Today’s prompt is inspired from Poetic Medicine by John Fox, “The Healing Power of Images.” “A morning glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books” — Walt Whitman “Images are drawn from sensory experience and help us to feel what the writer or speaker is communicating. Whitman is more satisfied by the morning glory because it is real and alive, it communicates something to him about reality that is particular, clean and unmistakable. Images offer us direct experience. They can show themselves to us through any of the senses.” Think about the house you grew up in, or where you spent most of your childhood. Or, if you want to write from your fictional character’s point of view. . . picture a place where the protagonist spends a lot of time. Now, think about routes you routinely took . . . to school. . . or…
Tag: The Write Spot
The Past – from different perspectives.
The following is inspired by Your Mythic Journey by Sam Keen and Anne Valley-Fox. Chapter 4, “The Past” It’s Still Happening. “We love the present tense. Be here now. Yesterday is gone and best forgotten: our tradition is to have no tradition. We aren’t Europeans buried in ancient tombs and cathedrals and medieval ruins. We were born yesterday and we will be young forever. Over thirty is over the bridge. Age embarrasses us; remembrance is a function of senility. We exile the aged to Sun City leper colonies so they won’t impair our illusion of endless summer. But history is not so easily dismissed. Repressed memories, national or personal won’t stay down. To be alive is to have a past. Our only choice is whether we will repress or re-create the past. Childhood may be distant, but it is never quite lost; as full-grown men and women we carry tiny…
Things that are meaningful to you . . . Prompt #136
Write whatever comes up for you. No judging, no criticizing yourself! Have fun with this prompt! Let yourself go. Be silly. Be creative. Be humorous. Be serious. Just write! Make a list of things that are meaningful to you, starting with the letter “A” . . . then go through the alphabet to the letter z. Write one sentence, or a few words, why this is meaningful to you. For example: A – A deck of cards – playing gin rummy and hearts B – Balloon game in the old living room C – Crafts – glitter glue, making things with the kids continue to the end of the alphabet W – Wizard puppet X – X-rays that saved my life Y – “Y” always reminds of watching the Micky Mouse Club. “Why? Because we like you!” Z – Zebra in orthodontist’s office ~ Now you have a list of…
Failure is necessary to find “wondrous and magical moments”
“A rough draft is inherently an experiment, or, rather, a series of experiments. each novel, each piece of writing, is a new thing with different possibilities that demand to be explored. Many of these experiments will fail, but failure is necessary to find those wondrous and magical moments of success.” — “More Ideas Faster, Writing With Abandon” by Grant Faulkner, Jan/Feb 215 Poets & Writers magazine. Grant Faulkner is: Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month, co-founder of 100 Word Story, writer, tap dancer, alchemist, contortionist, numbskull, preacher. Click here to read more about Grant Faulkner. Note from Marlene: Click here for ideas of what to write about. Choose a writing prompt, set your timer for 12-15 minutes and Just Write!
What does your character want? What gets in the way? Prompt #133
We’ve been working on character development on The Write Spot Blog. Your character could be fictional, based on a real person or someone in your memoir. Kurt Vonnegut says to “make your character want something.” There are several ways to go about this. Have your character do something unexpected . . . something that surprises everyone and weave in a problem. You can put your conservative character in an improv situation where he/she has to rap or act in a scene. Your male character might find himself on stage, learning how to hula or belly dance. Your female character might find herself in a lumberjack contest. Have your wild character volunteer to help with bingo in an assisted facility. Have your character do something unusual. Remember these are freewrites, where you write freely for 12 to 15 minutes. This doesn’t mean you have to use these character vignettes in your…
Guest Blogger Clara Rosemarda – writing with depth and clarity
Guest Blogger Clara Rosemarda reveals how to write with depth and clarity. Clara writes: Many years ago I took voice lessons from a master teacher. He worked with people who believed they were tone deaf. I was one of those people. My voice seemed flat as the ground I walked on, and I was too embarrassed to sing unless I was in a group large enough to swallow the sound of my voice. My teacher, robust and powerful, sat opposite me on the floor of his music studio. With full-bodied fingers born to make music he plucked the strings of his tambura going up and down the scale. Then he sounded a note and had me repeat it. At first I couldn’t reproduce the exact sound, but after a few tries and great concentration, I was able to. He told me I had a good voice which was a surprise…
Revealing Conversation . . . Prompt #130
Pretend we’re at a party, sitting together talking quietly. Then you see someone you know and you want to tell me about that person. They can’t hear us. What will you tell me about that person? Or: Imagine any two people having a conversation about a third person. With this prompt, you can practice writing dialogue, revealing more about the conversants than the object of their discussion. Remember what Ted A. Moreno said in yesterday’s quote, “Making a pronouncement, judgment or criticism about someone else reveals little about them, but reveals much about you.” We’ll expand upon these characters with the next prompt on The Write Spot Blog.
Sometimes you just want to sit down and write.
Sometimes we just want to sit down and write. No particular place to go. Nothing in particular to write about. Just enjoy the feel of pen across paper, or fingers flying atop keyboard. Sometimes it’s fun to have a writing prompt to play with. There are two places to explore on The Write Spot for writing prompts. One is here, on The Write Spot Blog. The other is here on The Write Spot Website. On this one, read the prompt on the plaque. Click on the plaque to read what others have written on the prompt. Follow your heart, let your mind wander, trust your intuition. Select a prompt. Set a timer for 12-15 minutes and just write. Discover where your writing path takes you. Photo by Breana Marie
Winter. Prompt #126
Today’s prompt: Winter. Write whatever comes up for you. Share your writing here, on The Write Spot Blog. Log in and post your writing. Photo by Breana Marie.
Let it go. Prompt #125
What do you want to let go? What do you need to let go? What should you let go? Take a look at these lyrics to the song, “Let It Go,” from the movie, Frozen. It’s funny how some distance Makes everything seem small And the fears that once controlled me Can’t get to me at all It’s time to see what I can do To test the limits and break through No right, no wrong, no rules for me, I’m free! Let it go, let it go I am one with the wind and sky Let it go, let it go You’ll never see me cry Here I stand And here I’ll stay Let the storm rage on Your turn. What do you need to do to let go? What will happen if you just . . . let . . . go? Click here for the full lyrics…