from best to worst
For this prompt I'm taking a tip from NaNoWriMo founder, Chris Baty. I've been reading his hip, funny new book, No Plot? No Problem, and slowly planning my foray into novel writing. I'm not sure if I'm up to the 30 day challenge of NaNoWriMo, but I did really enjoy the following activity Baty shares in his book. Baty suggests that, before you begin your novel writing adventure, you make two lists: - What, to you, makes a good novel?
AND
- What bores or depresses you in a novel?
Be as specific or as vague as you like in your lists, but give some extra thought to the qualities novels you like share, as well as to what you hate to read. Baty makes a sage observation: "If you won't enjoy reading it, you won't enjoy writing it." Obviously, you needn't limit your lists to novel writing--apply them to whatever genre you wish to explore. I've included my own response to this activity in the first comment to this entry.
one writer's beginnings
I've just started reading The Faith of a Writer by Joyce Carol Oates. It's a collection of essays that reflect upon various aspects of writing. In one such essay, Oates revisits the one room schoolhouse she remembers so vividly, the same schoolhouse in which her mother was educated. In another, Oates recalls her first real book, Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, and the impact that volume has had on her writing. Over and over, Oates examines the facets of her life that contributed to and helped create the writer she is today. Like Eudora Welty in One Writer's Beginnings, Oates acknowledges that her sense of herself as a writer seemed to begin even before she had ever committed a word to the page. Think back to your own childhood. When did you begin to feel that urge to create? What was the first book or story that captivated you? Describe your own journey to becoming a writer.
the perfect sandwich
Years ago, when I was enrolled in a fiction writing course, we were collectively whining about writer's block. We lamented the stalled plot, the character we could no longer direct or empathize with, etc., etc. Amidst the self-pity, I remember a friend saying simply, "Whenever I get stuck, I just have my character make a sandwich." We started to laugh, but then realized our classmate wasn't laughing. He smiled instead. "You know, everyone makes a sandwich differently. It gets 'em moving, and before you know it, your story's up and running again." Since then, several of my characters have made their own sandwiches, from PB & J to triple-deckers. The sandwiches rarely remain a part of the story, but my friend's core advice, "get your character moving," has helped many a stalled plot. Try it for yourself. Choose a character, and observe as he or she performs some everyday ritual or task, such as making a sandwich, cleaning out a refrigerator, smoking a cigarette, etc. You may be surprised at the extraordinary character insights you discover through ordinary actions.
killer fiction
If you write fiction, you just gotta love John Gardner. The man was opinionated, for sure, but he sure knew his stuff. I'd highly recommend The Art of Fiction to anyone who's the least bit interested in fiction writing. You may not always agree with Gardner (I'd be shocked if you did), but you're sure to come away with a new respect for and understanding of what makes great fiction. Here's today's prompt, courtesy of Gardner himself: Describe a lake as seen by a young man who has just committed murder. Do not mention the murder.
speaking out
When I was in the eighth grade, I adored my English teacher. She was funny and friendly, and I looked forward to her class each and every day. However, I gradually discovered that the regard was not mutual. Once, I shared with her a poem I had written several years earlier. The poem tackled a mature subject, drug addiction, but I'd seen enough tv to feel relatively confident in addressing it. My teacher, however, questioned how I could have written it, and implied that I had not. Later in the year, when I won the school essay contest, she expressed great surprise and actually said, "Well, I guess there weren't that many entries."
Have you ever had a teacher who you feel treated you unfairly, or who squelched your creative spirit? Isn't it time to get it all out in the open? Write a letter to that teacher, and go for broke. Say what you always wanted to say, but never could when you were the student. Now's the time to free yourself from that critical little voice that's kept you from realizing your writing potential.
family values
With all the hype about maintaining and sustaining family values these days, you'd think all families had the same ones. But clearly, that is not the case. Every family creates their own morality, their own subtle set of values that may or may not be verbally communicated, but which exist all the same. Revealing those values can be the key to creating a believable family in your writing. The following prompt comes from Everyday Creative Writing by Michael Smith and Suzanne Greenberg. Fill in the blanks in each of the following sentences: The event/relative my family never talks about is ___________________. The only thing my parents ever lied about was _________________. In my family, the worst thing that could happen to you is ________________. Look over your responses and freewrite on some of the values your family held. Be sure to focus not only on the values they claim as values, but also those implied by gestures and behavior.
