12/31/20

2020 Writing Exercise Series #360: 3x5x7 Wordbank Sprints 48


The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.
#360
3x5x7 Wordbank Sprints 48
For today's writing exercise complete the following steps. The wordbank exercise has changed so be sure to take a peek at the new 'rules'. I recommend using the timer on your phone or computer and setting it for 1 minute. Each time you write a sentence, quickly reset the timer. If it goes off before you're finished with the sentence—wrap it up ASAP!

In order to complete the large number of sentences demanded of this exercise it is imperative that you write fast. Don't think too much at all until you've reached the final exercise. The process of this quick production is to thrust past second guesses or other stumbling blocks that sometimes impede your writing. You're aiming to write 23 sentences in at most 20 minutes so you have ten minutes to organize and write that actual piece, so you're going to be writing more than a sentence a minute.

WRITE FAST, DON'T OVERTHINK


  1. Pick one word from each of three groups and write a sentence that includes all of the words, feel free to change tense, pluralize, gerund etc. Repeat the process five (5) times using different combinations. No dawdling! 
  2. Now write three (3) sentences that are six (6) words or fewer in length that use any two (2) words from the wordbanks.
  3. Now write three (3) sentences that use four (4) or more of the words.
  4. Now write five (5) sentences which begin with one (1) of the words and contain a second one (1) of the words.
  5. Now write five (5) sentences which are fewer than ten (10) words in length and conclude with one (1) of the words from the wordbanks. Remember, keep up the pace! Don't overthink!
  6. Now rephrase two (2) of your sentences from exercise #1 in either a more efficient or more descriptive manner.
  7. Now write a piece of fiction or poetry that uses at least three (3) of the sentences you've written throughout this process of exercises. Try to use as many of the (good) sentences as you can, or parts of the sentences if the whole thing doesn't fit or works better altered.
Word Bank 1:
  • Copse
  • Floss
  • Flaws
  • Jaws
  • Sauce
Wordbank 2:
  • Onion
  • Spliced
  • Bloody
  • Optical
  • Roped
Wordbank 3:
  • Emboss
  • Moss
  • Plots
  • Splotched
  • Adopts

Bonus writing exercise: Include the word "Notched" in your title or opening sentence, and in the piece you must name at least one professional athlete (specifically a male dancer for bonus-bonus points).

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Want some unobtrusive background writing music? Try this "rest area" rain and lofi mix.

12/30/20

2020 Writing Exercise Series #359: Title Mania Plus 56


The Notebooking Daily 2020 Writing Series is here! These are 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.

#359
Title Mania Plus 56

For today's writing exercise you will write a piece of poetry or prose which uses one of the following as its title. Before you write, first read the poem from which the titles are selected. For a bonus challenge use the additional exercise of five random constraints.

Today's titles come from the poignant poem "Water Glasses" by Cameron Morse in the newest issue of Dreginald. Go read it first! Maybe draw a little inspiration from it as well.


Titles:
  1. Of Protein
  2. Too Many Sausage Links
  3. Thirstier
  4. In the Mailbox, Yes, The Mailbox
  5. To Carry
  6. Walking Along Golfview Drive
Bonus Exercise: Three Things
(Your piece must also include the following three 'things', if you choose this option)
  1. A Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
  2. A Salamander
  3. Oak Leaves
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If you'd like some background music to write to, try this "lofi songs for cold days" lofi mix.

12/29/20

2020 Writing Exercise Series #358: Between a Fact and an Exact Place 27

 

The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.

#358
Between a Fact and an Exact Place 27

For today's writing exercise you will write a piece of poetry or prose which contains the following place (either as the setting, referenced or some aspect of it described) and the following fact in some way (its discovery, used as a metaphor, witnessed etc).
Exact Place:  The Panama Canal 

As an additional assignment, should you choose to incorporate it, is as follows: Also include the words "Toothsome" "Throttle" "Pliable" "Quirk" and "Quark".
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If you'd like some background music to write to, try this "Chill Night Monkey" lofi mix from a new lofi channel I just discovered RP Music. They only have a handful of videos, but if you dig this mix pop over and give them a subscribe. They don't get a ton of views on their videos just yet and could use the support!

