Write about yourself. Ideas on how to start: Basically I am [optimistic], sometimes I am [pessimistic]. When no one is listening, I [sing out oud]. When no one is watching, I [dance]. I am slow to [warm up to people]. I quickly [form opinions]. You can use these sentence starts: I am determined . . . Basically I am . . . Sometimes I am . . . When no one is listening, I . . . When no one is watching, I . . . I am slow to . . . I quickly . . . I am determined . . . Marlene’s Musings: I have often thought about how to “show” body language when writing. When we interact with others, there is much about body language that conveys our mood, emotions, reactions. How to show these things? The Emotion Thesaurus to our rescue!
Tag: Writing freely. Just write. Writing Prompts. The Write Spot Blog.
I was going to . . . Prompt #836
I was going to . . . and then . . . OR: I planned to . . . but then . . . OR: I thought I would . . . but then . . .
Space . . . Prompt #834
Write about a space you have been in: Library, cathedral, top of mountain, a castle, Grand Canyon, Grand Central station, Emporium, head spaces. A tight space, a small space, a crawl space, outer space. Just Write!
What do you want to let go of? . . . Prompt #833
What do you want to let go of?
Success. Now vs then . . . Prompt #831
Now vs then What did success mean to you when you were in your twenties? What does success look like to you now?
Spring Cleaning . . . Prompt #829
Spring Cleaning time is here – will you be doing any cleaning? How about cleaning up more than your living space? Relationships? Goals? Write about Spring Cleaning.
Write What Is True
“Don’t write what sounds clever, write what’s true.” —Ethan Canin Excerpted from “Novelist Curtis Sittenfeld Thinks Middle Age is Underrated,” by Lane Florsheim, The Wall Street Journal, March 1-2, 2025 Sittenfeld continued with, “That’s good advice for writing, but it’s also good advice for how to be a person. It can be hard to be sincere, but I think you have a much greater chance of connection with others if you are.” Note From Marlene: You know what I say . . . Just Write! But, what if you can’t remember what’s true? “Write as honestly as you can about whatever it is.” Abigail Thomas “Perhaps” is another blog post that might help when you can’t quite remember exactly what happened. You know what to do . . .Just Write!
Forwards and Backwards . . . Prompt #827
I bet you do this and perhaps don’t know it has an official name, or many names . . . Words that create new words when spelled backward are called: heteropalindromes, semordnilaps, semi-palindromes, half-palindromes, reversgrams, mynoretehs, reversible anagrams, word reversals, or anadromes. The term “semordnilap” is a playful invention. Though the term is relatively modern, the concept has been used for centuries. Lewis Carroll is known for creating “Semordnilap” (the reverse of Palindrome). Examples of semordnilaps are found in the works of James Joyce, particularly “Finnegans Wake” (1939). Joyce was known for his experimental use of language, and “Finnegans Wake” is filled with complex puns, wordplay, and linguistic tricks. Although the book primarily focuses on palindromes and complex word formations, it also features instances where words and phrases take on new meanings when reversed or rearranged. Joyce’s innovative approach to language helped cement semordnilaps as a legitimate and intriguing form…
A Break-up Letter
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. A Break-up Letter By CM Riddle Dear Time, Forget You! I am tired of the way you sneak up on me. Stealing moments and making plans that take forever to prepare, then the event flies by. I long for the days of following the sun and the moon and using its rhythm to play my own tune. You cause great stress upon me, as others in my life have depended on you so much that they expect me to follow you, too. Timecards, appointments, luncheons, and for God’s sake, Christmas! Give me a break, would you please? I mean, the way you slip through my fingers! And as if the ticking tocks you whisper in my ear are not enough, you decided to line my face and give me grey my hair. I need to get down and up…
Past Ten
Kali White VanBaale – Editor-at-Large of Past Ten: Where were you on this day ten years ago? So often we’re told to “be present” and “live in the now,” but in reality we have to look to the past in order to understand and make sense of the present. What I love about Past-Ten is that it embraces this duality—that reflection of one’s past doesn’t have to be an act of regretful self-flagellation, but can instead be an act of self-discovery and hard-earned wisdom others can learn from. Perhaps “living in the now” isn’t a real thing, because now is inextricably tied to was, and both must be lived, and contemplated, simultaneously. Past-Ten aims to explore the beautiful and complex knots of personal histories. Past Ten Guidelines (from their Submissions Page): The Basics: Tell us a story about where you were ten years ago on a specific date. For your…