9/20/21

2021 Writing Exercise Series #263: First Line Bonanza 22

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.

#263
First Line Bonanza 22

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

1) He had once tried to imagine just how many dollar bills a billion would be but he stopped when his house had filled with imaginary money still in the ten millions.
2) Three on the left, he thought once more before rising to his feet.
3) The small creek hardly warranted a bridge these days, but once it was almost worth being called an actual river.
4) Fools, she thought.
5) There would be the inevitable rush of adrenaline when things started, but for now the small room vibrated with an uncanny calmness.
6) We well-knew the steady clip of bootheels in step.

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Bonus 'constraint': You must include a paragraph/stanza in which the all sentences or lines begin with the letter "L".
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If you'd like some background music to write to, try jazz saxophonist Dexter Gordon's 1961 album "Doin' Alright".