Narrative Thread: For today's writing exercise begin a story or poem with the following and see where it takes you.
Stewing garlic emanated from the kitchen was thrust throughout the apartment by the ceiling fan.
4/28/16
4/26/16
Ekphrastic Tuesday in the mountains
Daily Exercise Genre: Ekphrasis.
Ekphrasis is from Greek meaning the description of a work of art as a rhetorical device. That's actually pretty straight forward, but another way to look at it, is it's highfalutin fan fiction, usually about paintings or pieces of music, but it can be about virtually anything. Look at or listen to the following piece of art and write a piece of prose or poetry that is inspired by some aspect of it.
So... not everyone is a camper. If this doesn't invoke a personal expedition, perhaps you can imagine a person or persons in this place. Heck, you could set a Revenant-style bear attack here. It could certainly happen. I think of happier things looking here, but, you know. To each their own.
Ekphrasis is from Greek meaning the description of a work of art as a rhetorical device. That's actually pretty straight forward, but another way to look at it, is it's highfalutin fan fiction, usually about paintings or pieces of music, but it can be about virtually anything. Look at or listen to the following piece of art and write a piece of prose or poetry that is inspired by some aspect of it.
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| Picture by ShutterHappyTraveler c/o imgur |
Bonus Exercises: Looking at this picture, there is nothing red, like, at all. What if there is a red object that is very important to the story/poem. Whether a cooler, a clown's red nose, a brake light, the setting sun, a campfire... there are a lot of red things.
4/24/16
Weekend Triple Threat: Title Mania, Three Things, How To
Since it's Sunday here are three options for today's exercise. Choose one, choose them all, just be sure to produce something.
Title Mania (use the following title and write a piece to somehow fit it.)
A Step or Two Down from Elegant
Three Things (For today's exercise write a piece of poetry or prose that somehow utilizes the following three things:)
A Three-Legged Dog, A Mountain Bike, Grape Jelly
How to: (For today's prompt you don't have to title your piece "How to ..." —though you certainly can if you'd like to; or you could even make it a step by step process like a recipe, the process should merely be described at some length during your piece.)
Plan a Family Barbeque
Title Mania (use the following title and write a piece to somehow fit it.)
A Step or Two Down from Elegant
Three Things (For today's exercise write a piece of poetry or prose that somehow utilizes the following three things:)
A Three-Legged Dog, A Mountain Bike, Grape Jelly
How to: (For today's prompt you don't have to title your piece "How to ..." —though you certainly can if you'd like to; or you could even make it a step by step process like a recipe, the process should merely be described at some length during your piece.)
Plan a Family Barbeque
4/23/16
Complete a Piece Saturday: Rhymebank exercise
For today's Rhymbank exercise you will follow a series of steps and then produce a piece using some of the generated lines or phrases. You will need either a blank document or a few blank notebook pages, and will refer back to things you write in the early exercises, but through the process you'll have a piece to fiddle with after half an hour to an hour.
1) Take just a couple minutes and jot down/type all rhymes and slant rhymes (include phrases for multi-syllabic words/feminine rhymes) you can think of just off the top of your head for the word: Tear.
2) Pick three of those words you wrote down. For each word and the original write three poetic lines or sentences (12 total).
3) Pick two of those sentences/lines that do not use the word at the end and rephrase it so that the "tear" rhyme is the last word in the line or sentence.
4) Look up more rhymes for Tear and pick a few that you hadn't thought of if you can. If there aren't any that are interesting, pick two more from your list.
5) Write three poetic lines or sentences using two of the additional words (6 total).
6) In the spirit of snippets, pick at least six of your sentences or lines and expand them by two-fold (a total of 3 sentences/lines for each of six sentences—so it's only a minimum of 18 total sentences, not bad). Try to make each little three sentence/line snippet a full thought, if not a complete story. There's the traditional 'story' which has a beginning middle and end, there's the idea of hint fiction which is "a story of 25 words or fewer that suggests a larger, more complex story", there's vignette, and there are probably a bunch more, but those three concepts are plenty for this exercise. Take a minute before writing the expansion and be sure you have a direction or thought to work with.
7) Write a poem or flash fiction that includes at least two of the snippets from #6. Three or more would be ideal. Of course tweaking is both allowed and encouraged to make the lines and facts work, but don't be afraid of unexpected jumps or unintuitive leaps in topic or tone. Sometimes that jarring change produces a really great effect in the reader.
1) Take just a couple minutes and jot down/type all rhymes and slant rhymes (include phrases for multi-syllabic words/feminine rhymes) you can think of just off the top of your head for the word: Tear.
2) Pick three of those words you wrote down. For each word and the original write three poetic lines or sentences (12 total).
