That brings us to today's prompt. You choose your voice, your setting, and even fiction or nonfiction but write for 30 minutes and use the words astonishing, entourage, purple, and fathom.
Set your timer and GO!
I hope you all are writing and possibly sharing these ideas with others. One way to do sprints is to simply announce to friends online or possibly those in your home and have everyone write for the specified amount of time. If you're that social type, try #sprintwrite and see if any new friends join in. You can even decide on your time limit, word goals, etc. I'm going to throw an hour at you one day but for now, as some of us find our stride, I'm working with the 30 minutes. The last couple of days have been rough for me but we'll keep on keeping on.
That brings us to today's prompt. You choose your voice, your setting, and even fiction or nonfiction but write for 30 minutes and use the words astonishing, entourage, purple, and fathom. Set your timer and GO!
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Hello! I've kept today's topic in my pocket for a few days but I think it's a good weekend one.
The other day I asked what do you need to let go. Today, write for 45 minutes. What do you need to hold on to? I know that sometimes we have forces in our lives that try to steal our joy, our peace, even our loved ones. What will you fight to keep? Share your #sprintwrite and the topic, set your timer for 45 minutes, and GO! There seems to be a recurring theme in my circle so I thought I'd pass it along to you. I don't know if these prompts have caused you to be as introspective as they've turned out to be for me but this one leaves you no choice. I've asked you to share your writing but for this one, I ask that you assume you won't share. Remember those journals in school when you could fold the page and your teacher promised not to read that entry? This one's for your eyes only. Also, I will not tell you to set your timers. Of course, if you really want to make are you write for at least 30 minutes, set the timer. Just don't feel obligated to stop.
So, here it is: Is there something (or someone) in your life that you need to let go? Is there something you're holding on to out of habit, obligation, or just the stigma of releasing it but you know it would be healthier to let it go? It's rare that I watch a movie at home but I love good stories, comics are awesome, and it was storming pretty seriously. It was almost like nature decided to give me the perfect setting for "Thor" and then the weather calmed a bit as I watched "Captain America". Yep, it was a Marvel kind of day.
As I was watching, I found myself asking why our favorite heroes are always forced to suffer great loss. I realized there were things I never thought about doing until my grandmother passed away. Thus was born today's prompt. Is it necessary for a person to suffer great loss to truly find their greatness? Today's sprint challenge is slightly different. I understand different people write for different reasons just as we read for different reasons. Because of that, we will switch it up. Today's challenge is to write for 30 minutes about any subject BUT your setting is a park by a lake. Set your timer for 30 minutes and GO!
BTW, I will share my entries about weekly. Summer seems to be the time for superheroes and supervillains. OK, transport yourself into the Marvel Universe and use your super power to change the world. Try to get 500 words down as you write for 30 straight minutes. Go!
Due to popular demand and inspiration from our friend, Will Nesbitt, we are bringing our writing prompts back. With the prompts come a challenge that will be a great way to prime our NaNoWrimers. The challenge: sprint writing. When sprinting, write for the specified amount of time without stopping. It is a really good idea to set aside a consistent start time for each day. I'm a midnight rambler but you may prefer early morning. It doesn't matter but do it everyday at the same time.
Okay, on to the challenge. For today, write for 30 minutes without stopping. You sit down for lunch and notice the person next to you has dirt under their nails. What have they been doing? Set your timer, let your thoughts go where they want to go and keep writing. For an extra challenge, see if you can get to 500 words in those 30 minutes. Last part, please share your writing in the comments. OK, go! Winter 2014 in Ohio has been one for the books. The snow which had alluded us for a couple of years decided to bring ridiculously frigid temperatures and set up shop. The schools around here have been out more than they've been in session this month. While on the surface this may seem like a bad thing, the truth is a great opportunity has presented itself. This is an opportunity to reinforce that education does not end with the school day. Try a few of these things with your children to make sure they are ready to conquer the second semester of the school year. Even if you don't have a kid around, you mighteenjoy some of tthese things yourself.
Enjoy your day(s)! There is so much beauty in the world if we take the time to look around. There is also a wonderful lesson in the fact that this mother and son took a chance to do something different and discovered something amazing. Click here and enjoy!
As I think about "ujamaa", collective economics, the story of Stone Soup comes to mind. Rather than me going on about the concept, I will share the story. I will say, though, when it's time for us to spend money, we should first think "ujamaa" which is actually Swahili for familyhood (extended family). Enjoy the story.
Stone Soup A kindly, old stranger was walking through the land when he came upon a village. As he entered, the villagers moved towards their homes locking doors and windows. The stranger smiled and asked, why are you all so frightened. I am a simple traveler, looking for a soft place to stay for the night and a warm place for a meal. "There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "We are weak and our children are starving. Better keep moving on." "Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his cloak, filled it with water, and began to build a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a silken bag and dropped it into the water. By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come out of their homes or watched from their windows. As the stranger sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their fear. "Ahh," the stranger said to himself rather loudly, "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat." Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a small cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot. "Wonderful!!" cried the stranger. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king." The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . And so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for everyone in the village to share. The villager elder offered the stranger a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell it and traveled on the next day. As he left, the stranger came upon a group of village children standing near the road. He gave the silken bag containing the stone to the youngest child, whispering to a group, “It was not the stone, but the villagers that had performed the magic." Moral: By working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved. |
AuthorTrina A. Carter was raised in Lincoln Heights, Ohio and graduated from Princeton High School. She also graduated with a degree in music education from Central State University. She is the mother of two wonderfully talented children with beautiful spirits. They inspire pretty much everything she does. Archives
July 2014
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