12/28/20

2020 Writing Exercise Series #357: Double Six Word Shootout 38

         


The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.

#357
(DOUBLE) Six Word Shootout 38

For today's writing exercise write a piece that includes the following six TWELVE words. Because there's a lot of words to work with, look for words that work well together and pace yourself. Don't feel like you have to use all twelve words in the first 25 words of the piece. 

Required Words: 

1) Flow
2) Mellow
3) Quilt
4) Tilt
5) Jut
6) Kaput
AND ALSO
7) Below
8) Canoe
9) Filter
10) Wither
11) Canopy
12) Olive

-
Bonus Exercise: Include the following three things: A Chimpanzee, Baltimore and Pineapple.
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If you'd like some background music to write to, try this "At Cafe" lofi mix.

12/27/20

2020 Writing Exercise Series #356: Three Things Together 60

     


The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.

#356
Three Things Together 60

F
or today's writing exercise you will write a piece of poetry or prose which contains the following three things, Nice and simple. But also try to avoid using all three items in the very beginning of the piece—don't off-handedly mention the three things as that have no importance to the piece.
  1. Brazil
  2. A Corkscrew
  3. White Asparagus 
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Bonus 'Five Words': Include these five words in your piece: Bowl, Brawl, Scowl, Vowel, Acknowledge.

If you'd like some background music to write to, try this "Studio Ghibli Cafe" Bossa mix.

2020 Writing Exercise Series #355: Erasing EAP "Berenice" 4

  


The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.
#355
Erasing EAP "Berenice" 4

For today's exercise we have split paths for fiction and poetry, though I highly recommend that even fiction writers try the poetry exercise, because erasures can be a blast!

For poetry do an erasure or black-out poem from the following final selection of Edgar Allen Poe's 1835 short story "Berenice".

Edgar Allen Poe is considered by some to be the writer that solidified the short story genre as, well, a genre. Not the first writer of short stories, or even popular short stories, but he wrote enough of them that with the stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Dickens, Irving Washington and others, critics were finally like—fine. Short stories can be a thing.

An Erasure/Blackout is really simple: you take the given text and remove many words to make it your own new piece. One way to go about the erasure that I like to do is to copy the text and paste it twice into your document before you start erasing or blacking out (in MS Word set the text background color to black), that way if you get further into the erasure and decide you want a somewhat different tone or direction, it's easy to go to the unaltered version and make the erasure/black-out piece smoother. Another tip is to look for recurring words, or themes.

If you insist on fiction, write a piece with one of these six titles taken from this section:

  1. It Floated
  2. Since the Setting of the Sun
  3. A Departed Sound
  4. The Tenant of a Tomb
  5. Instruments of Dental Surgery 
  6. In the Antechamber of a Servant Maiden

Erasure Selection:
from "Berenice"

And the evening closed in upon me thus-and then the darkness came, and tarried, and went —and the day again dawned —and the mists of a second night were now gathering around —and still I sat motionless in that solitary room; and still I sat buried in meditation, and still the phantasma of the teeth maintained its terrible ascendancy as, with the most vivid hideous distinctness, it floated about amid the changing lights and shadows of the chamber. At length there broke in upon my dreams a cry as of horror and dismay; and thereunto, after a pause, succeeded the sound of troubled voices, intermingled with many low moanings of sorrow, or of pain. I arose from my seat and, throwing open one of the doors of the library, saw standing out in the antechamber a servant maiden, all in tears, who told me that Berenice was —no more. She had been seized with epilepsy in the early morning, and now, at the closing in of the night, the grave was ready for its tenant, and all the preparations for the burial were completed.

I found myself sitting in the library, and again sitting there alone. It seemed that I had newly awakened from a confused and exciting dream. I knew that it was now midnight, and I was well aware that since the setting of the sun Berenice had been interred. But of that dreary period which intervened I had no positive —at least no definite comprehension. Yet its memory was replete with horror —horror more horrible from being vague, and terror more terrible from ambiguity. It was a fearful page in the record my existence, written all over with dim, and hideous, and unintelligible recollections. I strived to decypher them, but in vain; while ever and anon, like the spirit of a departed sound, the shrill and piercing shriek of a female voice seemed to be ringing in my ears. I had done a deed —what was it? I asked myself the question aloud, and the whispering echoes of the chamber answered me, "what was it?"

