The Write Spot Blog by Marlene Cullen

Tag: Writing freely. Just write. Writing Prompts. The Write Spot Blog.

  • 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 reflection, try to recall what you were doing at the time, focusing on emotion and sensory details.

    How did you feel about yourself and your life at the time?

    In that moment, could you have imagined yourself ten years later?

    Presently, are you where you thought you would be?

    Tell us a story that conveys how you feel now about the person you were then.

     Your submission can be in prose or poetry, illustrations/paintings, or another form of visual art—or all of the above! Go bananas.

    ​​Guidelines:

    • Word count: 1,000 words or less
    • Reflection should be from a day ten years ago. We will not accept any submission that is a shorter or longer time frame than a decade.
    • All manuscripts will be titled after their reflection date (i.e. “July 15th, 2012”). If you’re passionate about using another title, we’re fine with using it as secondary or subtitle. 
    • Reflection date can only be for upcoming calendar days. For instance, we cannot publish a piece reflecting on July 15th, 2013 because July 13th, 2023 has already passed.
    • Please do not submit previously published work.
    • Past Ten does not accept any work that glorifies xenophobia, racism, homophobia, ageism, classism, sexism, religious prejudice, ableism, or anything which normalizes hatred of any marginalized group or individual
    • Please familiarize yourself with previous Past Ten reflections to best see how others have approached the project. This is also a great way to gauge what we are looking for in terms of style and content.

  • Contranyms . . . Prompt #826

    A contranym is a word with two opposite meanings.  

    Or: Two meanings that contradict one another.

    Use contranyms in your writing.

    Bill: payment or an invoice

    Bolt: leave quickly or fix/immobilize

    Bound: confined/tied or going

    Buckle: connect or break or collapse

    Cleave: cling or split apart

    Clip: attach or cut off

    Dust: clean something or dust with powdered sugar

    Fast: move rapidly or fixed in place

    Finished: completed or destroyed

    Hold up: support or impede

    Left: gone or remaining

    Original: authentic/traditional or novel never done before

    Overlook: supervise or failing to oversee

    Peer: person of nobility or an equal

    Presently: now or soon

    Put out: extinguish or generate

    Sanction: approve or penalize

    Table: discuss a topic or postpone discussion

    #justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting

  • Palindromes . . . Prompt #825

    A palindrome is a word that reads the same backwards as forwards.

    Use these palindromes in your writing.

    civic

    deed

    deified

    kayak

    level

    madam

    mom

    noon

    peep

    pop

    racecar

    radar

    refer

    repaper

    rotator

    rotor

    wow

    And, thanks to the amazing writers I work with:

    Taco cat

    Yreka Bakery

    #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter

  • Advice From a Dog

    Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page.

    Advice From a Dog 

    By DSBriggs

     Find yourself a good owner. In addition to catering to your every whim a good owner should incorporate these other qualities, I explain below.

     Get someone with good knees because they will need to get up and down when you want to go in and out. 

     Also someone with an opposable thumb so they can operate a can opener to serve you wet food. Which, of course, you should refuse to eat at first.

    Gradually your owner will succumb to your training. This is good when selecting snack treats. Note your owner’s preference (usually the cheapest) as the one treat you refuse. 

     Get someone who knows that there is a difference between walks: fast, get down to business or mosey which should be called nosey. Serious nose work cannot be rushed.

     Train your owner to keep their balance when you:

    a) see a squirrel

    b) see another dog

    c) spot a cat

    d) jerk from a sudden stop for a particularly interesting pee-mail. Some pee-mails take longer to decipher if multiple users have posted.

     Make sure your owner has good fingernails for applying skritches around ears. A good skritch is deep and hits the right spot. Belly rubs are an acceptable skritch replacement if you are lying down. 

     An option for you to score big time is to show preference for a yard with afternoon shade and morning sun spots. You want to have bushes for back rubs if grass is not included.

    Good water supply and quick access to the house are basic rights.

     Regarding fences, a fence will allow you more free roaming space since no fence is too worrisome for owner. They will insist you stay in the yard and away from traffic. However, if you are really lucky, and there is only a perimeter fence, you can easily access the front yard. UPS drivers have been known for carrying treats and as long as you do not harass the mailman, your front yard can provide many hours of entertainment. 

     Another trait a good owner will have is letting you have many beds. You show your greatness of heart by allowing them to call the biggest bed “their” bed. This discussion of ownership is moot, of course, if they are foolish enough to own an air or waterbed.  A good bed is soft, contains a cuddle blanket and a variety of toys. Some of you may prefer crates, but having no experience with them, I cannot advise.

     Many of you may substitute couches and chairs for your own bed, that is fine. Just be aware that having your own bed saves you from being displaced and embarrassed when rude humans take up all the room on your couch.

    Well, I have enjoyed advising you and wish you good luck in your choice of ownership.

    There are probably other pieces of advice I could impart but my nap and need for 14 hours of snooze time is just a fact of this dog’s life. 

    Dictated by Moose to his owner who is able to type and translate. Must be their opposable thumbs.

    DSBriggs and Moose live in Northern California. After retiring from teaching, DSB began writing. Marlene Cullen’s Jumpstart format of writing to a prompt in a short time period has been a perfect match. DSB’s writing appears in The Write Spot Anthologies, available from Amazon.

