Chinese New Year . . . Prompt #767

  • Chinese New Year . . . Prompt #767

    Chinese New Year

    2024 Year of the Dragon

    According to legend, Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian (a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains) during the annual Spring Festival.

    One year, the villagers decided to hide from the beast.

    An older man appeared before the villagers and said that he would stay the night and get revenge on the Nian.

    The old man put red papers up and set off firecrackers.

    The next day, the villagers returned and saw that nothing had been destroyed.

    They assumed that the old man was a deity who came to save them.

    The villagers learned that the old man discovered that the Nian was afraid of the color red and loud noises.

    The tradition grew as New Year approached.

    The villagers wore red clothes, hung red lanterns and red scrolls on windows and doors.

    They used firecrackers and drums to frighten away the Nian.

    From then on, Nian never came to the village again.

    Look at the chart below. Find your birth year. Discover your Chinese animal.

    The writing prompt is after the list of animals.

    Chinese New Year animals

    Rat            1948, 1960, 1972, 1984

    Ox             1949, 1961, 1973, 1985

    Tiger         1950, 1962, 1974, 1986

    Rabbit      1951, 1963, 1975, 1987

    Dragon     1952, 1964, 1976

    Snake        1953, 1965, 1977

    Horse        1954, 1966, 1978

    Sheep/goat  1955, 1967, 1979

    Monkey    1956, 1968, 1980

    Rooster     1957, 1969, 1981

    Dog           1958, 1970, 1982

    Boar/Pig   1947, 1959, 1971

    Prompt 1:

    Write something that intrigued you with the Nian legend.

    Or: Write about a new year, a new beginning.

    Write about what scares you. Then, write about what calms you.

    Thinking about your Chinese animal . . .

    Does that animal’s behavior and characteristics match how you go through life?

    How?

    If not, how are you different?

    How do you go through life?

    Marlene C

  • Dream Weaver

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

    Dream Weaver

    By Sarah Horton

    I dreamed the world was a place of love and harmony . . .

    Dream Lover . . . What dreams may come

    You are my dream lover – thinking of my love, my sweet heart . . . (song pops into my head)

    Dream

    The snow is falling . . . hard.

    The air is thick with it . . . in my nose.

    I wander on the path while the winds blow. 

    I slip, and almost lose my footing. 

    The pathway is blurred from the flakes and wind blowing.

    Soon, there is no side view or peripheral vision.  

    Instantly, only one foot in front of the other and I think— if I keep moving it will clear. 

    Clearly, I now step ahead — one foot, then another, and another.  

    My nose is running, the cold freezes my cheeks as the snowflakes continue to gather and melt on my eyebrows — dripping down into my eyes.    

    Blinking, here I am, here I am . . . step by step . . .  one foot then another . . . into the dark and bitter cold just a breath away.  

    My breath turns to tiny crystals, and the snowflakes are landing on my tongue now.  

    Running out of air, I try to take a deeper breath.  

    My throat is frozen in the process.  

    Shorter, shorter, crispy, short breathing as I slow down to just standing.  

    Swirling all around me is the sound of the wind as it brushes past my ears and disappears into the darkness.  

    Like a moving whirlpool of air, I am in the vortex . . . standing still . . . centered in my heart, pounding, waiting, louder pounding, waiting, and more waiting.

    The wind, now roaring harder,  picks up and pushes against me in my front chest. I turn my body and it hits me on the side — feeling my neck cold, exposing skin as the scarf I wear blows off and disappears into the darkness. Whoosh!

    Is it the sound — my attention moving to my feet, I move a quarter-round again —only to be blown forward from the wind hitting my back this time . . . hunching my shoulders, and feeling the air move up my neck under my hair and into my hat.— no hat now,  again . . . bracing myself, hunching and waiting, waiting, waiting . . . the next big blow . . .

    Waking up, I find myself nestling under my covers, with my naked skin against my lover’s chest.  

    Relief breathing out a full breath. I open to his warmth and touch. We kiss. We breathe into each other’s openness, being the love and the heat we share. Open to the warm and moist touches all over my body, opening and softening. I feel the solid curve of his muscles, moving and touching me, the tips of his fingers exploring my inner worlds of love and aliveness. Melting into one with each other as we soar high in the safety and warmth and darkness of the night.   

    Oh dream weaver

    I believe you can get me through the night

    “Dream Weaver” song lyrics by Gary Wright

    As an artist, Sarah Horton is constantly inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds her in the ‘Lost Sierra’ Nevada Mountains and Lake Tahoe wilderness.

    Her passion for photography has led her to capture stunning vistas and fresh mountain waters around the world, while her love for painting has allowed her to bring her own unique perspective and creativity to her large canvas work. 

    As a writer, she is able to dance in the gap between the intuitive right brain and the practicality of the left brain. 