3) Pick two of those sentences/lines that do not use the word at the end and rephrase it so that the "tear" rhyme is the last word in the line or sentence.
4) Look up more rhymes for Tear and pick a few that you hadn't thought of if you can. If there aren't any that are interesting, pick two more from your list.
5) Write three poetic lines or sentences using two of the additional words (6 total).
6) In the spirit of snippets, pick at least six of your sentences or lines and expand them by two-fold (a total of 3 sentences/lines for each of six sentences—so it's only a minimum of 18 total sentences, not bad). Try to make each little three sentence/line snippet a full thought, if not a complete story. There's the traditional 'story' which has a beginning middle and end, there's the idea of hint fiction which is "a story of 25 words or fewer that suggests a larger, more complex story", there's vignette, and there are probably a bunch more, but those three concepts are plenty for this exercise. Take a minute before writing the expansion and be sure you have a direction or thought to work with.
7) Write a poem or flash fiction that includes at least two of the snippets from #6. Three or more would be ideal. Of course tweaking is both allowed and encouraged to make the lines and facts work, but don't be afraid of unexpected jumps or unintuitive leaps in topic or tone. Sometimes that jarring change produces a really great effect in the reader.
4/21/16
Narrative prompt: Red cast from
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| Photo (I think) by BENEDEK BOGNÁR |
Red cast from the setting sun added a filter nostalgic to everything in sight.
4/20/16
Three things exercise: Monument Valley, A Flat Tire, A Gumball
For today's exercise write a piece of poetry or prose that somehow utilizes the following three things:Monument Valley, A Flat Tire, A Gumball
4/19/16
Ekphrsastic Tuesday with Igor Morski
Daily Exercise Genre: Ekphrasis.
Ekphrasis is from Greek meaning the description of a work of art as a rhetorical device. That's actually pretty straight forward, but another way to look at it, is it's highfalutin fan fiction, usually about paintings or pieces of music, but it can be about virtually anything. Look at or listen to the following piece of art and write a piece of prose or poetry that is inspired by some aspect of it.
Ekphrasis is from Greek meaning the description of a work of art as a rhetorical device. That's actually pretty straight forward, but another way to look at it, is it's highfalutin fan fiction, usually about paintings or pieces of music, but it can be about virtually anything. Look at or listen to the following piece of art and write a piece of prose or poetry that is inspired by some aspect of it.
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| by Igor Morski |
4/18/16
Inspired by Writing Monday: Nanoism #333
Inspired By: For today's writing prompt read the following short piece (it will always be something quite short, we don't have all day to work on writing, wouldn't that be awesome?) and take inspiration from it. Whether you like specific words, character names, you like the setting, the general plot structure, you want to use that piece as a sort of prequel or perhaps something in the piece irks you or you really disagree with it and you want to respond in a lyric or narrative fashion. Whatever strikes you strongest in what you read (read it twice if you have a chance), grab it and run with it.
The point of our notebooking daily prompts isn't necessarily to create a fully formed piece but to not let ourselves get bogged down in details and to just write. This will generate usable tidbits, unique sentences or ideas, and sometimes, indeed, an actual piece.
Trigger warning. (if that phrase doesn't make sense, you're probably safe, but the material covered in this 24 word story is powerful)
Today's inspiration: Nanoism #333 by Orest Talpash (24 words)
GO!
So, there's that. A powerful, sad story in so few words. The "Hint Fiction" is strong in this one as it uses both explicit detail and implication to indicate a little more of the fuller story.
Anyway. It may not be in everyone's constitution to write about the topic, or maybe not in their interest. This is quite dour, sad, outraging etc. There are dozens of adjectives we could throw at the subjects like apples at a brick wall, only to see them explode. Words are insufficient, but maybe there is a 'secret' or some other societal woe you might address. Whether you embrace the hyper-short fiction or poem is completely up to you. Perhaps you might address an addiction like alcoholism, drug abuse, workaholism, or maybe something from society's past. Maybe you'll take a different tact and for with an attempt at 'magic' to cure something or fix something.
The point of our notebooking daily prompts isn't necessarily to create a fully formed piece but to not let ourselves get bogged down in details and to just write. This will generate usable tidbits, unique sentences or ideas, and sometimes, indeed, an actual piece.
Trigger warning. (if that phrase doesn't make sense, you're probably safe, but the material covered in this 24 word story is powerful)
Today's inspiration: Nanoism #333 by Orest Talpash (24 words)
GO!
So, there's that. A powerful, sad story in so few words. The "Hint Fiction" is strong in this one as it uses both explicit detail and implication to indicate a little more of the fuller story.
