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Never Should You Ever
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page.
Never Should You Ever
By Ken Delpit
Whether it’s
“Never would I ever,”
Or “Never will I ever,”
Or “Never could I ever,”
Or “Never can I ever,”
Or “Never should I ever,”
Or “Never have I ever,”You cannot help but marvel
At what an eternity “Never” is.
At what a commitment “Never” is.
At what a delusion “Never” is.Few such utterances can hold true,
When a single exception renders them moot.Most such utterances harbor doubts.
We just cannot help ourselves in our passions.Who among us say these things?
Why, everyone, of course.Who among us mean these things?
Well, everyone, of course.But who among us are truthful about “Nevers”?
Well, some of us are…
Or, intend to be, at least,
At the time, that is,
For the most part, anyway.So, take heed at the notion of “Never.”
Its purpose is rigid,
But its use is fluid.Lest you think “Never” always means forever,
Never should you ever.Ken Delpit, in moments of introspection, grapples with intentions versus realities. “Nevers” and “Alwayses,” generally well-meaning pronouncements, are sly co-conspirators in life. They come in lots of flavors. They come in myriad weights. They come with varying degrees of truth…, or not. They can be purveyors of principle, and they can be agents of deception, including of self. Ken is happy to have found free-writing for exploring such ponderables, not so much for finding answers, but more for discovering questions.
#justwrite #iamwriting #iamwriter
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Perspective . . . Prompt #658
I like the idea of looking at familair things with a new perspective.
This writing idea is from Kathryn Petruccelli:
Look at something in your environment, perhaps something you’ve seen many times before, that you think you know well.
It could be a piece of art hanging in your house, or a plant on your windowsill.
Get close and look again. Re-see it.
After you’ve spent some time with it, create a list of metaphors—things it looks like, or reminds you of.
Don’t be too attached to logic, be free with your associations.
Maybe the comparisons will get wild as you go along.
At some point, break the pattern of the list and slow things down by going deeper into description for one metaphor (extend it and explain it in more detail), or by making a statement—a simple subject-verb sentence—that reflects on or summarizes what you’ve said so far.
Note from Marlene: Use your list as seeds for future writing.
Join Kathryn Petruccelli for a summer of poking around in poetry.
Write Spot Blog Posts about similes and metaphors:
Describe colorful character using similes and metaphors
Innovative Technique for Creative Writing
Just Write!
#iamwriting #iamawriter #justwrite #iamapoet
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I never thought . . . Prompt #657
Today’s Writing Prompt:
I never thought . . .
#iamawrite #justwrite #iamwriting
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Monologues
Rebecca Evans taught an amazing class about writing monologues, which sent me on a search for “monologue submissions.” Scroll down for information on Rebecca’s June 16, 2022 writing workshop.
A few places to submit monologues
FORWARD THEATRE: 2023 Monologue Festival Out in This World
“The detour that leads to an unexpected adventure. The vacation where everything goes wrong. The annoying stranger who turns into an amazing guide. Forward Theater is looking for original scripts about travel, whether to places far away or destinations close to home. Even a trip across the street can expand your horizons.
Here is your chance to create a tale of the connection, joy, fear, beauty, exploration, and discovery that can only happen when you get out in this world.
As you consider what to write, please be as creative as possible. It can take the form of comedy, spoken word, drama, farce, autobiography, or pure fiction. Our goal is to produce a wildly diverse evening of theater, so let your imagination run free!”
Deadline: October 1, 2022.
Guidelines for 2023 Monologue Festival Out in This World
THE ROSE THEATRE COMPANY seeks short comedic monologues for the creation of a curated digital film & audio series titled IN CHARACTER.
Selected monologues will be produced and released by The Rose for use across digital platforms, including audible, Instagram, and You Tube channels.
We’re looking for compelling, well-told and entertaining first-person stories. Non-traditional pieces (stand-up, literary, poems, music, sketch, spoken-word) are welcome provided they meet The GUIDELINES.