On the table beside me burned a lamp, and near it lay a little box. It was of no remarkable character, and I had seen it frequently before, for it was the property of the family physician; but how came it there, upon my table, and why did I shudder in regarding it? These things were in no manner to be accounted for, and my eyes at length dropped to the open pages of a book, and to a sentence underscored therein. The words were the singular but simple ones of the poet Ebn Zaiat, "Dicebant mihi sodales si sepulchrum amicae visitarem, curas meas aliquantulum fore levatas." Why then, as I perused them, did the hairs of my head erect themselves on end, and the blood of my body become congealed within my veins?

There came a light tap at the library door, and pale as the tenant of a tomb, a menial entered upon tiptoe. His looks were wild with terror, and he spoke to me in a voice tremulous, husky, and very low. What said he? —some broken sentences I heard. He told of a wild cry disturbing the silence of the night —of the gathering together of the household-of a search in the direction of the sound; —and then his tones grew thrillingly distinct as he whispered me of a violated grave —of a disfigured body enshrouded, yet still breathing, still palpitating, still alive!

He pointed to garments;-they were muddy and clotted with gore. I spoke not, and he took me gently by the hand; —it was indented with the impress of human nails. He directed my attention to some object against the wall; —I looked at it for some minutes; —it was a spade. With a shriek I bounded to the table, and grasped the box that lay upon it. But I could not force it open; and in my tremor it slipped from my hands, and fell heavily, and burst into pieces; and from it, with a rattling sound, there rolled out some instruments of dental surgery, intermingled with thirty-two small, white and ivory-looking substances that were scattered to and fro about the floor.
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If you'd like some background music to write to, we're keeping it Szabó with this 1979 album from Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó - "Belsta Rive".

12/26/20

2020 Writing Exercise Series #354: Ekphrastic Continuum 19

 


The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.


#354
Ekphrastic Continuum 19
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 this watercolor piece titled "The Great Cat Continuum" from the amazing 'secret' darker artwork of Dr. Seuss.
No handholding today. You have the image, the title if you want to use that to influence the piece, what is it that strikes you about? What are those rectangles? Windows, doorways, some metaphor? The right side is darker but calmer looking, does this represent something or is it more visual? You tell us, in the world of your piece, you're the one in charge. And you decide what about this world is interesting right now, whether you're focusing on something small or encapsulating the larger picture...
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If you'd like background writing music, try this 1973 Duke Jordan album "Flight to Denmark" for some unobtrusive original jazz.



12/25/20

2020 Writing Exercise Series #353: Beginning & Ending with Opening 38

 


The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.

#353
Beginning & Ending with Opening 38


F
or today's writing exercise you will write a piece of poetry or prose which begins with one image, scenario, line of dialog or place and ends with another, and an optional additional requirement.


Begin WithA garage door slowly opening.

End WithA child opening a wrapped present.

Extra Credit RequirementsInclude, somewhere in the first two paragraphs/stanzas, the phrase "Without testing"; and somewhere in your piece include the words: "Evergreen" "Menthol" "Cranberry" "Haloed" and "Sleet".

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If you'd like some unobtrusive background music try this "Christmas Chill Out" lofi playlist.



12/24/20

2020 Writing Exercise Series #352: Title Mania Plus 55

        


The Notebooking Daily 2020 Writing Series is here! These are 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.

#352
Title Mania Plus 55

For today's writing exercise you will write a piece of poetry or prose which uses one of the following as its title. Before you write, first read the poem from which the titles are selected. For a bonus challenge use the additional exercise of five random constraints.

Today's titles come from the awesome poem "What it Look Like" by Terrance Hayes. Go read it first! Maybe draw a little inspiration from it as well.


Titles:
  1. Dear Ol' Dirty Bastard
  2. The Shapes of Shapes
  3. Made for a West African King
  4. A Footnote in my Report
  5. Trill Stands For
  6. Don't You Lie About Who You Are Sometimes?

Bonus Exercise: Three Things
(Your piece must also include the following three 'things', if you choose this option)
  1. A Pelican
  2. A Flat Tire
  3. Milk
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If you'd like some background music to write to, try this "Merry Christmas" 'cozy' lofi mix.

