9/11/21

2021 Writing Exercise Series #254: First Line Bonanza 21

The 2021 Writing Series is a series of daily writing exercises for both prose writers and poets to keep their 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. 

This is not a standard writing session. This is pure production—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 it, you will be able to complete all of the exercises in under 30 minutes.

#254
First Line Bonanza 21

For today's writing exercise write a piece that begins with one of the following first lines.

1) The sedan slid to a stop just behind our bikes.
2) "Any time, any place" was more than just a casual phrase around Lakewood.
3) We broke a stick into pieces small enough to conceal in a closed palm and chose sides.
4) Five thousand and seven individual human beings.
5) I had boosted her onto my shoulders, but she still couldn't see.
6) Someone threw a brick—someone else, a bomb.

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Bonus 'constraint': You must include a paragraph/stanza in which the all sentences or lines begin with the letter "P".
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If you'd like some background music to write to, try jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal's 1970 album "The Awakening".