Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

blackout poem, compost, creative writing, creativity, fable, first time, found poem, gratitude, hero, heroism, humour, imagination, job, joy, mistakes, nature, poem, poetry, river, soul food, spring, story, TED talks, well, well being, work, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome back after a brief break, to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

My recent trip to Scotland included several visits to my mother, who still has a couple of shelves of my ‘ unthrowable away stuff,’ some of which will eventually become ‘throwawayable’, when I have time to sort through it. Among all this I found some personal treasure – a collection of writing prompts and some responses from the very first creative writing sessions I held, five years ago, filed in a folder I’d made immediately after that first session, driven by the buzz of joy and playfulness I’d been left brimming with. I made it from a gift bag left over from my birthday.

This week I’d like to share a very simple prompt, which was part of that very first writing workshop I held – when I had just one participant. It’s super simple and has never failed to bring lots of playful laughter, and some rather random stories. I’ve used it several times since, especially when I’m writing with just one other person.

Each person writes the first sentence of a story, anything at all, and then passes it to the other person who then writes the second sentence and passes it back etc etc writing just one sentence at a time. The speed helps the imagination as does the cross pollination with someone else’s style and ideas. If you want to try this on your own…I guess you could write two stories at a time, alternating between them, and adding just one sentence at a time to each.

This is one of the stories my first ‘student’ and I co-wrote, five years ago. I think I originally set the task at 10 minutes, but we couldn’t stop so I think it ran longer! This particular story ended up in a style for children…I don’t know why, just because. If you look at the photo closely you can see the different styles of handwriting, and the blue VS black ink marking our different contributions. Completely spontaneous and unedited, written in about 10/15 minutes. Enjoy 🙂

Once upon a time there was a wizard living at the bottom of our garden. This wizard really wanted to build a fish pond so he could observe the fish swimming. Of course, with magic, it doesn’t take long, and with a wand he built the pond, filling it with beautiful fish. But then he thought of something else the pond needed, was it a bridge or a swing? He closed his eyes and asked the fish what they wanted, to make their pond even more beautiful and grand.

The fish were not aesthetic experts, but they knew an architect just down the road. The architect was a toad who went by the name of Mr Knowit. Mr Knowit was delighted to come over – he loved giving advice, especially to lowly fish. In his superior way he made his own slow hopping round of the pond and declared, ‘I know exactly what this pond needs!’

They all clamoured to hear this pronouncement, but first he said it needed a brass band as an introduction to his speech. Well, where would they find a brass band at such short notice they wondered, and asked Mr Knowit, ‘Would a chorus of birds do?’ 

Yes they would do, but only if they first had a practice. Could they sing God Save The Queen for example? Well of course, that was one of their favourites the head fish assured Mr Knowit, and with a loud splash he called the birds to the nearest tree.

But Mr Knowit suddenly had a moment of shyness; perhaps he didn’t really know what was best for the fish! There was a loud intake of breath – Mr Knowit DIDN’T know it, so NOW what were they going to do!? Perhaps they could have an attunement, but alas they had no hands to hold, only tails. So they all faced out and, like the most skilled synchronized divers, touched their tails together in the centre and closed their eyes.

A strange silence came over the group and the wizard appeared and said, ‘What did you get?’

There must be a bridge woven from reeds that all may come to seek the wisdom of the fish!

Mr Knowit knew some other toads and a neighbourly beaver who, when called upon, were more that happy to lend their skills to building the bridge.

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

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Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

blackout poem, compost, creative writing, creativity, fable, first time, found poem, gratitude, hero, heroism, humour, imagination, job, joy, mistakes, nature, poem, poetry, river, soul food, spring, story, TED talks, well, well being, work, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (take about 15 mins in total) begins with completing the following sentence five times – ‘It was the first time…’

Now, for the next ten minutes or so choose one of those sentences, and expand on it… This is what I wrote:

May I introduce…the river Findhorn. I’m heading up to Scotland today – can’t wait!

 

It was the first time she’d spoken to the river. It didn’t feel like anything special. Actually it felt entirely natural, the most natural thing in the world. It didn’t occur to her until later that she may have been seen, overheard.

‘Help me,’ she’d begun. ‘Take this away.’

The immediate wordless response took her breath away. It was gone! She looked all around her. It must be a trick. Who? What? Nothing. But the sadness she’d arrived with really had disappeared. She began to giggle, and it felt like the rapids mimicked her joy as they rushed, white-tipped and wild, towards her. She began to sing, directing her song to the movement of the water, until her new lightness turned into a contented emptiness. She sat on a rock and watched; not anything in particular, just watched.

