Writing Prompt: Thirty

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creative writing, creativity, writing prompt

 

Lost and Found. A simple prompt, suited to the first day of a new month. There are two ways to approach this.

1: List a few things you imagine being left behind, and collected and kept in ‘lost property’, at a station, workplace, bar…anywhere! Create, or recall, a full narrative. From the thing being lost, the realization it has been lost, and it being reunited with the owner. The narrative can of course be expressed as a poem or story. Here’s quite an interesting article about the handling of lost property in TFL’s offices, if you need more input:

https://www.theguardian.com/…/inside-transport-for-london-l…

2: Use this as an opportunity for reflection, on a personal or wider more societal, or even global level. First, a list of what has been lost in the first part of this year. Then, yes, a list of what has been found. And then…take that gathering, that reflection, in any direction you wish.

Which, unintentionally actually, but rather neatly leads into…

I basically lost all my freelance work at the beginning of this pandemic, but I can now confirm that I have found a new job! I start on Monday, full-time, harvesting on a farm about 15 mins drive away. More breeze – less screens. Yay! So this writing prompt will likely be the last for a while. I’ve shared 30, one month’s worth, so that feels like a neat place to finish.

I do hope you’ve enjoyed them, and you can always reuse and revisit them, as they turn up something very different each time you write from them. Alternatively there are many more to be found by trawling the archives on this blog.

Love and blessings all, and – keeeeeeep writing! 😍

And if you’ve been enjoying my posts, and are able to offer some support, I’d really appreciate you making a contribution here:

https://ko-fi.com/harulaladd

Writing Prompt: Twenty-nine

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creative writing, creativity, hope, writing prompt

A story or poem of Hope. That is my invitation and your gift today. I came across this on social media this morning. 100 children’s authors and illustrators have responded to a call out for life affirming stories, poems, images, and produced this FREE Book of Hopes in support of children everywhere during lockdown. It’s utterly beautiful.

https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/9-12/book-hopes/

Have a read. Then let both the idea of the project, and the poems and stories and illustrations themselves be your inspiration to write your own piece inspired by this idea of Hope. It could be something you’ve done, seen, read , or imagined – anything! But let it be life affirming, which doesn’t mean it might not be heart squirming at the same time. These times call for tenderness, which isn’t always comfortable, but children seem to be naturals at it. Let your heart and mind be tenderized. Then write!

https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/9-12/book-hopes/

Writing Prompt: Twenty-Eight

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creative writing, creativity, synchronicity, writing, writing prompt

 

 

 

Do you believe in coincidence? Have you ever experienced a moment(s) of such incredible synchronicity, where everything comes together like an effortless divine plan, that you’ve looked over your shoulder or up at the sky and wondered who or what is out there?

It fascinates me to watch how life plays out, to see how, perhaps it all happens for a reason, even if we only see the reason with hindsight. At least, that’s my take on those moments that simply seem too well timed, too perfect, too unexpectedly ‘spot on appropriate’ to be explained by anything other than a universe intimately co creating life with us.

Start by listing a few moments from your own experience, or, if it feels like there are none, or they won’t come to mind, make them up! Or list examples from films/books/plays.

Now write a story, or poem, exploring this theme either purely imaginatively/fictionally, or by exploring a real experience.

If you’d like to read what I wrote the first time I used this prompt, click here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/…/synchronicity-write…/

Ready? Steady! Write! 🙏❤️

And if you’ve been enjoying my posts, and are able to offer some support, I’d really appreciate you making a contribution here:

https://ko-fi.com/harulaladd

Writing Prompt: Twenty-Seven

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creative writing, creativity, writing, writing prompt

There are some remarkably big little words. Sea, sky, why? – all have only three letters, but they’re huge! Love, soul, hope, wild, free, seed, life… all only four letters but, again, huge in their meaning and complexity. And for today’s prompt, let’s explore another big little word…Home.

Many of us will find ourselves spending extending amounts of time in our homes at the moment, or perhaps in temporary homes, unexpectedly locked down in places we never expected to have to put down a few roots, however unsure the length of stay might be. The outer home – the shelter.

But there’s another kind of Home. I heard a very striking line in a poem a while back, written by Cheryl Moskowitz, which has stuck with me ever since:

“I have a home,” says the girl, pointing to her heart,
“I just need a house to put it in.”

Inner Home.

Outer Home.

Draw a circle in the centre of a blank piece of paper, writing the word Home inside it. Then write words and phrases inside the circle, to represent ‘inner home’, followed by words or phrases outside the circle to represent ‘outer home’. Of course, there may be some that overlap, or belong in both, there’s no need to be rigid with it. Let the circle breathe and be porous. I’ve included an image of my own example, written when I shared this prompt with my writing group last year. You can read more on my blog:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/…/11/writers-well-home/

So once you’ve made some notes, go ahead and write in response to that gathering of ideas and thoughts and images, about that big little word…Home.

Ready? Steady! Write! 🙏❤️

And if you’ve been enjoying my posts, and are able to offer some support, I’d really appreciate you making a contribution here:

https://ko-fi.com/harulaladd

Writing Prompt: Twenty-six

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creative writing, creativity, writing prompt

Blessings to you all on this Monday morning, as another week begins, and a new month approaches at speed.

Sensible/Sensitive

This morning’s prompt originally came from a piece I wrote which included the line, ‘Too much sensible really isn’t good for one.” It’s also a nod to my background as an English Language teacher, and the concept of false friends. For example the word sensible in English, and the same word in French (spelled the same, but of course pronounced differently) which means something entirely different – sensitive.

So what is sensible? Sensible is… Write down a few examples.

And what is sensitive? Sensitive is… Again, list some examples.

