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
Webs and Connections
Instead of writing sentences and paragraphs, you can write webs and connections. Write a word in the center of the page and draw a shape around it. Write down a word for one of the things this word reminds you of, draw a shape around that, and connect it to the first word. Draw in a third word that you can connect to one of the other two. Then a fourth word and a fifth, … [Read more...] about Webs and Connections
Noticing Without Trying
Rub your hands together vigorously until they start to feel hot. Then place them gently over your face. Notice what that feels like. Do this over and over for about 10 minutes. Pay attention to what the contact with your face makes you notice about your hands. Pay attention to what your hands make you notice about your face. Here are further suggestions for how to notice … [Read more...] about Noticing Without Trying