9/5/19

Fall Writing Exercise Series #5: The Same Repetition


The Notebooking Daily Fall Writing Series is a daily writing exercises for both prose writers and poets to keep your creative mind stretched and ready to go—fresh for your other writing endeavors. The writing prompts take the impetus—that initial crystal of creation—out of your hands (for the most part) and changes your writing creation into creative problem solving. Instead of being preoccupied with the question "What do I write" you are instead pondering "How do I make this work?" And in the process you are producing new writing.

These exercises are not meant to be a standard writing session. They are meant to be productive and to keep your brain thinking about using language to solve simple or complex problems. The worst thing you can do is sit there inactive. It's like taking a 5 minute breather in the middle of a spin class—the point is to push, to produce something, however imperfect. If you don't overthink them, you will be able to complete all of the exercises in under 30 minutes.


#5
The Same Repetition

For today's writing exercise you will write a piece of poetry or prose which contains the following phrase at least four times (non-sequentially):

"The same way as always."

    Think of various things that are done repetitiously. Whether it's something like setting the table for dinner, starting a fire, gutting a piece of livestock, washing hands. Try to use either the same one thing multiple times or use multiple things to show the difference between things regularly done and things that are unique. Or do something completely different. Just be sure that the repeated phrase earns its worth in your piece. It should be necessary.

    Bonus Exercise: Also include at least 3 sentences that are four words or fewer, and include the words "Bulbous" "Timid" and "Grout".
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    If you'd like some background music to write to, try something a little different with this bit of Balkans gypsy folk music from the group Taraf de Haidouks.