12/23/20

2020 Writing Exercise Series #351 Before the Sun Anaphora—Repetition Files 17

    


The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.

#351
Before the Sun Anaphora—Repetition Files 17

For today's writing exercise you will write a piece of poetry or prose which focuses on repetition. In this instance we will work with anaphora. It's a handy little bit of poetic craft that goes a little something like this:

the repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines to create a sonic effect.
Take a moment and read the above-linked Poetry Foundation article, even if you know the term. For even more fun check out this longer article called Adventures in Anaphora.

Your mission is to use the following phrase to begin at least 4 sentences.

The word or phrase we'll use for our exercise today is:

"Before the sun came up..." 

    There are a number of ways you could approach this bit of anaphora—who is recalling the event/multiple accounts? What is being discussed? Is it current? Are they humans talking even? Just be sure that the repeated phrase earns its worth in your piece, and it should in some way build upon what came before it. The repetition should be necessary and not merely redundant.

    Bonus Exercise: Include these five words into your piece "Newly" "Duty" "Homerun" "Clutch" and "Chili".
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    If you'd like some background music to write to, try this "Snowy Christmas" lofi mix.. 



    12/22/20

    2020 Writing Exercise Series #350: Erasing EAP "Berenice" 3

      


    The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.
    #350
    Erasing EAP "Berenice" 3

    For today's exercise we have split paths for fiction and poetry, though I highly recommend that even fiction writers try the poetry exercise, because erasures can be a blast!

    For poetry do an erasure or black-out poem from the following selection of Edgar Allen Poe's 1835 short story "Berenice".

    Edgar Allen Poe is considered by some to be the writer that solidified the short story genre as, well, a genre. Not the first writer of short stories, or even popular short stories, but he wrote enough of them that with the stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Dickens, Irving Washington and others, critics were finally like—fine. Short stories can be a thing.

    An Erasure/Blackout is really simple: you take the given text and remove many words to make it your own new piece. One way to go about the erasure that I like to do is to copy the text and paste it twice into your document before you start erasing or blacking out (in MS Word set the text background color to black), that way if you get further into the erasure and decide you want a somewhat different tone or direction, it's easy to go to the unaltered version and make the erasure/black-out piece smoother. Another tip is to look for recurring words, or themes. 

    In this example there are several "Oh!"'s and at the end there is more Latin. 

    If you insist on fiction, write a piece with one of these six titles taken from this section:

    1. The Silent Flight of the Raven
    2. Sylph Amid the Shrubberies
    3. Train of Maladies
    4. The Most Incomprehensible Ascendancy
    5. At the Conclusion of a Day Dream 
    6. Undivided Time

    Erasure Selection:
    from "Berenice"

    Thus it will appear that, shaken from its balance only by trivial things, my reason bore resemblance to that ocean-crag spoken of by Ptolemy Hephestion, which steadily resisting the attacks of human violence, and the fiercer fury of the waters and the winds, trembled only to the touch of the flower called Asphodel. And although, to a careless thinker, it might appear a matter beyond doubt, that the alteration produced by her unhappy malady, in the moral condition of Berenice, would afford me many objects for the exercise of that intense and abnormal meditation whose nature I have been at some trouble in explaining, yet such was not in any degree the case. In the lucid intervals of my infirmity, her calamity, indeed, gave me pain, and, taking deeply to heart that total wreck of her fair and gentle life, I did not fall to ponder frequently and bitterly upon the wonder-working means by which so strange a revolution had been so suddenly brought to pass. But these reflections partook not of the idiosyncrasy of my disease, and were such as would have occurred, under similar circumstances, to the ordinary mass of mankind. True to its own character, my disorder revelled in the less important but more startling changes wrought in the physical frame of Berenice —in the singular and most appalling distortion of her personal identity.

    During the brightest days of her unparalleled beauty, most surely I had never loved her. In the strange anomaly of my existence, feelings with me, had never been of the heart, and my passions always were of the mind. Through the gray of the early morning —among the trellised shadows of the forest at noonday —and in the silence of my library at night, she had flitted by my eyes, and I had seen her —not as the living and breathing Berenice, but as the Berenice of a dream —not as a being of the earth, earthy, but as the abstraction of such a being-not as a thing to admire, but to analyze —not as an object of love, but as the theme of the most abstruse although desultory speculation. And now —now I shuddered in her presence, and grew pale at her approach; yet bitterly lamenting her fallen and desolate condition, I called to mind that she had loved me long, and, in an evil moment, I spoke to her of marriage.