Ongoing calls for submissions for monologues and plays.
Now accepting Submissions for a new monologue collection with the working title of: WE/US: 100 Monologues for Gender Minority Actors
Deadline: June 30, 2022 12 midnight EST
FILM FREEWAY lists festivals to submit monologues and plays.
You can use writing prompts for ideas for monologues, especially:
Rebecca Evans will teach another writing class on June 16, 2022. Register with Recovery Writing of Idaho.
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Tall Tales or Truth . . . Prompt #656
Write about yourself or about one (or more) of your fictional characters.
You can write the truth or embellish a tall tale.
“Your” is you or one of your fictional characters.
Some writing starts:
Describe your career / job.
If you are retired, what did you do before retirement?
If you could start over, what type of work do you wish you had pursued?
Hobbies?
What do you do in your spare time?
If you don’t have spare time, what would you do if you had spare time?
What do you like to do?
Something very few people know about you.
Something that is not true about you.
Best vacation.
Children.
Grandchildren.
Where did you grow up?
Where do you live?
What are you especially good at?
What do you want people to know about you?
#justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting
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Food or Art? Prompt #654
Photo by Ellen Wu Sometimes I get an idea for a writing prompt and then search for an image to go with the prompt.
The phrase “food or art” popped into my head one day. It took a while, but I found an image.
So, what do you think . . . food or art?
Or, food as art?
Just Write!
#justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting
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Comfort Food . . . Prompt #653
Comfort Food is a real thing.
The idea of eating for comfort might be new to you.
Or you may have experienced how food can bring relaxation and a sense of well-being since you were a child.
Perhaps you are an “eat to live” person and became a “love to eat” person during shelter in place, when activities were limited and frustrations were high.
Here’s what happened to me with comfort food during shelter in place, summer 2020.
“Comfort food took on a new meaning. It was more than comfort food. It was about how to cope with feeling scared. When food filled my belly, there was more than a feeling of satiation. There was a feeling of we’re going to be okay. We can handle this. I tell myself this is just a moment in time. It’s temporary. But I know we are forever changed.” —“Things I Never Thought I Would Do,” excerpt from The Write Spot: Musings and Ravings From a Pandemic Year.
What is your definition of comfort food?
One idea is that when sugar, salt, and fat hit the pleasure center of the brain, we experience contentment.
Perhaps an interesting concept to explore.
Today’s writing prompt: Comfort Food.
What does comfort food mean to you?
What do you eat that offers a sense of well-being and security?
What was your comfort food as a child?
Note: When I was looking for an image to go with this writing prompt, my first thought was mac and cheese. But I didn’t like any of the images I found. Then I thought “popcorn.” Again, couldn’t find an image I liked.
I decided to take a poll on Facebook. I was surprised at the range of responses to my question “What is your comfort food?”
From the informal poll: Ice cream is the most popular comfort food, followed closely by potatoes (mashed and baked).
Some of the answers were specific: Hazelnut gelato, rice cakes with strawberry jam, mushroom risotto, toast and peanut butter and bourbon whiskey, my wife’s mother’s grandmother’s spaghetti sauce, warm blackberry pie with ice cream, Belgian fries with mayonnaise.
Also: Granola, hot dogs, jambalaya, lemon bars, meatloaf, pot roast, tapioca pudding, tuna melts, artichokes, and yams.
A cousin in Grand Rapids responded with “Tamales from the Roosevelt Tamale Parlor!”
And a couple of “whatever anyone wants to make for me.”
Your turn: Write about comfort food.
“Our obsession with sugar, salt and fat.” By Alexandra Sifferlin and TIME.com, March 1, 2013
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Worried . . . Prompt #652
Prompt #1
I’m worried about . . .
Prompt #2
50 years ago I worried about . . .
Prompt #3
When I was 17, I worried about . . .
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Character deep within . . . Prompt #651
Today’s writing prompt:
There is a character deep within me . . .
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