She began to play ‘what if’. What if I jumped in, where would it take me? What if I knew how to build a shelter and stayed for a night right here on the river bank? What if I could ask this rock to tell me all that it’s seen and heard? What if I were perched on the top of that tree, light as a bird – what would I see? What if being me weren’t so different from anybody else? What if I belonged? Fitted in…

The game stopped. She didn’t fit in, but just maybe that was a good thing. She stood, with new resolve, and bowed to the river. As she turned to walk uphill, back the way she’d come, it didn’t feel like she was climbing, for inside she was already ‘up’, and could see more clearly where she wanted to go.

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

blackout poem, compost, creative writing, creativity, fable, found poem, gratitude, hero, heroism, humour, imagination, job, joy, mistakes, nature, poem, poetry, soul food, spring, story, TED talks, well, well being, work, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (allow around 15/20 mins total) is in two parts, and is on the topic of – heroes or heroism.

To begin, take no more than 10 minutes to just write whatever comes as you reflect on this topic. You might describe an individual whom you consider to be a hero, or you might explore the qualities or demands or what we term heroism. Just write.

Now, for the next ten minutes or so you’re going to read what you’ve just written and extract, carve out, discover…a blackout poem. This simply means you underline, or circle, or in some other way highlight words (or parts of words) from the text to make a poem. Ideally you won’t change the order or form of the words at all.

This is what I ended up with:

Unsung heroes

meet

daily living

with honest graft, heart

write them

sing them

the world wouldn’t turn

without them

mothers go without

so children thrive

bus driver leaves his seat

to help

never mind the timetable

everywhere heroes

keeping us human

hearts standing strong

hope alight

your stories all around me

make lots

of little differences

 

 

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

compost, creative writing, creativity, fable, gratitude, humour, imagination, job, joy, mistakes, nature, soul food, spring, story, TED talks, well, well being, work, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (allow around 5 mins) is to write briefly on the topic…but something else happened instead.

This prompt was inspired by this TED talk, which I watched recently. It gave me and my perfectionist tendencies plenty to think about. Check it out:

 

This is what I wrote:

Something else happened instead

They say God laughs when you plan because, so often, something else happens instead. That something is an invitation to trust I guess, though sometimes I don’t want to ‘invite’ or ‘welcome’ that something else at all! I want everything to go exactly as I’d hoped, wished, made for it to happen – but then I would’ve missed out on so many important moments – moments of joy, learning, surprise, the opportunity to grow and practice my resilience and responsiveness. 

I thought that poem would go down a storm. But something else happened instead. I was scared to send that email, expecting an angry response – but something else happened instead.

Life likes to keep me on my toes!

 

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

compost, creative writing, creativity, fable, gratitude, imagination, job, joy, nature, soul food, spring, story, well, well being, work, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (allow around 10-15 mins in total) is to write…A modern day fable

 

If you’re in a group, each person should write three job titles, one each on a three small pieces of paper. These then get folded up, and mixed up with everyone else’s, after which each person picks two. If you’re doing this by yourself, maybe write five jobs, each on a separate piece of paper, and then pick two.

 

I picked bank manager and newspaper delivery boy/girl. This is what I wrote:

 

“Morning!”

The boy was just about to put the newspaper through the letter box when Jeremy opened the door. He turned quickly before there was time for to receive a reply to his greeting, jumped on his bike and had disappeared around the corner before Jeremy’s sleepy pre-caffeine brain had even taken in the headlines.

Monday morning and the tie around his neck was both a comfort and a collar – soothingly familiar, but also feeling like it came with an invisible lead that limited his freedom. He pulled up in the car park and walked the short distance up the high street to open up.

He was the first in and disabled the alarm, settling in behind his desk to review his diary for the day. He was meeting a couple who wanted to remortgage their home at 9.30, and there were interviews for the cashier vacancy later. He found himself thinking about the boy (what was his name?) rushing off on his bike with an urgency and aliveness he hadn’t felt in…? Well, not for a while at any rate.

“Good morning Mr Blanford,” his head cashier greeted him. “Coffee?”

“Thank you Kate,” he replied, taking the relaxed smile off his face and replacing it automatically with something appropriately professional, polite.

The next Monday, Jeremy was waiting for him.

“Morning,” the boy said, turning to rush off again.

“Good morning Tom, and thank you.”

Tom stood, smiling a little uncomfortably at the unexpected exchange. “It’s cool,” he said with a shrug, hopped on his bike, and was off.

Jeremy put his new navy anorak on over the neatly pressed suit he wore, and climbed onto his new bike. As he cycled in to work he found himself waving at people he knew as he passed. Locking his bike to a sturdy railing he checked his watch and jogged with urgency the short distance to the bank.

“Morning Mr Blanford.” Kate was already there, waiting by the still locked door.

“Jeremy please, Jeremy. Am I late?”

“Not at all sir. I mean…”

“Jeremy!”

“Jeremy,” she echoed with a smile.

“Well,” he said, holding the door open, “after you.”