    Sarah lives north of Lake Tahoe with her sweetheart, Christopher Burton, and her dog, Lady Lulu. Her decades of life experience culminate in the simplicity and joy of appreciating sacred time in silence and creativity.

    She welcomes your visit to her literary artist blog and enjoy the visual art there as well.

    Marlene C

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  • What have you forgotten? . . . Prompt #766

    Excerpt from “Happy to be Here,” by Elizabeth Berg.

    “Last time my friend Phyllis visited me, she said, ‘Don’t you ever comb your hair?’”

    “’I forget,’ I told her.”

    I laughed at that moment of recognition.

    Sometimes, during the day, I’ll glance at a mirror as I walk by and realize, “forgot to comb my hair.”

    Writing prompt:

    What have you forgotten? And then (obviously) remembered.

    Or:

    What might you have forgotten?

    Just Write!

    Marlene C

  • Shears

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

    Shears

    by Marian Van Horn

    I have been working on letting go of things that no longer serve me. Past hurts, painful experiences, things that cause me resentment or anger. Then I had this dream the other night.                                                         

    A small 5-year-old child is floating around a room. I am watching her. She is about a foot above the ground and moving effortlessly. She is focused on doing that and nothing else; enjoying the simple movement as children often do when absorbed in the present moment.

    When she floats by me, I ask, “How do you do that?”

    She looks down and says, “With these.”

    She pulls out a huge pair of silver shears. I am a little shocked because they are quite large and sharp and she’s only five years old, so I worry a bit, but she hands them to me and says, “You try.”

    I take the shears and start to float. Not with as much ease as her, but I am able to skim across the room a few inches above the floor. It is exhilarating.                                             

    I thought about this dream when I woke up. The exhilarating feeling of letting go stayed with me, so I looked up shears in my dream symbol book and one description was “cutting out of your life the things you don’t need anymore.”

    Marian Van Horn’s interest in writing began in 1979 when she found some poems safety pinned together in her grandmother’s cookbook.

    Marian’s poetry appeared in the Sitting Room 2012 Annual publication and in Fantasia: Poems by David Beckman & Friends.

    Marlene C

  • Good Housekeeping wants your story

    From The Good Houeskeeping Magazine Website:

    We’re always on the lookout for great writers with great ideas, in an effort to deliver a unique mix of voices and perspectives to our readers.

    When it comes to freelance pitches, we’re interested in long-form narratives, deeply reported service pieces and personal essays that offer a compelling point of view, a personal story that will help improve readers’ lives.

    Email pitches to: ghdigital – at – hearst.com.

    Include:

    Email subject line: “Story Pitch” and a short summation of your topic.

    Please include your name, contact info, a brief description of your experience as a writer and links to your past work.

    Headline: Include a working headline for your story.

    Brief description/outline: We find that the best pitches are timely, well written, appropriately researched and have a strong working outline.

    We accept all pitches for Good Housekeeping on a rolling basis. Please note that due to the volume of emails we receive, we cannot guarantee that each submission will be commented on; it is more likely that an editor will be in touch if interested in pursuing your pitch.

    Note from Marlene: Good Luck!

    Marlene C

  • The challenge of freewriting . . . Prompt #765

    The challenge of freewriting is getting Self out of the way.

    Let your writing flow with no judging.

    Release your worries about your writing.

    Allow your creative mind to play with words. 

    With freewrites, you are writing for yourself, not for an audience.

    Give yourself permission to be open to whatever comes up while you are writing.

    A freewrite is a way of writing freely, with no worries about the outcome.

    Choose a time when you will not be interrupted.

    Select a prompt. Set a timer for 15-20 minutes and write without pausing to think.

    If you run out of things to say, write “I remember” and go from there.

    Or, write “What I really want to say . . .” 

    Give your inner critic time off during this writing.

    Lists are a great way to inspire freewrites.

    ~ Make a list of issues and experiences, important or trivial, in your life right now.

    ~ What frustrated you in the past month?

    ~ What made you laugh or cry?

    ~ What caused you to lose your temper?

    ~ What was the worst thing that happened?

    ~ What was the best thing that happened?

    ~What was the most disturbing or weird thing that happened?

    Choose one thing from your list and write about it. Write whatever comes to mind. 

    When you are finished writing, take a deep breath in and release your breath out.

    Next prompt: Write about the same incident from the other person’s point of view. 

    Next prompt: Think back to when you were a teenager or a young adult and respond to one of the questions above as your younger self would have responded.

    The Write Spot series of books, edited by Marlene Cullen, features a variety of writing, all ending with a writing prompt, to inspire your writing.  

    There are over 700 prompts on The Write Spot Blog, plus places to submit your writing, Sparks (memorable writing), and guest spots.

    Just Write!

    Marlene C

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  • Simple Joy

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

    Simple Joy

    By DSBriggs

    Joy is . . .

     

    Hearing a tail thump when I walk in the room.

    Watching my dog at the dog park as he smiles

    and checks in before running off again.