    Moose is DSB’s 12-year-old sugar-faced, brindle mix of lab and hound rescue. He enjoys walks and running her exercise program.

  • Ebbs and Flows . . . Prompt #824

    Writing Prompt:

    Ebbs and Flows

    Just Write!

    #justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting

  • Something happened . . . Prompt #823

    Write about something that happened to you that you wonder if you should tell people.

    Would it help them to know?

    Would it help you to write about it?

    Just Write!

    #justwrite #amwriting #iamawriter

  • Song Lyrics: Defying Gravity . . . Prompt #822

    Song lyrics can offer inspiration to write, like “Defying Gravity” in the production of “Wicked.”

    Specific lines to use in your writing from “Defying Gravity.”

    Something has changed within me

    Something is not the same

    I’m through with playing by

    The rules of someone else’s game

    It’s time to trust my instincts

    I think I’ll try defying gravity
    And you can’t pull me down

  • A Prayer for the World

    A Prayer For The World

    Let the rain come and wash away

    the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds

    held and nurtured over generations.

    Let the rain wash away the memory

    of the hurt, the neglect.

    Then let the sun come out and

    fill the sky with rainbows.

    Let the warmth of the sun heal us

    wherever we are broken.

    Let it burn away the fog so that

    we can see each other clearly.

    So that we can see beyond labels,

    beyond accents, gender or skin color.

    Let the warmth and brightness

    of the sun melt our selfishness.

    So that we can share the joys and

    feel the sorrows of our neighbors.

    Let the earth, nourished by rain,

    bring forth flowers

    to surround us with beauty.

    And let the mountains teach our hearts

    to reach upward to heaven.

     —Rabbi Harold Kushner

  • Memory

    Guest Blogger Hospice Nurse Sharon Ziff writes:

    We acknowledge that aging, slowing down, and death are normal stages of life. We exercise, eat healthy, think positively, and bring love and playfulness into our lives. Still, eventually, death will walk in.  

    What if we make friends with death? Can understanding the last chapters of your life move you toward acceptance and peace? Acceptance and peace can be a gift you can give yourself and your loved ones.

    Sharon’s Story:
    I remember Mama. I wore a hat with a bee pin that was my Mother’s. I gave it to her for her birthday thirty years ago. Maybe for her 75th?  I don’t remember the year. But I remember the joy of purchasing it and her face when I gave it to her.  I can see it on her blouse. I think of Mother often. Every time I wear my hat with her bee pin.

    Sharon’s reflection on memory: Sometimes, my words come a little slower. I usually joke when the word or thought finally comes to me. Sometimes, it takes only 10 seconds to surface, but ten seconds is a
    noticeable pause in a conversation. I enjoy reading and listening to podcasts and often come across ideas I want to share. However, I may need to make notes to recall the clever idea! The ideas surface eventually, and as they do, I give myself positive reinforcement—like a high five to Sharon!

    As my mother aged, she would often ask me, “What do you think is worse, Sharon: losing your mind and being healthy, or being sick and having your mind?”

    Some memory loss is a normal part of aging.

    How do you react when you can’t recall a word, a friend’s name, a book, or a movie? Can you laugh gracefully at yourself and accept the effects of aging?

    Memories play a significant role in our lives. It’s common to reminisce and reflect on the past as we age. I’m excited that I remembered how to spell “reminisce” and wrote it without using spell check! Google makes it easy to recall facts or trivia that we may have forgotten, as long as you remember how to use your computer or search on your phone!

    I googled “Why do old people reminisce?” and got a list of answers. Reminiscing serves a good purpose. It is a way to remember a well-lived life and come to terms with past regrets or incomplete relationships.  

    Reasons why reminiscing can benefit seniors
    What can you do to improve your memory?

    Sharon researched how memories are formed: Understanding that the amygdala links a memory stimulated by an emotional connection, a memory with an emotional charge may remain for years, whether happy or sad.   

    The amygdala, hippocampus, and neocortex are the parts of the brain responsible for memory. Link to an article on How the brain stores memories.

    From Marlene: It’s important to practice self-care when writing about difficult subjects to prevent adding trauma.  

    Resources about how to take care of yourself while writing about difficult things:

    The Write Spot: Writing as a Path to Healing

    Posts on The Write Spot Blog about not adding trauma while writing about difficult things.

    Sharon Ziff‘s work as a Hospice Nurse taught her about end-of-life issues and the importance of preparations to die with dignity. After retirement, she was certified in the “Authentic Presence: Contemplative End of Life Care Training,” a specialized program committed to providing Let’s Speak About Death, a Community Education Project.

  • Know When to Quit

    I’m a fan of Brevity Blog. Here’s a favorite:

    “Quitting Time: Why You Need to Let Go of That Writing Project” by Allison K. Williams.

    “As writers, we’re sold on the value of perseverance. Just do another draft. Just keep working. Send another query, another submission. One day you’ll break through. Sit down and finish. Now. Today. This week. In fifteen-minute increments while waiting for carpool, or in one wild coffee-fueled weekend. I think I can, I think I can.

    I can get to the end of this sentence. This paragraph. This page. This essay. This book.

    But there’s value in quitting, too.

    Click “Quitting Time” to read the rest of Allison’s Blog Post.