Anyway. It may not be in everyone's constitution to write about the topic, or maybe not in their interest. This is quite dour, sad, outraging etc. There are dozens of adjectives we could throw at the subjects like apples at a brick wall, only to see them explode. Words are insufficient, but maybe there is a 'secret' or some other societal woe you might address. Whether you embrace the hyper-short fiction or poem is completely up to you. Perhaps you might address an addiction like alcoholism, drug abuse, workaholism, or maybe something from society's past. Maybe you'll take a different tact and for with an attempt at 'magic' to cure something or fix something.
4/17/16
Weekend Triple Threat: Title Mania, Three Things, How To
Since it's Sunday here are three options for today's exercise. Choose one, choose them all, just be sure to produce something.
Title Mania (use the following title and write a piece to somehow fit it.)
Triptych in Blue
Three Things (For today's exercise write a piece of poetry or prose that somehow utilizes the following three things:)
A Bruised Banana, Spilled Gasoline, Vertical Blinds
How to: (For today's prompt you don't have to title your piece "How to ..." —though you certainly can if you'd like to; or you could even make it a step by step process like a recipe, the process should merely be described at some length during your piece.)
Raise a Stalk of Corn
Title Mania (use the following title and write a piece to somehow fit it.)Triptych in Blue
Three Things (For today's exercise write a piece of poetry or prose that somehow utilizes the following three things:)
A Bruised Banana, Spilled Gasoline, Vertical Blinds
How to: (For today's prompt you don't have to title your piece "How to ..." —though you certainly can if you'd like to; or you could even make it a step by step process like a recipe, the process should merely be described at some length during your piece.)
Raise a Stalk of Corn
4/16/16
Title exercise: Agate
For today's exercise use the following as the title of a poem or piece of prose.Agate
(I could fill this post with images of agates, they're my absolute favorite type of mineral/rock, even more than geodes and the like, because you can find agates in lots of places, and they are awesome. Check out the wiki page for some cool science facts. and, aside from all that they're just extraordinarily pretty rocks that I grew up collecting when possible. And again, they are awesome.
4/15/16
Title exercise: Flat Beer, Salad and Sandals
For today's exercise use the following as the title of a poem or piece of prose.
Flat Beer, Salad and Sandals
Flat Beer, Salad and Sandals
4/14/16
Title exercise: Reverberating in the Skull
For today's exercise use the following as the title of a poem or piece of prose.
Reverberating in the Skull
Reverberating in the Skull
4/13/16
Title exercise: Wistful and Wrong
For today's exercise use the following as the title of a poem or piece of prose.
Wistful and Wrong
Wistful and Wrong
4/12/16
Title exercise: Yet Another Tipping Point
For today's exercise use the following as the title of a poem or piece of prose.
Yet Another Tipping Point
Yet Another Tipping Point
Title exercise: Lost Luster
For today's exercise use the following as the title of a poem or piece of prose.
Lost Luster
Lost Luster
4/10/16
Inspired By Prompt: Nanoism #668
Inspired By: For today's writing prompt read the following short piece (it will always be something quite short, we don't have all day to work on writing, wouldn't that be awesome?) and take inspiration from it. Whether you like specific words, character names, you like the setting, the general plot structure, you want to use that piece as a sort of prequel or perhaps something in the piece irks you or you really disagree with it and you want to respond in a lyric or narrative fashion. Whatever strikes you strongest in what you read (read it twice if you have a chance), grab it and run with it.
The point of our notebooking daily prompts isn't necessarily to create a fully formed piece but to not let ourselves get bogged down in details and to just write. This will generate usable tidbits, unique sentences or ideas, and sometimes, indeed, an actual piece.
Today's inspiration: Nanoism #668 by Matthew Wester (24 words)
This Nanoism (140 characters or fewer) or if you prefer, hint fiction, flash fiction or sudden fiction is a great example of irony in the extremely short story. Like most extraordinarily short stories, it relies on the reader having numerous bits of previous knowledge. This is a place where fiction and poetry collide. I think it really embraces the idea of Hint Fiction as put forward by the term's coiner Robert Swartwood "hint fiction (n) : a story of 25 words or fewer that suggests a larger, more complex story" it plants the seed of some interesting undead interactions. Zombies have been long in fashion (Warm Bodies is a thinly veiled Romeo and Juliet, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies are just two examples), maybe write your own short piece that places a famous work of narrative, book/play/movie where one or many character's deaths are important and set it in a world with zombies. Mabye the characters are unaware there are zombies, or maybe you want to get really fun with the famous plots if death isn't a factor.
The point of our notebooking daily prompts isn't necessarily to create a fully formed piece but to not let ourselves get bogged down in details and to just write. This will generate usable tidbits, unique sentences or ideas, and sometimes, indeed, an actual piece.
