won . . . Prompt #412
You have just been notified that you have won a prize on the level of a gold medal at the Olympics, or a Grammy, or an Academy Award, or a Pulitzer Prize. Write about a special skill you have and how you won an award for that. Let your imagination soar. What have you won a prize for? What is your reaction? Write your acceptance speech.