There are more how-to-write books than we have time to read. IF we tried, we would spend all our time reading about writing and not writing. But there are a few especially good how-to write books. Here are some of my favorites. What are your favorite writing books? Dorothea Brande was an early proponent of freewriting. In her book Becoming a Writer (1934), she advises writers to sit and write for 30 minutes every morning, as fast as they can. Peter Elbow advanced freewriting in his books Writing with Power and Writing Without Teachers (1975), and freewriting has been popularized by Julia Cameron through her books The Artist’s Way and The Right to Write. A few more writing books: Aronie, Nancy Slonim – Writing From the Heart Baldwin, Christina – Storycatcher Barrington, Judith – Writing the Memoir, From Truth to Art Baty, Chris – No Plot? No Problem! Bennet, Hal…
Tag: writing prompts
Jiffy Pop! . . . Prompt #92
Today’s prompt. . . look at the photo and write whatever comes up for you. Jiffy Pop!
Yard sale, garage sale, tag sale . . . Prompt #91
Yard sale, garage sale, tag sale. . . whatever you call ’em, what do you think about ’em? Or . . . write about an unusual find at a yard sale, garage sale, tag sale . . . whatever you call ’em.
We all have an intuitive sense. . .
I think we all have an intuitive sense, but we get side-tracked by what others think or we get distracted by all the “noise” both inside our heads and outside. It’s hard to get quiet and listen to what we think. But when we do, we experience the joy of discovering what’s going on for ourselves. A passage in Reading Water, Lessons From The River, by Rebecca Lawton, describes a situation when Becca was a white water rafting guide and had one person, a friend, in her raft. They capsized, lost the boat and nearly drowned. Becca managed to save the life of her friend. After it was all over, Becca asked her friend: “Do you regret running it?” Becca’s friend answered, “It might have been the right choice for you,” she said, “But from now on, I’m making my own decisions.” Here’s an idea for getting in touch with…
Aprons . . . Prompt #88
My grandmother put her apron on every morning right after she put on her house dress. She wore an apron every day, even to parties. She made all her clothes, including her aprons. She always chose a small flower design and used colorful seam binding for trim around the edges. I also wear aprons, but only when cooking and eating. . . saves many an outfit from food stains. Today’s prompt is: Aprons Thank you, Kathy Myers, for the inspiration to hang my aprons in the kitchen. Thank you, Pam Swanson, for emailing so many years ago, “The History of Aprons.” THE HISTORY OF APRONS The principal use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath. Because she only had a few dresses, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing…
Your intangible treasure. Prompt #85
What is the one intangible thing you treasure above all else? Intangible, meaning: you can’t touch it, feel it, smell it, hold it, see it . . . it may be a character trait, a personality trait, a quirk. . . a feeling. . . . Prompt: Write about something intangible that you treasure. Photo by Jane Person
Right now . . . Prompt #83
Set your timer for 12-15 minutes and write. No judging. Shoo your inner critic away. Just write. Today’s Prompt: Right now . . . Photo taken in Ireland by Jim C. March
Balance. . . Prompt #79
Today’s writing prompt. . . balance.
Summer! Prompt #77
Write about . . . Summer.
What doesn’t tickle your fancy? Prompt #75
What is your pet peeve? You know, those little, or big, things that drive you up the wall. What makes your hair stand on end? What ruffles your feathers? Prompt: Write about what doesn’t tickle your fancy! Photo by Breana Marie