Today's inspiration: Nanoism #668 by Matthew Wester (24 words)
This Nanoism (140 characters or fewer) or if you prefer, hint fiction, flash fiction or sudden fiction is a great example of irony in the extremely short story. Like most extraordinarily short stories, it relies on the reader having numerous bits of previous knowledge. This is a place where fiction and poetry collide. I think it really embraces the idea of Hint Fiction as put forward by the term's coiner Robert Swartwood "hint fiction (n) : a story of 25 words or fewer that suggests a larger, more complex story" it plants the seed of some interesting undead interactions. Zombies have been long in fashion (Warm Bodies is a thinly veiled Romeo and Juliet, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies are just two examples), maybe write your own short piece that places a famous work of narrative, book/play/movie where one or many character's deaths are important and set it in a world with zombies. Mabye the characters are unaware there are zombies, or maybe you want to get really fun with the famous plots if death isn't a factor.
4/4/16
Inspired By Prompt: Nanoism #683
Inspired By: For today's prompt read the following short piece (it will always be something quite short, we don't have all day to work on writing, wouldn't that be awesome?) and take inspiration from it. Whether you like specific words, character names, you like the setting, the general plot structure, you want to use that piece as a sort of prequel or perhaps something in the piece irks you or you really disagree with it and you want to respond in a lyric or narrative fashion. Whatever strikes you strongest in what you read (read it twice if you have a chance), grab it and run with it.
The point of our notebooking daily prompts isn't necessarily to create a fully formed piece but to not let ourselves get bogged down in details and to just write. This will generate usable tidbits, unique sentences or ideas, and sometimes, indeed, an actual piece.
Today's inspiration: Nanoism #683 by Sean Vivier (19 words)
This piece of micro fiction (or flash fiction, or if you prefer, a Nanoism [140 characters or fewer]) is a great example of minimalism. Vivier wrote a character study in 19 words by boiling the character down to a personal motto and the outside opinion that somewhat undercuts the impression of that motto. Perhaps you want to take a character and boil them down to a favorite phrase and explain in very few words why they are the antithesis of that phrase. Perhaps you want to use this character as inspiration for your own villain/anti-villain/character to set in a situation of your own imagining. Perhaps you want to write a lyric piece meditating upon such a hated character or minimalism or maybe even something unrelated that you'd had in your head, just knock it out, and maybe keep brevity and terseness of phrasing in mind while writing.
The point of our notebooking daily prompts isn't necessarily to create a fully formed piece but to not let ourselves get bogged down in details and to just write. This will generate usable tidbits, unique sentences or ideas, and sometimes, indeed, an actual piece.
Today's inspiration: Nanoism #683 by Sean Vivier (19 words)
This piece of micro fiction (or flash fiction, or if you prefer, a Nanoism [140 characters or fewer]) is a great example of minimalism. Vivier wrote a character study in 19 words by boiling the character down to a personal motto and the outside opinion that somewhat undercuts the impression of that motto. Perhaps you want to take a character and boil them down to a favorite phrase and explain in very few words why they are the antithesis of that phrase. Perhaps you want to use this character as inspiration for your own villain/anti-villain/character to set in a situation of your own imagining. Perhaps you want to write a lyric piece meditating upon such a hated character or minimalism or maybe even something unrelated that you'd had in your head, just knock it out, and maybe keep brevity and terseness of phrasing in mind while writing.
4/3/16
Weekend Triple Threat: Title, Three Things, Narrative Thread
Since it's Sunday here are three options for today's exercise. Choose one, choose them all, just be sure to produce something.
Title Mania (use the following title and write a piece to somehow fit it.)
Population and Control
Three Things (For today's exercise write a piece of poetry or prose that somehow utilizes the following three things:)
A Beehive, A Paring Knife, The song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper (or a cover)
Narrative Thread: (For today's writing exercise begin a story or poem with the following and see where it takes you.)
Title Mania (use the following title and write a piece to somehow fit it.)
Population and Control
Three Things (For today's exercise write a piece of poetry or prose that somehow utilizes the following three things:)
A Beehive, A Paring Knife, The song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper (or a cover)
Narrative Thread: (For today's writing exercise begin a story or poem with the following and see where it takes you.)
The sky seemed too blue that day for a murder.
4/2/16
Three things exercise: A Shovel, A Water Fountain, Angel Falls
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| Photo by Adam Ive |
A Shovel, A Water Fountain, Angel Falls
4/1/16
Three things exercise: An Aspen Leaf, Schadenfreude, A White Board
For today's exercise write a piece of poetry or prose that somehow utilizes the following three things:An Aspen Leaf, Schadenfreude, A White Board
