Sunday, October 30, 2011

Writing Prompts to return

I hope that I turn this leaf and return to a routine I enjoyed for some time.  This routine is once, maybe twice, a week sitting down to spend between 20-30 minutes to think and write from a prompt.  This almost always creates a new path for more writing time as I find the writing prompt brought something I was pleased with onto the page, pleased enough to spend time editing and writing more on the topic.

My favorite prompts are usually from song lyrics, so I will post three here to share as inspiration for whomever that may read and decide to spend some time writing from a prompt as well. I have also linked the song title and musician's name in case you are inspired by their music.

Tips: Choose a prompt. Weigh a few possibilities. Then write without interruption for 12-15 minutes. If, while writing, you’re at a loss for material, shift to another of the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste); or shift your perspective from high to low, from close to far away; or consider the journalist’s five questions—who, what, when, where, why. 

1.  "Behind my eyes you're fixin' to see the dam break"  - Samantha Crain, "The Dam Song"

2.  "And they'll teach you not to pray to light, without you pray to rain."  - Danny Schmidt, "This Too Shall Pass"

3.  "And my soul is thirsty for a forest or a songbird."  - Alexa Woodward, "Songbird"

Remember, these are copyrighted lyrics, so do not include the lyric in your own writing, but let the scene or thoughts they inspire be what paints your vision.

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