 

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Listening…A Good Deeds Post

Tags

biscuits, good deeds, gratitude, job, life, listening, service, trust, work

It’s interesting how quickly life can turn the tides on you, and I notice the good stuff seems to gather around me when I’m willing to genuinely listen. I shared last week how I’d been turned down for a care job I’d applied for. So, I got that letter on the Saturday and by Tuesday afternoon…I had a job! How? Because I started listening…

Last Monday night I was alone in the living room after Mum had gone to bed with nothing I particularly wanted or needed to do. ‘Do it!’ I heard, and I listened. Now this thing I was being told to ‘do’ was something I’d wanted to do for a while, and I’d talked myself out of it a hundred times with a thousand excuses, and I fully expected those to resurface. They didn’t. There was inner silence, and my fingers skipped lightly and happily over the keyboard as if they had a life of their own and no effort was required from me. They were writing an inquiry email about a job at the retreat centre I’ve been to twice this year, the deadline for which had, with my complete knowledge and acceptance, already been and gone. What my fingers were writing was a question – would it still be OK if I submitted an application, and completed with, ‘For the well being of all at Gaia House I sincerely hope the perfect person has already come along to take on the role. However, if for any reason you are still looking and a later start date would be possible then I look forward to hearing from you.’

The next morning brought an answer. They’d love to receive an application from me! OK, this was getting a bit real. And there was another issue. This job was very much about service, with a small monthly allowance and room and board in return for my full-time work in their kitchen. So now I needed money. ‘Just do it!’, so I did. ‘Could you come for an interview this afternoon?’ And so it was that in less than twenty four hours I’d opened up the possibility of a job I’ve dreamed of for months AND secured a temporary job in a biscuit factory (!) to earn the money I need to make the dream job viable!!! Super cool!!!

Do you know that feeling? That feeling when the loving Universe says, ‘Ah hah, well done, you’re listening again at last so sure – now I can help you. Ok, what do you need?’ There’s a sense of inevitability and flow. And you know what – it doesn’t even really matter what happens next. Rediscovering that sense of following through on intuition, gut feeling, calling, whatever name you want to give it, is such a gift the result is almost irrelevant. There’s a letting go that accepts that life holds no guarantees and living from trust means I don’t ask for or expect them, but if I’m willing to listen, I can be more responsive to whatever comes. That feels very alive.

Good Deeds Received

A dear friend whom I hadn’t caught up with in a while responded to my invite for a cuppa and we had an amazing conversation, during which we delved into multiple layers of life and she mentioned a book she wanted to lend me. That evening, I found the book on my doorstep. The last book she recommended was life changing, so I’m a little nervous – but also very excited to start this one…

The lady who interviewed me gave me a job at the biscuit factory on the spot, and invited me in for an induction the next day!

The following day my induction included a tour of the factory (which has just a hint of Willy Wonka…) and one of the other women on the induction, whom I’d just that morning met, smilingly helped me to tuck my hair fully into the obligatory hairnet, as it’s hard to see round the back.

A friend whose husband works at the factory very kindly agreed to give me a lift home when she picks him up, as there is no late bus back to where I live, and I’m on an afternoon/evening shift like him.

My Mum was more than understanding and supportive when I told her I might be moving to Gaia House, and assured me I must do whatever will make me happy.

The woman in charge of the applications at Gaia House emailed me within a hour of my having sent the completed application, thanking me and saying they’d get back to me as soon as possible. So, friends, please keep everything crossed for me.

The friend whose house and cat I’m looking after while she’s away left a fire ready to light, all laid out ready in the wood stove – how sweet!

Good Deeds Done

Texted a friend who’s just released her small flock of Guinea fowl into the area where I’m living in my other friend’s house, to say I’d just seen the Guineas and counted only five (there should be six!) She immediately went looking and number six (Sam his name is) can’t be found. I hope he’s ok and, if he’s not, I hope the others are now a little wiser!

I hung up some fresh laundry and folded the dry stuff when I dropped in on my Mum’s house to pick up some stuff.

Have been spending regular quality time with the cat here, who’s called Cinders, and hanging out with her on the sofa. I love the warm sound and gentle shake of a purring cat!

Organised for someone else to drop in on Cinders in the early evening when I’ll be at work during the week, to give her her ‘supper’ and keep her company for a bit.

Created a mini shell sculpture on the beach to thank the sea and entertain passers by, until the next tide gobbles it up.

Turned up with a cake to a birthday party with a difference – it was to honour the lady I used to care for who passed away earlier this year, and whose birthday it would have been, had she still been alive. It was a sweet gathering, as many of us hadn’t seen each other for a while, and it was lovely for her husband to have his home filled with cake, chatter and  company again. The party had been his idea.

The cake I’d intended for the party wasn’t needed there, so I took it to Mum’s cafe and we ate it there, sharing it with several lucky customers over a cup of tea.

I believe there’s truly magic in listening –  let me know your own experiences/thoughts in the comments below, and have a great week my friends!