Tags
creative collaboration, creative writing, creativity, imagination, light, play, poem, poetry, writing, writing prompt, writing workshop
And a new season of creative collaboration in a circle of courageous and compassionate creatives has begun! It’s been a joy to return to the weekly writing workshops I teach, and I’d like to share with you one of our recent prompts.
Each week, I share on this blog one of the writing prompts used in my workshops, along with an example of what was written in response. This week’s prompt was one that took me by surprise. It was light (:-) and playful, appealing to both the crossword/scrabble part of my mind (though I’m terrible at both – I don’t have the patience!) and the imaginative, creative and lyrical part.
Take a sheet of paper and write as many words or short phrases (each phrase can have up to 3 words) containing the word light. If you’re doing this as a group, write one and then pass the paper on to your right, receiving on your left, and adding to the lists collectively. Once this gathering is complete use the ideas generated to inspre a poem (or if poetry is not your thing, a piece of prose or a story).
For example:
delight
the light dazzled
moonlight on water
starlight…. etc etc
I actually did this prompt twice this week, with different groups. and I’m going to include both the pieces I wrote in response, because it fascinates me how differently we can respond to the same prompt on a different day, and within a different circle, although now I read them again, there are similarities! Enjoy:-)
So, here’s ‘Take one’:
Will you be my lighthouse?
I fear the rocks
and storms are raging
Will you light my nights
oh silver moon
and keep me safe till day wakes?
and will you teach my feet
to tread softly
leaving only sole kisses on my path
and will you light the flame
that grows wings to lift me
into a flight of faith
that gives my perspective
enough height to see
the moving patterns in the shadow.
And  ‘Take two’:
The spotlight is searching
but truth
sinks in the shadows
while the lighthouse
that used to warn
ships of the rocks
remains dark
and the moon does her best
but still the ships come
risking it all
on nights of no welcome
lightning flares
and captures faces
alive with shock
for a bright second
until obscurity returns
as the spotlight searches
the hungry restless waves.
Do you have a preference?
If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:
and here:
https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/
Ah, another great prompt, and one I shall ‘borrow’ for my first class next week. I love both of these poems, but the first one ‘speaks’ to me the loudest. xo
Yay 🙂 So glad you liked it, and I wish you and your class much fun with the prompt. Thanks too for sharing your ‘speaks loudest’ choice. I so love writing with others, and with some collaboration, because it makes me write in ways and on themes I maybe wouldn’t otherwise – stretches me and breathes my writing. Love always – Harula xx PS I’m picking up Small Great Things from the library today!!
You may be up late, unable to put the book down. ;-0
Lovely poems and clever writing prompt. Kudos Harula.
Thanks very much Brad – glad you enjoyed them 🙂 xx
Always. I enjoy your writing and how creative you are with writing exercises.
Hm… Kind of the same but two different themes: one hopeful, one not so much. I like the first one. Cool exercise, Harula!
Thanks for the thoughtful reflections, and glad you liked the exercise 🙂 xx
I like the first one, Harula. Your writing exercises are so clever. Those in the writing workshops are very lucky to have you xxxx
You’re so kind Dianne, thank you! I’m very lucky too, having such open and enthusiastic creative collaborators to explore them with. xx