What are you doing now? Write that down. Write the words “Before that…” Then write down something that happened before you were doing whatever it is you are doing now. Try not to plan ahead. An idea will always pop into your head as you write the words "Before that..." Again, write those words: “Before that…” Again, tell about something that occurred before the last … [Read more...] about Before that…
Memory
So Many Roads
What kinds of roads have you traveled lately? Some of them are literal roads, the kind where you go in a certain direction, cross streets, turn corners and end up at a destination that is a real place. Anybody can follow your route. Some of them are roads of life. They take you through time. You can’t take photos of the destinations, but they are real, too. They have … [Read more...] about So Many Roads
Details, details…
Think of a story you can tell from your life, an event you witnessed or participated in. You can write all kinds of things about it without revealing what occurred. The trick is in the details. As you recall the story, instead of telling “what happened” try to remember the details in the story. (What was in the background? What were people wearing? How was the … [Read more...] about Details, details…
Stories Inside Stories
Tell a little bit about something. Anything at all. Write four or five lines. Then take a break. Read over what you wrote. Choose a word or phrase from the lines you’ve written. Write a little something about that. And take a break. Keep going. Try not to plan. If you do plan, ignore your plans. Use whatever word or phrase pops up from the page when you are ready to … [Read more...] about Stories Inside Stories
Four Years
Four years is a long time. Or maybe it’s the blink of an eye. Whichever way you consider it, both you and your surroundings (animal, vegetable, and mineral) have changed in many ways over the last four years. And yet, other aspects of your life have remained the same. What have you learned from the changes? What have you learned from what has stayed the same? What skills do … [Read more...] about Four Years