“Baby shoes for sale. Never worn.” Hemingway wrote this six-word tale that has become the ultimate short, short-story. The reader can fill in the blanks. I wonder how many variations of a theme these few words have inspired. Grant Faulkner honed his skills to write short, 100-word essays and writes in the August 2015 issue of The Writer magazine: “A flash writer has to paint characters in deft brushstrokes, with the keenest of images in such limited space. Shorts require immediacy; they’re a flicker of light in the darkness, a prick, a thunderclap . . . Paring down my writing and focusing on what goes unsaid and unexplained help me build suspense.” Faulkner says, about Hemingway’s six-word story, “The story moves by implication– the empty space around those few words invite the reader to fill them, transforming the reader into a co-author.” If this type of writing appeals to you,…
Tag: The Write Spot Blog
More random words Prompt #173
What can you write, using these words: whisper, eternity, soar, frantic, thousand, chain, live, lie Post your freewrite on The Write Spot Blog.
How to write without adding trauma.
This week we’ll discuss how to write the hard stuff without experiencing trauma while you write. Notes and guidelines Whenever a writing prompt is suggested, feel free to write whatever you want. You never have to stay with the prompt. Don’t stop and think, just follow your mind and write wherever it takes you. What’s on your mind is more important than the suggested prompt. Keep writing, don’t cross out, don’t erase, don’t stop and think . . . keep your pen moving. If you get stuck: Rewrite the prompt. Literally, write the prompt and see where that takes you. Or write, “What I really want to say.” And go from there. If you don’t like where you’re going, start over. Start over by rewriting the prompt. Or just start writing about something different. When we have an emotional situation, we tend to replay it in our minds. Perhaps we…
What I like and don’t like . . . Prompt #169
I facilitate writing workshops in Petaluma, CA called Jumpstart. We use prompts to spark our imagination. For this type of free-writing, you can respond from your personal experience or from someone else’s personal experience. You can write as your fictional character would respond to the prompt. You can use these prompts to get deeper into your fictional character’s mind. The idea for this prompt is inspired by the poem, “What I Like and Don’t Like,” by Philip Schultz.
Write from that place where the real you exists.
“Write from your heart. You’ll hear that a lot, but what it means is to write from what moves you, what frightens you, what makes you deeply sad, what makes you ecstatic. Remember to write from that place where the real you exists.” John Kelly, Writer Magazine, July 2015 Photo by Jeff Cullen. Click here to see Jeff’s portfolio on fotolia.
Freedom . . . Prompt #166
You can use the prompts on The Write Spot Blog to write about your personal experiences, or experiences that others have had, or to write fiction. If you are working with a fictional character, respond to the prompt as your fictional character would. Don’t have a fictional character? Maybe now is the time to create one. You can take actual events from your life and fictionalize them. Your fictional character could be based on an actual person, or a combination of many people. Today’s Writing Prompt: FREEDOM
National What? Day . . . Prompt #165
Prompt: Take Your Fill-In-The-Blank To Work Day Take your dog, cat, frog, aunt/ant to work day. From the June 2015 Costco Connection: Summer is typically a time when many businesses see a drop-off in customers, so they create ways to engage customers. Here are some specially designated days and, of course, you can write on any of these. Have fun. . . Let your imagination take over. June 1: Flip A Coin Day June 3: Repeat Day June 4: Hug Your Cat Day June 8: Best Friends Day June 10: Iced Tea Day June 18: National Splurge Day June 19: Sauntering Day June 26: Take Your Dog to Work Day You can search the internet for all kinds of “official” days. Just Write!
The Write Spot Blog Seeks Guest Bloggers
Writers! Need to build your cred? . . . or, as they say, need to build your platform? One way is to be a guest blogger. The Write Spot Blog seeks guest bloggers. ~600 words, something inspiring and informative for writers. Contact Marlene if interested. mcullen – at – comcast.net
Perfect Day . . . Prompt #164
Write about a perfect day. Photo by Kent Sorensen
Random Words #163
Use these words in a freewrite: elaborate, bitter, cool, leave, mist, arm, moon, bare, peach, vision Post your writing on The Write Spot Blog.