Writer | Teacher | Editor | Publisher
Deep into edits
of stories about family,*
I am reminded why
we explore
the boxes,
the stacks of old letters,
the clippings
from news,
pages of a journal.
Every word a link
to history.
Every image a glimpse
at our past,
Hand-held.
Pieces to the puzzle.
“Write what should not be forgotten.” ~ Isabel Allende
Last weekend, I spent two full days hanging out in the studio during Doors Open Milwaukee, seeing several familiar faces and meeting plenty of new ones (thanks to everyone who stopped by!). And if you follow me on Instagram, you know one of the goodies on the giveaway table was a bowl full of cigarettes #writing prompts (see left).
Offer freebies at any event, and you get a range of reactions from people squinting at said goodies but keeping their distance to folks digging in for three or four. It’s a real sociological experiment.
From the people who chose their pencil and read the paper right there in the studio, I saw a lot of head shaking and heard repeat “oh no’s” and “I can’t.” In those observations, I realized most of us carry misconceptions about how writing prompts work.
Since misconceptions can sometimes be traced back to fear, and fear stunts any good writer, let’s clear up a few of those fallacies right away.
If you can write an award-winning story in one sitting, forget the prompt; I want to know your secret! For the rest of us, think of a prompt as a nudge, a spark of an idea.
One of the hardest things about writing is to start. The prompt simply opens the door. Even if it’s a word or phrase you hate (and one person did toss his tiny prompt in the garbage), you still walk away thinking in STORY, telling your buddy later about “that time I stopped at that crazy writer lady’s studio and she tried to get me to write a book….”
Listen, creative expression is all about interpretation. If the prompt says, “yesterday’s coffee,” you could start with the cup of coffee you had yesterday. OR you could go straight to the syrupy mix you discovered in the office carafe last Monday morning and the fact that you were totally desperate, because (you fill in the blank), so you heated up that sludge in your officemate’s “I’m the BOSS” cup and drank it anyway.
Maybe you read the prompt and head down a road to the incompetency you felt the first time your wife brought home a Keurig and rattled through the instructions to “pop in this pod–” and “The what?” you asked. But she waved you off and kept talking right past your scrunched nose and furrowed brow. So the next time you were alone with the machine, all it did was beep at you and flash its lights, and all of a sudden the story is no longer about yesterday’s coffee but about man’s infinite struggle with mechanical beast.
A prompt works to get your creative juices flowing. Once you get moving, the prompt doesn’t even matter.
Here’s the other thing about creative expression: prompts can be used for all kinds of inspiration.
My favorite conversation during the open house was with a woman who wasn’t a writer at all. She picked out a prompt–with enthusiasm–and said, “I’m a quilter, but you never know where things like this will lead, what kind of new quilt this prompt might inspire.”
I absolutely love her idea.
Because STORY is everywhere. It’s on paper; it’s in conversation. It’s in the next letter you might write (hey, another use for a prompt!). We find it in images all the time. Why not let a prompt inspire another creative venture?
I’m soooo glad you asked.
>> Subscriptions to places like A.Word.A.Day. Back in 2010, I ran a series on the blog called Wednesday’s Word of the Day, where I gave myself 24 hours to write a flash fiction piece based on A.Word.A.Day’s…word of the day (how many times can you fit the same phrase into one small paragraph? boy oh boy).
Most weeks, it was harder than heck to crank out a decent story in such short time, but all that choppy writing was worth it. One of my very-raw pieces, “The Peninsula,” grew in length and depth through years of revisions and recently found its way to publication in Streetlight Magazine. You’ll have to search the archives for the really rough version, but you can read the final story online.
And it all started with the word of the day on that fateful morning: “never-never land.”
>> Books! Check out Midge Raymond’s Everyday Writing, which offers quick five-minute prompts and prompts for longer sit-downs with pen and paper. Her advice is:
“Choose whatever prompt(s) you have time for—and feel free to use them as they are or to rework them in whatever way best fits your mood or project. The only rule here is to put pen to paper, or fingertip to keyboard, and see where it takes you.”
Raymond and I think alike.
Plus, she offers insight and tips on living the life of an everyday writer, even when writing is last on your to-do list.
>> Fellow writers. Bet you’re wondering what prompt you might have discovered in that pile of wrapped pencils. Here’s a sneak peek:
Give one a try. Better yet, write about all three in one fell swoop.
Change is good. Wait…did I just say that?
I am a list-maker and a planner and a “tell me the future because I can’t stand not knowing” kind of girl. I hate when folks in charge at the grocery store think it’s a good idea to move the bread where the juice used to be, or stock the sandwich meat in a secret kiosk somewhere in the middle so that I circle and circle and wear a rut into the hard linoleum floor. I took it personal when the city of Milwaukee worked to repair several bridges throughout summer and fall one year and shut down every new route I mapped out to drive from home to work and back. They left me in constant re-route mode, and re-route equals change equals can’t-talk-now-I’m-in-a-panic.
But once in a while, change is good.
Today marks the end of our season of summer at home–we are riding the last hours of all-day-discord between siblings, thank you very much. Bright and early in the morning, the kids embark on a new school year and a new schedule, and though we are a mix of nerves and excitement, the first day can’t come soon enough.
Sure, I’ll miss those lazy mornings and days at the pool. I admit, I enjoyed the thrill in planning those last-minute afternoon field trips (okay, I use the word “thrill” with some reserve). But I think we’re all ready for a shift in gears and a change of scenery.
And speaking of scenery…. Early this summer, I learned that I would have to move out of a shared creative space where I’d spent many a Friday afternoon writing. At first I was disappointed. I’d grown to love my little corner and those sometimes short but sweet moments of uninterrupted writing time. But throw a wish for something similar out into the Universe and often you discover that change equals something better. By the end of July, I had settled into a new studio closer to home, bigger in size, and ready-made for hosting other writers.
To break in the new space and invite you in for conversation, I’m celebrating with a giveaway of a Personal Editing Package. I know I just ran a giveaway last week, but this one is a little different: 20 pages of developmental and/or line editing (fiction, nonfiction, or novel in progress) plus a 1/2 hour meeting to discuss edits or next steps for two lucky writers.
My hope is that if you enter and win we can meet in person, but as many of you live well beyond the city limits, I want to keep this contest open to anyone hoping to tighten up a short story or an essay or delve into edits on the first few chapters of a novel. Our meeting may be face-to-face or pixel-by-pixel; either way, there’s a chair and a cup of coffee waiting for you.
Enter the contest in one of two ways:
IN-PERSON: My space is housed within Inspiration Studios, which is listed in the upcoming (FREE) event, Doors Open Milwaukee. I’ll be there Saturday, Sept. 17th, from 10am-5pm & Sunday, Sept. 18th, from 12-5pm. I’d love to see you!
Originally constructed as a funeral
home in 1929, this building became home to Inspiration Studios in 2014, where the Village Playhouse and Erico’s Gallery are housed. Visitors will view the “Sweet Emotions” abstract photography exhibit by Milwaukee artist, Rosie Hartman, who will be on hand to discuss her art. Visitors are welcome to self-tour the gallery, performance stage, back stage areas, and the lower level rehearsal and dressing rooms of the Village Playhouse. Visitors will also explore the 2nd floor studios, featuring Dynamic Youth Syndicate and Christi Craig’s Writing Studio. Guided tours will be provided upon request. Light refreshments will be served.
Stop by and pop up to the 2nd floor, check out where I write and where we can meet. Then, pick up a few goodies from the grab basket and sign up for the giveaway with pen and paper.
Do not fear: just like change, revisions can be fun. (If anything, we’ll sweat it out together.)