Going through an old (paper) file folder, I found something I wrote around 2011: I am passionate about writing. It is my joy to find the exact right word for what I’m looking for. Some people work crossword puzzles for a hobby. If there was such a hobby for finding precise words, that’s what I would do. Well, it is what I do! Grant Faulkner also appreciates discovering the right word, as described in his Substack essay, “A Grab Bag of Trinkets, Flotsam, Jetsam, Doo Dads, Dad Doos, Rusty Objects, Found Objects, Attempts at Erudition—and More (but not less): “Words have halos, patinas, overhangs, echoes.” —Donald Barthelme “I steal “frotteur” from James Salter, who said, “I’m a frotteur, someone who likes to rub words in his hand, to turn them around and feel them, to wonder if that really is the best word possible.” As a frotteur of words, I love this quote,…
Tag: Writing freely. Just write. Writing Prompts. The Write Spot Blog.
Write What You Know: What Does That Mean, Exactly?
Guest Blogger Dixie Somers writes: If you’re a writer, you’ve no-doubt heard the phrase “write what you know” in every workshop you’ve attended. But what does that actually mean? Should you only write about your personal experiences? Do you have to be an expert on a topic to write about it? Not necessarily! To get a better grasp on this common writing tidbit, I’m here to break it down and help you find what you “know.” So grab your pen and paper (or keyboard) and let’s dive into this together. What is “Knowing?” To start, let’s define what it means to “know.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as having a clear perception or understanding of something. So when we’re told to write what we know, it means writing about things that we have a good grasp on and can easily convey to others. This can include personal experiences, but it…
Hope . . . Prompt #802
Today’s Writing Prompt: Hope #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter
Time Machine . . . Prompt #801
If you had a Time Machine, what day, what month, what year would you like to travel to? Why that time?Who do you want to be there with?
Teleportation . . . Prompt #800
If you had a working teleportation device, where would you go?Why? What would you do there? #justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting
Carousel . . . Prompt #799
Today’s Writing Prompt: Carousel
Boys are . . . Girls are . . . Prompt #797
“Boys are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails. Girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.” What are you made of? What do you think of this saying?
Transportation . . . Prompt #796
Photo by Elviss Railijs Bitāns Write about using public transportation, or private: A bus, a train, a plane, subway, a boat, a ship, a rickshaw, a bicycle, Lyft, Uber, taxi cab, etc. #just write #amwriting #iamawriter
I am
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. I am By Patricia Morris I am made of rich black soil that grows corn and soybeans and wheat and oats and vegetable gardens. I am made of love showered upon me by parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles. I am made of tallgrass prairies and mighty rivers. I am made of grief and loss. I am made of Midwestern college campuses, of thick gray and dark green law books. I am made of courtrooms and jails, prisons and government office buildings. I am made of curiosity and wanderlust, of courage and manners. I am made of blood and bone, atoms and molecules, hair and cartilage. I am made of brain synapses and aching joints, smiling eyes and laughing mouth. I am made of love. Who is this “I” I am describing? I learn in…
Introvert? Extrovert? . . . Prompt #795
Are you, or is your fictional character, an introvert or an extrovert? Do you know the difference? It has been explained to me this way: An extrovert is energized being in a crowd. An introvert is drained of energy being in a crowd. What is your definition of introvert and extrovert? Write what it’s like being an introvert in an extrovert world. Or, what is it like being an extrovert? Are the people you spend time with mostly extroverts or introverts? How does that work for you?