If you need some examples, I’ve included some images from when I used this prompt before.

Now use that gathering to inspire a poem, or other piece of writing, exploring sensible/sensitive.

For more on this prompt, follow this link to a post from the archive:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/…/writers-well-sensib…/

Personally, I think the question of how best to respond to our current collective challenges is an example of how difficult it can be to find a balance between these two. We need to be sensible, yes, but we also need to be sensitive to the numerous complexities of individual and collective need, on multiple levels, and recognise sensible for the blunt sledge hammer it can be, if applied with too little nuance and wisdom.

Ready? Steady! Write! 🙏❤️

And if you’ve been enjoying my posts, and are able to offer some support, I’d really appreciate you making a contribution here:

https://ko-fi.com/harulaladd

Writing Prompt: Twenty-five

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beauty, creative writing, creativity, writing, writing prompt

In times not so long past ‘zoom’ had another meaning. Still does of course, but it’s not the one most people’s minds jump to these days. Big picture, little picture, zoom in, zoom out. That’s your prompt today.

Personally, I find myself very inclined to zooming in at the moment, and less inclined to considering the bigger picture, to zooming out, breathing out, stepping back. Not that I want or need to stay in the bigger picture, but I’d like my thoughts and visions and dreams to remain flexible enough to move between those two perspectives.

One way to start is to list a few things that you find beautiful, or that you are curious about.

Now choose one from your list that feels creatively juicy.

Divide a page into three columns. In the central column, write words to describe, or that you associate with, that thing.

Now zoom in! What do you (imagine you would) see? Write those words/that description/associations in the left hand column.

Now zoom out! What do you (imagine you would) see now? Write those words in the right hand column.

I’ve included an example in the image attached, but play with this idea of zooming in and zooming out in any way you choose, to gather thoughts and images to fuel a piece of writing. You can read more, including what I wrote the first time I used this prompt, in this post from the archives:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/…/writers-well-beauty…/

Ready? Steady! Write! 🙏❤️

And if you’ve been enjoying my posts, and are able to offer some support, I’d really appreciate you making a contribution here:

https://ko-fi.com/harulaladd

Writing Prompt: Day Twenty-Four

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creative writing, creativity, stories, story, writing prompt

Oh the power, the joy, of story. Today’s prompt is…a story within a story.

When do we tell stories? Write down a few ideas (before bed, at weddings etc etc)

Why do we tell them? (to entertain, to connect/build community, to remember etc etc)

You might even want to write them down on paper scraps, fold them up, and then pick one from each pile; the When? pile, the Why? pile.

Using those ideas, thoughts, write a story (or poem) in which someone is telling a story.

If you need more input, follow this link to a more detailed explanation from the archive, when I used this prompt in a writing group, including my response.

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/…/story-within-a-stor…/

Ready? Steady! Write! 🙏❤️

And if you’ve been enjoying my posts, and are able to offer some support, I’d really appreciate you making a contribution here. Thanks! 🙏❤️

https://ko-fi.com/harulaladd

 

NaPoWriMo: Day 14 (very behind!)

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NaPoWriMo, poem, poetry

So, I just wrote this in response to the prompt I shared this morning! Enjoy 🙂

Strawberry flowers

 

Found everywhere this morning

In the strawberry flowers

Ants? Out!

There is more

 

Breath-taking, breath-making

Sigh, gasp, make us

Breathe. You are alive

Watching things grow

 

Cruel season as much life

As promise of death

Too short, too soon

Declaring itself alive

 

With the smells of cut grass

And the hum of winged

Beasts determined to land

In my hair. I matter

 

And don’t matter all

At once god is an artist

Painting the future and helping

Some of us to get there

 

One colour at a time.

Writing Prompt: Day Twenty-Three

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creative writing, creativity, writing, writing prompt

Complete the sentence(s) as many times as you like. That’s your prompt today! Here are five sentence seeds/beginnings, along with one example of my own from just now, in case that helps. You may also wish to find another way of ‘harvesting’ them, instead of just writing in lines.

Some may be more fruitful than others, but I suggest writing at least three for each one. Then you could rearrange them all into an order to make a poem, or choose just one sentence (or group of sentences) that speaks most to you, and develop that. There are so many ways you could grow these!

Spring is…
(…declaring itself alive with the smell of cut grass and the buzz of bees)

Beauty is…
(…everywhere and I found it this morning in strawberry flowers and dew on the watering can)

I know…
(…I matter AND don’t matter all at once)

I love…
(…the joy of the lambs playing and the blue of cloudless skies)

I wish…
(…I could see into the future and help us get there safely)

😉 Ready? Steady! Write! 🙏❤️

And if you’ve been enjoying my posts, and are able to offer some support, I’d really appreciate you making a contribution here:

https://ko-fi.com/harulaladd

Writing Prompt: Day Twenty-Two

Tags

creative writing, creativity, seeds, writing, writing prompt

Seeds glorious seeds!! That’s your prompt today! Just free write…about seeds!

 

Seeds of dreams
Idea seeds
Sweet pea seeds (planted yesterday)
Seeds cracking open to reach for the light
Seeds falling from trees
The seeds of a new day sown each morning
by our first thoughts, words.
What will today grow into?
Seeds! Glorious seeds!
To be taken as literally, figuratively,] and/or as imaginatively
as you choose…

Was this prompt really just an excuse to share photos of my two week old no-longer-seeds, and some seeds yet to be planted? 😉

Let’s sow some new words and see what they grow into!

😉 Ready? Steady! Write! 🙏❤️

And if you’ve been enjoying my posts, and are able to offer some support, I’d really appreciate you making a contribution here:

https://ko-fi.com/harulaladd