random access
I love the new Apple commercials for their latest innovation, the iPod shuffle. The slogan, "Life is random" just about sums it all up, doesn't it? And sometimes, random can be a really good thing. Give it a try. List 10 random objects. Push yourself to the unexpected in your list (try to avoid desk and chair, for example). Be specific, but try to avoid brand names. Now use each object in your list to complete the following metaphor: "If love were a(n)..." Don't stop at filling in the blank here. Extend the metaphor, Homer-style, to really explain the comparison.
baby needs a new pair of shoes
Lately, I've been feeling pretty judgmental of some folks in my family, pretty frustrated with the way they are (or, more aptly, are NOT) handling certain things. I've also been feeling a bit taken advantage of by folks at work who seem to expect more and more of me with less and less compensation as time marches on.
So, how do you use writing in a constructive way to deal with this? Think of that one friend or relative to whom you so often want to say, "If you only knew what it was like to be me." Now switch it--write as if you were spending a day walking in his/her shoes. Here's the hard part: you have to maintain the other person's point of view without succumbing to sarcasm. Be sincere and use one of writing's greatest tools: empathy. For at least ten writing minutes, live in the skin of the one who most frustrates you and see what happens.
booking it
This is really pretty cool and should inspire the budding author in you. Blog Binders will take your blog and bind it into a paperback book form for a fantastically low price. For example, a 100 page blog might cost a mere $20, plus shipping. I'm thinking, what a cool, semi-permanent way to archive your blog entries. At that price, you could easily afford to bind your blog each year--and how cool would it be to have a section of your bookcase dedicated to your own bound blogs? (dare ya to say that 3 times real fast)
it ain't easy being green
This next prompt reminds me of a story I so wanted to write when I was a teenager. For some reason, I had become enamored of the first line, "All her life, she had wanted to be green." I concocted this idea for a story that would revolve around a young girl who was basically a vegetable--unable to move or communicate, unable to do much but watch the world around her with little comprehension and long to be green like the houseplant on the windowsill before her. Needless to say, the story never went far. But this prompt is still cool, so try it: From Idea Catcher: You are a house plant. What do you think about the humans in your life--their habits, the way they live?
when I write...
For more years than I can count, I've used this prompt with my students on the first day of class. Every time, I write with them, and every time, I write something new and discover something else about myself and my writing. Begin a freewrite with the words, "When I write..." and discover the writer within. If you get stuck, begin again with "When I write..."
exploring opposites
Exciting, unexpected things can come from pairing supposed opposites in your writing. In Escaping into the Open: the Art of Writing True, author Elizabeth Berg offers a multitude of prompts to get writers' creative juices flowing. Take one of these scenarios and see where it leads you: - Describe a sorrowful wedding day
OR - Describe an amusing funeral.
remembrance of things past
Each of us carries with us a treasure trove of memories and experiences. My favorite writing guru, Natalie Goldberg, suggests that we dive in whenever we're stuck for something to write about. Start with "I remember..." and write for ten minutes without stopping. If you get stalled at any point, pick up with "I remember" and dive into a different story.
writing as fun?
Sometimes in our quest for brilliance, we forget what attracted us to writing in the first place. In The Right to Write, Julia Cameron asks, "If you didn't have to actually write it, what might it be fun to write?" Think about the things you like to read, particularly those guilty pleasures you don't always admit to. I myself have always been drawn to courtroom dramas and crime novels, but I've never considered actually writing one. But why not? Spend the next fifteen minutes writing down all the things you'd love to write, if only you didn't have to write them.
a perfect day
Everyday we get caught up in all the requirements that are real life. Work, family, friends--it's all great, but where's the me time? For a few minutes, imagine that tomorrow could be anything you wanted. A day just for you to do...well, what would you do? Begin with "If tomorrow were a perfect day,..." and describe that day in detail, from start to finish.
Grab your keyboards!
Today marks the beginning of The Writing Room, an online source of inspiration and cameraderie for those of us who love to write but sometimes need a nudge to get those creative juices flowing. I have an entire bookcase filled with books that explore writing and the writing process, and I'm here to share some of that good stuff with the rest of you! I'll be posting writing prompts, some of them original, some that I've culled from my numerous instructive volumes, but all of them aimed at helping you (and me) break through the block and get those fingers moving. Feel free to post your own efforts through comments. Email me if you have suggestions for future prompts. And now, let's get ready to write!
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