    And at length the period of our nuptials was approaching, when, upon an afternoon in the winter of the year, —one of those unseasonably warm, calm, and misty days which are the nurse of the beautiful Halcyon*, —I sat, (and sat, as I thought, alone,) in the inner apartment of the library. But uplifting my eyes I saw that Berenice stood before me.

    *For as Jove, during the winter season, gives twice seven days of warmth, men have called this clement and temperate time the nurse of the beautiful Halcyon —Simonides.

    Was it my own excited imagination —or the misty influence of the atmosphere —or the uncertain twilight of the chamber —or the gray draperies which fell around her figure —that caused in it so vacillating and indistinct an outline? I could not tell. She spoke no word, I —not for worlds could I have uttered a syllable. An icy chill ran through my frame; a sense of insufferable anxiety oppressed me; a consuming curiosity pervaded my soul; and sinking back upon the chair, I remained for some time breathless and motionless, with my eyes riveted upon her person. Alas! its emaciation was excessive, and not one vestige of the former being, lurked in any single line of the contour. My burning glances at length fell upon the face.

    The forehead was high, and very pale, and singularly placid; and the once jetty hair fell partially over it, and overshadowed the hollow temples with innumerable ringlets now of a vivid yellow, and Jarring discordantly, in their fantastic character, with the reigning melancholy of the countenance. The eyes were lifeless, and lustreless, and seemingly pupil-less, and I shrank involuntarily from their glassy stare to the contemplation of the thin and shrunken lips. They parted; and in a smile of peculiar meaning, the teeth of the changed Berenice disclosed themselves slowly to my view. Would to God that I had never beheld them, or that, having done so, I had died!

    The shutting of a door disturbed me, and, looking up, I found that my cousin had departed from the chamber. But from the disordered chamber of my brain, had not, alas! departed, and would not be driven away, the white and ghastly spectrum of the teeth. Not a speck on their surface —not a shade on their enamel —not an indenture in their edges —but what that period of her smile had sufficed to brand in upon my memory. I saw them now even more unequivocally than I beheld them then. The teeth! —the teeth! —they were here, and there, and everywhere, and visibly and palpably before me; long, narrow, and excessively white, with the pale lips writhing about them, as in the very moment of their first terrible development. Then came the full fury of my monomania, and I struggled in vain against its strange and irresistible influence. In the multiplied objects of the external world I had no thoughts but for the teeth. For these I longed with a phrenzied desire. All other matters and all different interests became absorbed in their single contemplation. They —they alone were present to the mental eye, and they, in their sole individuality, became the essence of my mental life. I held them in every light. I turned them in every attitude. I surveyed their characteristics. I dwelt upon their peculiarities. I pondered upon their conformation. I mused upon the alteration in their nature. I shuddered as I assigned to them in imagination a sensitive and sentient power, and even when unassisted by the lips, a capability of moral expression. Of Mad'selle Salle it has been well said, "que tous ses pas etaient des sentiments," and of Berenice I more seriously believed que toutes ses dents etaient des idees. Des idees! —ah here was the idiotic thought that destroyed me! Des idees! —ah therefore it was that I coveted them so madly! I felt that their possession could alone ever restore me to peace, in giving me back to reason.
    ------------------------------------

    If you'd like some background music to write to, we're keeping it Szabó with this 1973 album from Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó - "Mizrab".

    12/21/20

    2020 Writing Exercise Series #349: 3x5x7 Wordbank Sprints 47

              


    The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.
    #349
    3x5x7 Wordbank Sprints 47
    For today's writing exercise complete the following steps. The wordbank exercise has changed so be sure to take a peek at the new 'rules'. I recommend using the timer on your phone or computer and setting it for 1 minute. Each time you write a sentence, quickly reset the timer. If it goes off before you're finished with the sentence—wrap it up ASAP!

