8/27/15

Notebooking Daily Writing Exercise August 27, 2015

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Daily Exercise Genre: The How-To.

Today we'll work with the good old 'how-to' genre. Write a 'list poem' (or a regular poem) or a piece of prose that explains various ways or steps in how-to do something.



Today's how-to is...

How to remember the acronym ABC (first aid).


Maybe this is a piece of narrative fiction about someone taking a first aid class including the reason they're taking the class, or maybe you're writing a villanelle that aims to teach people who haven't had a first aid class remember Airway, Breathing and Circulation. Maybe it's a piece about being a first responder to an accident or  being injured while travelling alone. Plenty of options here, have at it!

8/26/15

Notebooking Daily Writing Exercise August 26, 2015

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Daily Exercise Genre: Title Mania!

About today's writing prompt genre: Instead of just using a random generator, for today's exercise I will offer up six titles. Pick the title that appeals the most to you and run with it. If you want to leave your choice up to chance use this random number generator. I will also have a small list of possible last words or phrases that you can use as an end-goal if you feel like you need a little extra direction/constraint for the piece.

Titles:

(I'm a big fan of harvesting and repurposing language from non-poetic sources for poetic reasons, so today's titles will come from college mascots)

1) Speedy the Geoduck
Artie
2) Rocky the Rocket
3) Sammy The Banana Slug
4) Artie the Fighting Artichoke
5) The Long Beach Dirtbags
6)

Words or phrases to end with:

1) Pressing lightly
2) Established
3) Leaning slowly to the ground
4) A jump
5) Useless
6) Helpful

Again, if you want to leave this to chance, use the random number generator.

8/16/15

Notebooking Daily Writing Exercise August 16, 2015

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Daily Exercise Genre: Three Things.

About today's writing prompt genre: Today you will write a piece of short fiction or a poem sparked by three concrete, actual things which I will supply. You must work the three items into your piece in some way. If you're having trouble finding direction, you can use the famous person listed under bonus as well. Think of that as getting bonus points.


Today's items are...


A Pogo Stick, a scimitar and an igloo.



Use the items however you like, just be sure they all make it into the story/poem. Having the items be somewhat vital to the piece is also pretty important, but hey, if this is the spark you need to finally get out a piece you'd been knocking about your brain for a month, who cares about the rules! Just write it!


Bonus thing: Robert Frost

8/15/15

Notebooking Daily Writing Exercise August 15, 2015

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Daily Exercise Genre: The How-To.

Today we'll work with the good old 'how-to' genre. Write a 'list poem' (or a regular poem) or a piece of prose that explains various ways or steps in how-to do something.



Today's how-to is...

How to catch a whisper.


This could be as straight forward as training yourself to hear unexpected things better (what that enables you to actually hear may be the surprising part), or it could be about someone who always feels like people are whispering about them, it could be a psychological condition, it could be a social condition. Maybe it translates to social media, social circles and elitism. Maybe it's about catching the whisper of a conspiracy and putting the necessary pieces together, maybe a villain or criminal is nicknamed "whisper" or however you feel like interpreting the words is fine by me. Just pick a direction and spend some time writing.

8/14/15

Notebooking Daily Writing Exercise August 14, 2015

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Daily Exercise Genre: Narrative thread.

About today's writing prompt genre: Take the following story aspect and work it into a piece, whether poetry or prose, whether you explore what led up to this place in the story, it begins with the thread, or the thread is merely a tiny aspect of the story that has crystallized around the original image. However you choose to write it, use the following as a jumping off point.


Today's thread is...

First line. Use the following line as the first line of your piece.


Let me tell you about the first time I met J, the angry voice in my head.
How fantastical or manic your piece gets is completely up to you, but everyone's had that angry little voice in their head, even if it only tells you to shut a door harder than you need to.

8/4/15

Notebooking Daily Writing Exercise August 4, 2015

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Daily Exercise Genre: Title Mania!

About today's writing prompt genre: Instead of just using a random generator, for today's exercise I will offer up six titles. Pick the title that appeals the most to you and run with it. If you want to leave your choice up to chance use this random number generator. I will also have a small list of possible last words or phrases that you can use as an end-goal if you feel like you need a little extra direction/constraint for the piece.

Titles:

(I'm a big fan of harvesting and repurposing language from non-poetic sources for poetic reasons, so today's titles will come from within this list of Maury Povich captions.)

1) He Can't Make Boys
2) For a Can of Soda
3) Two Billion Percent Sure
4) He Says "I Don't Know What You're Talkin' About"
5) My Fear of Mustard and Pickles is Ruining My Life
6) Attacked By Ants That Came Out of a Flower

Words or phrases to end with:

1) Father
2) Baby
3) Dancing
4) Affirmative
5) Punches thrown
6) Calmed

Again, if you want to leave this to chance, use the random number generator.

8/3/15

Notebooking Daily Writing Exercise August 3, 2015

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Daily Exercise Genre: Three Things.

About today's writing prompt genre: Today you will write a piece of short fiction or a poem sparked by three concrete, actual things which I will supply. You must work the three items into your piece in some way. If you're having trouble finding direction, you can use the famous person listed under bonus as well. Think of that as getting bonus points.


Today's items are...


A Poinsettia, an Emperor Penguin and a bench.



Use the items however you like, just be sure they all make it into the story/poem. Having the items be somewhat vital to the piece is also pretty important, but hey, if this is the spark you need to finally get out a piece you'd been knocking about your brain for a month, who cares about the rules! Just write it!


Bonus thing: Claude Monet

8/2/15

Notebooking Daily Writing Exercise August 2, 2015

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Daily Exercise Genre: Three Things.

About today's writing prompt genre: Today you will write a piece of short fiction or a poem sparked by three concrete, actual things which I will supply. You must work the three items into your piece in some way. If you're having trouble finding direction, you can use the famous person listed under bonus as well. Think of that as getting bonus points.


Today's items are...


A Ball bearing, a rake and an oak tree.


Use the items however you like, just be sure they all make it into the story/poem. Having the items be somewhat vital to the piece is also pretty important, but hey, if this is the spark you need to finally get out a piece you'd been knocking about your brain for a month, who cares about the rules! Just write it!

Bonus thing: Lichtenberg Figures

8/1/15

Notebooking Daily Writing Exercise August 1, 2015

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Daily Exercise Genre: Narrative thread.

About today's writing prompt genre: Take the following story aspect and work it into a piece, whether poetry or prose, whether you explore what led up to this place in the story, it begins with the thread, or the thread is merely a tiny aspect of the story that has crystallized around the original image. However you choose to write it, use the following as a jumping off point.


Today's thread is...



You'd always hated the wilderness, and this is exactly why.

Find a way to work that sentence into a piece. What is so bad about the wilderness? A lot of that depends upon point of view, your character's perspective. Some of it could be circumstance, a healthy heaping of unluckiness perhaps. However you figure it, pick a direction and run with it (which could also end up in disaster in the wild).