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.
#68
Ekphrastic Tearing
Ekphrastic Tearing
For today, we're going to write a poem or prose piece inspired by another piece of art or an ekphrastic piece. The piece of art in question is "Man and Nature" by Albania artist Agim SulajIf nothing right off strikes you try the following exercises along with the image.
- Tell the story of this man who tore a whole in the world. What did he do afterwards? Did he adventure into the unknown realm? Did he not and always wish he had? Did it seal back up or was it permanent? Much to explore.
- Write a narrative about the creation of this painting. Invent personal and social reasons and explore those in narrative form, using the painting of this image as the touchstone for the narrator.
- Write a piece specifically about deforestation and use "The Last Tree" as at least part of your title.
- While the scene is flat and empty as far as the eye can see, behind the 'camera' that is taking this image, there is a vast and abounding world. This was a planned event, but to what end? What is that other place? How did the tear actually occur and what are the motivations for making the tear?
If you'd like background writing music try the album Qui Sème Le Vent Récolte Le Tempo by French hip hop legend MC Solaar.
