Finding Peace By DS Briggs When in Switzerland I wandered into a large ornate cathedral. The choir was singing. The voices soared with the organist’s notes. I didn’t understand the language but sitting in the back pew I felt entranced and relaxed. I live with a lot of silence within my home. I don’t usually have the radio, tv or music as background. I don’t know why. Habit? Or just a need to keep calm. I have experienced calmness in walking outdoors. I was on the dog path, walking Boo. I heard a splash in the creek. I saw a pair of ducks swimming, dipping and eating with their bottoms-up. I took time to watch how the sunlight dappled the creek and how the brilliant red-leafed tree stood out from the myriad of greens and browns. I just stood, leash in hand, and looked. I enjoyed the calm while I…
Tag: Writing freely. Just write. Writing Prompts. The Write Spot Blog.
I am a writer . . . I use story to reimagine worlds
“I am not a writer because I write a certain number of words every day. I am a writer because I use story to reimagine worlds. My value as a writer, citizen, and human is not rooted in my productivity, I tell myself on those brain foggy, exhausted days in which small humans climb on my limbs with no mercy.” —Ruth Osorio, excerpt from Ruth’s guest blog post in Brevity magazine. Ruth Osorio, PhD As of Fall 2018, I am living my undergraduate student dream as an Assistant Professor of English and Women’s Studies at Old Dominion University. My family lives in Norfolk, VA, where we spend our days chasing kids on the beach. I am also involved in local grassroots organizing tackling the school-to-prison pipeline and school suspensions in Norfolk Public Schools.
Winter Thoughts . . . Prompt #560
Winter. What is the best thing about winter? What is your earliest winter memory? Or: Most memorable thing that happened in winter.
Time Travel . . . Prompt #559
Think about a relative or an ancestor who you know very little about. You can jot down names or how the person is related to you if you don’t know their names. Take about two minutes for this. Choose one person to focus on. Time travel to when that person lived. Write about that person in a “take me back” way . . . using location or place, date, other characters or people who lived then as details to learn about this person. You can make things up, imagine conversation, imagine circumstances. There are no wrong answers. Have fun exploring the possibilities of “what if?” What if you lived during this time, what would you be doing? Where are you in this scene? The Free February 18, 2021 Writers Forum event features Kate Farrell, Waights Taylor, Jr., and Bev Scott chatting about how to research family history and shape your…
Explore Characters . . . Prompt #557
Create a character, or develop a character. ~ The character could be you . . . when you were younger, or looking ahead, you in the future. ~ Someone you know, dead or alive. ~ A fictional character you created. Give your character a name: Younger Me. Older Me. Someone you know. Your fictional character. Woman in 1940s. Man on a Mission. Person in a foreign country. Get up and walk around your space, looking at things, touching things, as if you were that character. Look through the eyes of the character you are writing about. Say, or think, the name of your character as you walk around. Walk in your character’s shoes. Spend 3-5 minutes on this. When you return to your chair, respond to the prompt from your character’s point of view. Use one of these prompts as a springboard to write about a character of your choice….
Character Sketch . . . Prompt #556
Prompt #554, Character Idiosyncrasies, on The Write Spot Blog, suggests ideas to write about a fictional character, or someone you know. You can do all that for this prompt. Plus, you can fill out the answers for yourself, as if filling out a questionnaire. Character Sketch . . . fill in the details about your character. 5 positive traits 5 opposite traits 3 least favorite things 3 favorite things What does this person love? What is this person looking for? What is this person afraid of? What is most important to this person? What is this person’s secret? Prompt inspired by Stefanie Freele’s June 2012 Writers Forum talk, “Developing Character.” Please join us on February 10 and February 18 for Zoom Writers Forum talks about story telling by Kate Farrell, editor of Story Power.
Photos Develop Characters . . . Prompt #555
You can use photos to develop ideas for creating characters. Turn your imaginary characters into believable characters. Use photos to establish physical characteristics Look at images in magazines or in photo albums or online. Choose an image for a character you want to develop. Write a character sketch, just as an artist would draw with charcoal. Flesh out what your character looks like. Add details that make your character unique and memorable: body shape, statuesque, angular, plump, scars, tattoos, piercings, lanky, a hulk, petite, piercing violet eyes, honey brown eyes, disarming smile, large ears, moles, hair style. Craft your character’s personality Analyze photos to build a personality for this character. Is your character touching anyone in the photos? Are they leaning towards anyone? Note how their looks imply character traits: stoic, friendly, menacing, open-minded, pleasant, formidable, playful, serious. A furrowed brow might indicate stress. Crow’s feet at the sides of…
Character idiosyncrasies . . . Prompt #554
How do writers develop characters? How do writers get to know their characters beyond their looks, their desires, and where they went to school? For this prompt, you can write about your main character, a supporting character, or you can write about someone you know. If you are writing about something that really happened, you can use that incident and those involved as your characters. When you write about real people, they become “characters” in your story. Here’s how it works: Interview your fictional character as a journalist would, but not at the age they are in your story. If they are older, interview a younger version of your character. If your character is young, imagine what he or she might be like as an older person. For your real-life person, have an actual interview, if you can. If not, imagine what they were like as a child, a pre-teen,…
What are you afraid of? Prompt #553
Like many, I am worried about the future of America. I believe in the power of writing as a path to healing. If you are feeling overwhelmed and scared, please take a few minutes to write about your feelings. You can’t change what happened. You can change what you think. Today’s prompt is a hope and a chance for you to write about your thoughts and your feelings, as a way to start healing. For more prompts and suggestions for healing through writing, please consider reading the anthology, The Write Spot: Writing as a Path to Healing, available as a paperback and as an ereader through Amazon. Prompt: What are you afraid of?
Expect The Unexpected . . . Prompt #552
Today’s writing prompt: Expect the unexpected. Marlene’s Note: I thought of this prompt, then remembered the photo from Susan Bono’s Inklings page on her website. They seem like a good match.