    In order to complete the large number of sentences demanded of this exercise it is imperative that you write fast. Don't think too much at all until you've reached the final exercise. The process of this quick production is to thrust past second guesses or other stumbling blocks that sometimes impede your writing. You're aiming to write 23 sentences in at most 20 minutes so you have ten minutes to organize and write that actual piece, so you're going to be writing more than a sentence a minute.

    WRITE FAST, DON'T OVERTHINK


    1. Pick one word from each of three groups and write a sentence that includes all of the words, feel free to change tense, pluralize, gerund etc. Repeat the process five (5) times using different combinations. No dawdling! 
    2. Now write three (3) sentences that are six (6) words or fewer in length that use any two (2) words from the wordbanks.
    3. Now write three (3) sentences that use four (4) or more of the words.
    4. Now write five (5) sentences which begin with one (1) of the words and contain a second one (1) of the words.
    5. Now write five (5) sentences which are fewer than ten (10) words in length and conclude with one (1) of the words from the wordbanks. Remember, keep up the pace! Don't overthink!
    6. Now rephrase two (2) of your sentences from exercise #1 in either a more efficient or more descriptive manner.
    7. Now write a piece of fiction or poetry that uses at least three (3) of the sentences you've written throughout this process of exercises. Try to use as many of the (good) sentences as you can, or parts of the sentences if the whole thing doesn't fit or works better altered.
    Word Bank 1:
    • Core
    • Creole
    • Clamor
    • Claw
    • Charred
    Wordbank 2:
    • Placard
    • Sticker
    • Burr
    • Western
    • Plasma
    Wordbank 3:
    • Pock
    • Hopscotch
    • Onion
    • Colt
    • Basil

    Bonus writing exercise: Include the word "Pressure" in your title or opening sentence, and in the piece you must name at least one actual mountain range or individual mountain peak.

    ------------------------------------

    Want some unobtrusive background writing music? Try this "lofi for Space Cowboys" lofi mix from friends of the blog Homework Radio

    12/20/20

    2020 Writing Exercise Series #348: Three Things Together 59

        


    The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.

    #348
    Three Things Together 59

    F
    or today's writing exercise you will write a piece of poetry or prose which contains the following three things, Nice and simple.
    1. A Convertible (Car)
    2. An Arcade Game
    3. An Arm Cast 
    ------------------------------------

    Bonus 'Five Words': Include these five words in your piece: Pop, Tap, Fix, Clip, Bloomed.

    If you'd like some background music to write to, try this "that 2am fresh air" lofi mix.

    12/19/20

    2020 Writing Exercise Series #347: Beginning & Ending with Knitting 37


    The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.

    #347
    Beginning & Ending with Knitting 37


    F
    or today's writing exercise you will write a piece of poetry or prose which begins with one image, scenario, line of dialog or place and ends with another, and an optional additional requirement.


    Begin WithSomeone knitting their eyebrows (or, scowling).

    End WithSomeone knitting a blanket or sweater.

    Extra Credit RequirementsInclude, somewhere in the first two paragraphs/stanzas, the phrase "We'd lost"; and somewhere in your piece include the words: "Buffalo" "Jog" "Velvet" "Fervent" and "Hare".

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    If you'd like some unobtrusive background music try this "KIREINA" Japanese lofi playlist.

    12/18/20

    The Publishing Life: Weekend Submission Challenge 1

     

    The Weekend Submission Challenge 1

    Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to submit your writing to five journals in the time between today and Monday morning. 


    (Please post about your challenge successes in the comments, I'd like to start getting a little more interaction with the community here.)

    To aid in your attempt, use the following tools.

    Eyes Forward "Big List" of journals that publish experimental writing.

    Derek Annis' Submission Calendar.

    Entropy Magazine's "Where to Submit" post.

    The Submission Wizard (my personal lit mag recommendation service—use the service this weekend and I'll throw in a preliminary suggestion of 2 journals within 12 hours of the form submission which won't count toward the service's recommendations)

    A little reminder of a solid journal researching strategy: 1) About us. 2) Submission Guidelines. 3) Newest issue in your genre (bail on pieces you don't like). 4) (if you still think your work would fit) Submission Guidelines. 

    And just for fun, here are 5 journals that are currently reading submissions. They may not all fit your writing, but hopefully at least one of them will.