     

    Talking to my sister after a long period of silence.

    Being with my niece and her family.

     

    Today, joy was sitting with a close friend, talking about family recipes,

    remembering how thankful I am for our friendship.

     

    Shared laughter is joyous.

     

    Some days joy is being outside on a good weather day.

    You know, warm but not too warm or cold but not too cold.

    The “why we live in California “ type day.

     

    Joy, is seeing a tree in a different way and the interaction of sunlight and leaves.

    Joy is watching the mad dash of squirrels racing around an oak tree.

    Joy is watching puppies, kittens and goats  play.

     

    Joy is watching toddlers exploring their world.

    It’s also seeing the family enjoying time together.

     

    Joy is a handwritten card or letter from a friend.

    It’s finishing the last stitch successfully and finally!

     

    Joy is a clutter-free kitchen table and a newly mopped floor.

    Joy is finding my lost earring or re-finding a good book or picture.

     

    Joy is a pain-free walk.

    Greater joy is seeing or being in the mountains. 

     

    Joy is quiet calmness with a good cup of tea.

    Donna Briggs writes under the name DSBriggs. Donna and Moose, live in Northern California. Retired from teaching children with visual impairments, she still loves learning and word play. Her desire is to travel, finally finish some quilting projects, and reduce her to-be-read pile of books.

    DSBriggs has participated in Jumpstart for a number of years. She feels fortunate to have her work appear in Marlene Cullen’s Write Spot anthologies, available from your local bookseller and from Amazon (print and ebook).

    Marlene C

  • Hocus Pocus . . . Writing Prompt #764

    The night before Halloween, I wanted to watch a Halloween movie. I chose “Hocus Pocus.”

    Around 7:40 pm I began to search how to view it for free on TV. I couldn’t find it in the free movies category and didn’t want to pay for it. 

    I looked at the TV Guide.

    “Hocus Pocus” would be playing on a major channel at 8:00 pm.

    The time at this point: 8:00 pm.

    Writing Prompt: What are the chances?

    Or: Has this ever happened to you?

    Or: Hocus Pocus

    Marlene C

  • Offer It Up

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

    Offer it Up

    By Tracy L. Wood

    It was a catch phrase of my mother’s. Whether our sweater was itchy, or our new church shoes gave us blisters, or a sibling was teasing us, Mom’s standard reply was Offer it Up.  As a young person, this response was unsatisfying. It didn’t fix anything, and it felt dismissive. More often than not, I wanted her other catch phrase, which similarly didn’t fix anything. But at least Oh Honey came bearing sympathy.

    This was before Mom got involved in Al-Anon where she learned about the Serenity Prayer and to Let Go and Let God. In many ways those adages offer the same comfort, or challenge depending on one’s state of grace, and were simply another way of saying Offer it Up.

    I like Mom’s version better. I often hear Mom’s voice nudging me to rise above and connect with a higher spirit, even without itchy sweaters or ill-fitting white patent leather shoes. When I am on a hike, her words are as pertinent while I battle a swarm of mosquitoes on the way up as when I finally glory in a spectacular view from the top. Then, on the way down, when my knees ache and I grow frustrated at my 56-year old body for sometimes just sucking, I again remember Mom’s words (and pop a couple ibuprofen).

    Offer it Up doesn’t just mean to “get over it.” Rather, it acknowledges our current state of discomfort, pain, or joy, and reminds us to share it all. Offer it up keeps us humble and centered as we ride the waves of emotions that come with our humanity.

    Similarly, Offer it Up does not absolve us of action; it does not tell us to sit idly and suffer silently.  It is just a step, a breath, a moment, a prayer.

    Tracy L. Wood is a former Marine and retired secondary English teacher. She currently teaches writing workshop classes near her home in Newbury, New Hampshire where she writes a weekly newsletter “My Mother’s Piano: from stuff to stories.”

    “Offer it Up” was originally published Tracy’s Substack,  “My Mother’s Piano.”

    Tracy’s mother’s piano is one of the many things that did not move with Tracy and her husband when they fled their suburban home near Boston, where they raised their family to ride out the pandemic in rural New Hampshire. It has come to represent the things we cherish but cannot keep.

    Marlene C

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  • Making Kindness The Norm

    Did you know . . . November 13 is officially World Kindness Day?

    I just heard about this, so I researched:

    “The purpose of World Kindness Day is to raise awareness of acts of kindness in the community, emphasizing the power of positivity and the compassion that unites us all. A fundamental aspect of the human experience, kindness transcends racial, religious, political, gender and geographical boundaries.”

    Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Every Day were Kindness Day!

    Let’s make it happen!

    Please go to Marlene Cullen’s Write Spot Facebook Page and add your ideas on what we can do to Be Kind.

    Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has ideas on how we can “make kindness the norm.”

    Thank you, Diane D. for letting me know that November 13 is World Kindness Day!

    Marlene C