Thursday, October 2 According to Jewish law and tradition, this year, 5775, is a Shmita or Sabbatical year, when Jewish farmers are supposed to let the land rest. The idea of fallow fields got me thinking about what grows when you don’t actively plant seeds, either physically or metaphorically. Prompt #1 Write about toiling, perseverance, steppingContinue reading “Fallow”
Category Archives: Contemplative Writing
Sign Up
For Wednesday, August 13 Write a poem or prose piece inspired by a sign. Over the next few weeks, be on the lookout for unusual, playful, or cautionary signs. Then, incorporate one of them into a written work. Suggestions: 1. Write from the point-of-view of someone who passes the sign frequently. What goesContinue reading “Sign Up”
Fleeting Image
for Monday, August 11, 2014 Write a piece based on a fleeting image from a dream or piecemeal memory. Suggestions: Try writing in an unfamiliar voice. Try writing from multiple perspectives. Try using two of more of the following words: Dim. Instead. Impossible. Faint. Linger. Damp. Silent. Drip. Root. Laughter. Cough.
East 70th Avenue
for Wednesday, July 23, 2014 • Prompt #70 Today’s Prompt: Someone just walked out of this door. Write about it. Options: Describe the person. How are they dressed? Are they rushing out, strolling, running, moving briskly in a wheelchair? What are they thinking? Do they live in this building?Continue reading “East 70th Avenue”
Summer Band
for Tuesday, July 22, 2014 • Prompt #79 On Monday, I listened to the Boulder Concert Band play in our local Foothills Park. My favorite moment was lying back on my blanket and looking up at the clouds as the band played Amazing Grace. It was a divine moment. Today’s Prompt: Write about a timeContinue reading “Summer Band”
Be Confident. And other worldly advice.
Thursday, July 24, 2014 • Prompt #81 As I walked across campus tonight, I saw a yellow banner above the bridge across Varsity Pond. “Be Confident,” it read. Prompt Write about a piece of advice, such as “Be Confident” that you heard growing up or as a young adult. Instructions If noContinue reading “Be Confident. And other worldly advice.”
Swim. Swam. Swum.
Monday, July 21, 2014 • Prompt #78 On Sunday, I went to a pool party in Longmont’s Sunset Park, which inspires today quick prompt: Write about swimming. Aspects to consider: The body of water. Your body in the water. (Or that of your character.) The repetition or rhythm of strokes or kicking.Continue reading “Swim. Swam. Swum.”
A Giant Leap
Sunday, July 20, 2014 • Prompt #77 Today marks the 45th anniversary of the moon landing. Today’s Prompt: If you are old enough to remember, write about where you were when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon. Describe where you watched or listened to the landing. Who was with you? WhatContinue reading “A Giant Leap”
Return of the Opening Line: Part II
Saturday, July 19, 2014 • Prompt #76 Following yesterday’s Opening Lines post, here are two more prompts with which to experiment. Choose one of these lines for the exercise. They say I’m not normal. The one place I can be myself is… The first person I told was… Something you should know about my sister…Continue reading “Return of the Opening Line: Part II”
Return of the Opening Line: Part I
Friday, July 18, 2014 Prompt #75 Two-Step Instructions Choose one of the opening lines below and write it on the top of a fresh page of paper. Write for 15 minutes. They say I’m not normal. The one place I can be myself is… The first person I told was… Something you should knowContinue reading “Return of the Opening Line: Part I”
Ellen Orleans 