    Apple Valley Review is a great online journal of accessible writing that we actually just interviewed for our Spy in the Slushpile interview. Check that out in addition to your normal journal research. They are quite long-running and have established a place for themselves among online journals.

    Freshwater Literary Journal is a solid print journal out of Asnuntuck Community College in Connecticut. They favor accessible writing and are definitely worth giving a look.

    Juke Joint is a funky lit fix out of the south who are "searching for unconventional Southern (& non-Southern) voices in poetry. Send us your lyrical, your narrative, your found, your erased, your not-quite-sure-it's-a-poem poem(s)"

    Otoliths is all about the experiments, baby. Definitely read more than just a couple pieces to get an idea of what they like. They'll give you a little room to play with if they like the word-putty you're sculpting with—or, as they put it, "The intention is for Otoliths to appear quarterly, to contain a variety of what can be loosely described as e-things, that is, anything that can be translated (visually at this stage) to an electronic platform. If it moves, we won't shoot at it."

    Brazenhead Review is a unique online journal that publishes an eclectic selection of writing. When browsing their issues remember that to flip through there are arrows at the left or right side of the page which you can click to move along to the next page.

    HAPPY JOURNAL HUNTING!

    2020 Writing Exercise Series #346: Title Mania Plus 54

           


    The Notebooking Daily 2020 Writing Series is here! These are 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.

    #346
    Title Mania Plus 54

    For today's writing exercise you will write a piece of poetry or prose which uses one of the following as its title. Before you write, first read the poem from which the titles are selected. For a bonus challenge use the additional exercise of five random constraints.

    Today's titles come from the awesome poem "As If" by J Allyn Rosser. Go read it first!


    Titles:
    1. Unwieldy Hulks
    2. Before the Wind Arrives
    3. Dart Away
    4. We Have Squandered the Light that was There
    5. Tentative Eagerness
    6. Currents of Hope

    Bonus Exercise: Three Things
    (Your piece must also include the following three 'things')
    1. A $20 Bill (USD)
    2. A Playground Slide
    3. Pancakes
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    If you'd like some background music to write to, try this "feel so alone" sad lofi mix, again from our lofi buddy Dreamy.

    12/17/20

    2020 Writing Exercise Series #345: Erasing EAP "Berenice" 2

     


    The Notebooking Daily 2020 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.
    #345
    Erasing EAP "Berenice" 2

    For today's exercise we have split paths for fiction and poetry, though I highly recommend that even fiction writers try the poetry exercise, because erasures can be a blast! 

    For poetry do an erasure or black-out poem from the following selection of Edgar Allen Poe's 1835 short story "Berenice".

    Edgar Allen Poe is considered by some to be the writer that solidified the short story genre as, well, a genre. Not the first writer of short stories, or even popular short stories, but he wrote enough of them that with the stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Dickens, Irving Washington and others, critics were finally like—fine. Short stories can be a thing.

    An Erasure/Blackout is really simple: you take the given text and remove many words to make it your own new piece. One way to go about the erasure that I like to do is to copy the text and paste it twice into your document before you start erasing or blacking out (in MS Word set the text background color to black), that way if you get further into the erasure and decide you want a somewhat different tone or direction, it's easy to go to the unaltered version and make the erasure/black-out piece smoother. Another tip is to look for recurring words, or themes.

    In this example there are several "Oh!"'s and at the end there is more Latin. 

    If you insist on fiction, write a piece with one of these six titles taken from this section:

    1. The Silent Flight of the Raven
    2. Sylph Amid the Shrubberies
    3. Train of Maladies
    4. The Most Incomprehensible Ascendancy
    5. At the Conclusion of a Day Dream 
    6. Undivided Time

    Erasure Selection:
    from "Berenice"

    Berenice and I were cousins, and we grew up together in my paternal halls. Yet differently we grew —I ill of health, and buried in gloom —she agile, graceful, and overflowing with energy; hers the ramble on the hill-side —mine the studies of the cloister —I living within my own heart, and addicted body and soul to the most intense and painful meditation —she roaming carelessly through life with no thought of the shadows in her path, or the silent flight of the raven-winged hours. Berenice! —I call upon her name —Berenice! —and from the gray ruins of memory a thousand tumultuous recollections are startled at the sound! Ah! vividly is her image before me now, as in the early days of her light-heartedness and joy! Oh! gorgeous yet fantastic beauty! Oh! sylph amid the shrubberies of Arnheim! —Oh! Naiad among its fountains! —and then —then all is mystery and terror, and a tale which should not be told. Disease —a fatal disease —fell like the simoom upon her frame, and, even while I gazed upon her, the spirit of change swept, over her, pervading her mind, her habits, and her character, and, in a manner the most subtle and terrible, disturbing even the identity of her person! Alas! the destroyer came and went, and the victim —where was she, I knew her not —or knew her no longer as Berenice.

