There are tacky gifts, insulting gifts, selfish gifts the giver secretly wants, cheap gifts and re-gifted gifts. But some gifts are transcendent. Have you ever received such a perfect gift? One that amazed you with its imagination? Perhaps it was a gift that completely touched your heart, changed your life, or opened a new world. Maybe it was a gift so dear you held on to it for a lifetime. What was it and why was it so special to you? Prompt: Your best gift or your all-time favorite gift.
Tag: freewrites
Why I Write. Prompt #309
There’s a lot going on in the world. Upheaval, turmoil, chaos, unity, freedom, marches, democracy. Those are some of the words/concepts I’m thinking as I write this blog post. Today’s prompt is similar to my August 12, 2014 blog post, quoting screenwriter and author, Antwone Fisher, about why he writes. I write for a variety of reasons: For clarification, to share thoughts, for enlightenment, plus all the things I mentioned in the 8/12/14 post. Now, it’s your turn. Why do you write?
Create a vignette. Prompt #308
Many of us have vignettes, little stories of things that happened, that we could write about: Events or situations that enlightened, inspired, or changed us. All are memorable and could be written. But why? Why should you write these stories? “All humans understand and use story on an intuitive level. It’s our most effective teaching tool. It’s how we understand our world, ourselves and each other. It’s how we make and deepen our connections. It’s how we draw meaning from experience.” — Deb Norton, “Story Structure, Simplified,” WritersDigest, February 2017 What if there was a recipe for this type of writing like there is for voodoo doughnuts? “Learning when to throw the flour, proper handling of a rolling pin, the intricacies of an old fashion, the ‘flip,’ and countless other tricks of the trade were now in the hands, minds, and notebooks of Cat Daddy and Tres.” Voodoo Doughnut Recipe…
Figuring out the important thing
“Writing essays is like therapy because you’re figuring out: What was the important thing in that incident? ” — Etgar Keret Keret, an “acclaimed Israeli writer . . . known for his unique and distinctive writing style” began writing essays after the birth of his son. “. . . because I’m sensitive about family issues. . . It never stops me from writing it, but it might stop me from publishing it.” He wrote personal essays to “have a literary tombstone” for his father. He is able to create work that is “moving and deeply affecting in only a few pages.” Excerpted from the February 2017 issue of The Writer magazine. Your turn: No pressure to write the next great American novel, just write what you know, what you experience. Write about your trip to the grocery store where you observed an act of kindness or had a weird encounter….
How we affect others. Prompt #307
It’s after the holidays, when some of us spent time with family. It’s inauguration day. Lots of energy. Lots of emotions. Today’s prompt, “How we affect others,” is something I’ve been thinking about for awhile. We don’t live in a bubble, immune to the thoughts and emotions of others. Today, I suggest writing about how we affect others. If that doesn’t work for you, how about: Do we affect others? What does that mean? I look forward to your response.
Despair and broken promises. Prompt #306
You might know that I facilitate Jumpstart writing workshops. One day, a participant read her freewrite which contained the phrase, “Despair and broken promises.” I immediately thought that would make a great writing prompt. What do you think? And that reminds me, during this season of many deaths, if you need to write a condolence note and are stymied about what to write, take a look at “The Condolence Note – What to Write.” You might get some ideas. Today’s writing prompt: Despair and broken promises. Post your writing on The Write Spot Blog and I’ll offer commentary . . . always positive.
Favorite Recipe . . . Prompt #305
Do you have a favorite recipe? Write about that recipe . . . where did the recipe come from? What kind of occasion did you have it? Photo: Fried eggs on top of sauteed kale on top of grits, sausage patty on the side. Yum! My new favorite recipe inspired by a trip to Athens, Georgia, where every meal was delicious!
Nostalgia and writing
When responding to a writing prompt, you are completely free to write the absolute truth, with no worries about what anyone will think. You are also free to write fiction. You have the freedom to write whatever you want . . . these writings are called freewrites. There are over 300 prompts on The Write Spot Blog. You can choose one at any time and just write. Sometimes our writing takes us to memories from our childhood, a very powerful place that is important and so intoxicating. From Writers Dreaming, by Naomi Epel, chapter by James W. Hall: “One of the things that I’ve discovered through reading a lot of best-sellers, studying a lot of popular fiction for courses that I’ve given at the university, is that there are certain recurrent, mythic qualities in books that we could consider, from an elitist academic viewpoint, to be pulp or low-life, mass-market…
What do you cherish? Prompt #303
Today’s Writing Prompt: What do you cherish?
If I have to . . . prompt #302
Today’s writing prompt: If I have to . . . Post your writing on The Write Spot Blog. Guidelines.