    Among the numerous train of maladies superinduced by that fatal and primary one which effected a revolution of so horrible a kind in the moral and physical being of my cousin, may be mentioned as the most distressing and obstinate in its nature, a species of epilepsy not unfrequently terminating in trance itself —trance very nearly resembling positive dissolution, and from which her manner of recovery was in most instances, startlingly abrupt. In the mean time my own disease —for I have been told that I should call it by no other appellation —my own disease, then, grew rapidly upon me, and assumed finally a monomaniac character of a novel and extraordinary form —hourly and momently gaining vigor —and at length obtaining over me the most incomprehensible ascendancy. This monomania, if I must so term it, consisted in a morbid irritability of those properties of the mind in metaphysical science termed the attentive. It is more than probable that I am not understood; but I fear, indeed, that it is in no manner possible to convey to the mind of the merely general reader, an adequate idea of that nervous intensity of interest with which, in my case, the powers of meditation (not to speak technically) busied and buried themselves, in the contemplation of even the most ordinary objects of the universe.

    To muse for long unwearied hours with my attention riveted to some frivolous device on the margin, or in the topography of a book; to become absorbed for the better part of a summer's day, in a quaint shadow falling aslant upon the tapestry, or upon the door; to lose myself for an entire night in watching the steady flame of a lamp, or the embers of a fire; to dream away whole days over the perfume of a flower; to repeat monotonously some common word, until the sound, by dint of frequent repetition, ceased to convey any idea whatever to the mind; to lose all sense of motion or physical existence, by means of absolute bodily quiescence long and obstinately persevered in; —such were a few of the most common and least pernicious vagaries induced by a condition of the mental faculties, not, indeed, altogether unparalleled, but certainly bidding defiance to anything like analysis or explanation.

    Yet let me not be misapprehended. —The undue, earnest, and morbid attention thus excited by objects in their own nature frivolous, must not be confounded in character with that ruminating propensity common to all mankind, and more especially indulged in by persons of ardent imagination. It was not even, as might be at first supposed, an extreme condition or exaggeration of such propensity, but primarily and essentially distinct and different. In the one instance, the dreamer, or enthusiast, being interested by an object usually not frivolous, imperceptibly loses sight of this object in a wilderness of deductions and suggestions issuing therefrom, until, at the conclusion of a day dream often replete with luxury, he finds the incitamentum or first cause of his musings entirely vanished and forgotten. In my case the primary object was invariably frivolous, although assuming, through the medium of my distempered vision, a refracted and unreal importance. Few deductions, if any, were made; and those few pertinaciously returning in upon the original object as a centre. The meditations were never pleasurable; and, at the termination of the reverie, the first cause, so far from being out of sight, had attained that supernaturally exaggerated interest which was the prevailing feature of the disease. In a word, the powers of mind more particularly exercised were, with me, as I have said before, the attentive, and are, with the day-dreamer, the speculative.

    My books, at this epoch, if they did not actually serve to irritate the disorder, partook, it will be perceived, largely, in their imaginative and inconsequential nature, of the characteristic qualities of the disorder itself. I well remember, among others, the treatise of the noble Italian Coelius Secundus Curio "de Amplitudine Beati Regni dei"; St. Austin's great work, the "City of God"; and Tertullian "de Carne Christi," in which the paradoxical sentence "Mortuus est Dei filius; credible est quia ineptum est: et sepultus resurrexit; certum est quia impossibile est" occupied my undivided time, for many weeks of laborious and fruitless investigation.
    ------------------------------------

    If you'd like some background music to write to, we're keeping it Szabó with this 1968 album from Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó - "Dreams".