Hello fellow writers, and welcome to the third week of our daily writing sketches! Is it the third week already, really? Time flies when you're having fun, they say - and I guess they're not kidding. Do you feel warmed up after two weeks of daily writing? Any thoughts about your new writing routine that you'd like to share? Sam in her 2nd week of daily writing prompts wrote in her blog that she started feeling like a "real writer", and that is a wonderful thing! That's the precise idea of this link-up: to focus on writing daily, to get into the very core of the writing life - the daily writing routine.
And here are the new 7 exercises for the upcoming week. Write about yourself and real situations - or switch to fiction if you want to (Justin has done it already!). Use these ideas in a way that helps YOU to write. For instance, Jazzy Jack uses the ideas of sketches that I provide for writing her daily poems. Find whatever works for you to achieve your own writing goals! Spend as little as 5 minutes, or as long as a few hours on your writing. Just remember that we always start with a sketch - which means we write without editing, we get all that we have to say out on the paper (screen) first, and only after we feel that this particular piece is finished, and if we have time and energy to polish it a little - then we proofread and/or edit.
Happy writing all!
15
Write about a thunderstorm – either a real one that
you experienced (recently or as a child), or an imaginary one.
16
Write about a friend from your school years. How did
you meet? What attracted you to this person? What did you enjoy to do together?
Do you think he/she affected your personality in a significant way? Do you
still keep in touch?
If you prefer, write about your character (remember
that you always have this option).
17
Write about the first money you earned. Was it for a chore
you did for your family, or you got a job outside of home? Was it for something
you enjoyed doing? Remember the moment when you held money (or a check) in your
hands for the first time. How did it make you feel?
18
Write about a pine tree – any pine tree, a real one
which grows in your yard or in the woods where you go for a walk, or a pine tree you
saw on your vacation, or a pine tree painted by an artist. What it looks like, smells
like, how does it feel to touch?
19
Write about a disappointment. Were you the one who
felt it, or someone you cared about was disappointed? How did it make you feel?
20
Write about a summer day – a particular one or a
fictional one. Where are you (or where is your character)? What’s the weather
is like? What are you doing or wanting to do? Are there people around you, or are you alone? Write about your thoughts and feelings on that summer day.
21
Write about feeling hot – your sensations, thoughts,
desires. 
This may be very premature, but I am starting to think about some of the posts I have done the last two weeks, plus the short stories,and pull together those, and those not yet written int a collection. I might even be brave enough to actually pitch them to a publisher. Of course as you said, these are sketches, but sketches are the first part of a book, right? I have found a few books over the years that are a collection of short stories. I enjoy them and find that when you have little bursts of free time, they make for an enjoyable read as opposed ot having to commit to a whole novel that you simply can't get to in a short amount of time. I have no clue for the market for short stories. Please anyone jump in and negate this idea if ludicrous, and if it has a spark of possibility, please share.
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of short genres of literature, flash fiction, short stories, short poems, flash drama, short essays... you name it. I think that our sketches definitely have a great potential to become books, and I think I shared my vision with you before that in a while, we might start thinking about a collective book (stories and poems collection connected with a few common themes). I think it would be easier to publish a collective book first, and it also could be a great fun. But of course, you can compose a book or two as an individual author, whenever you feel ready! Maybe you can try reaching magazines or newspapers, or web sites first? There are many tools these days for getting self-published as well, and we sure can kick around these ideas and share whatever we learn with each other! :)
DeleteI think there could be some potential with the themes as a collection. Let's see where this might go.
DeleteI am resisting writing this week thinking I have said it all. Worried I'm repeating myself. But when I finally knuckle down, I love it! Xo Jazzy Jack
ReplyDeleteAmazing how our fears surround us when we pick up the "pen" to write. It's only been two weeks, but I already feel my attitude toward writing on a truly regular basis shifting from one of making excuses to looking for every opportunity I can. I have a long way to go, but yes, this is very, very good. :)
DeleteIt makes me very happy to know that it helps, Justin! Thank you.
DeleteJJ, I am much like you in a sense that I start resisting routine. I find that it helps me to switch my focus - sometimes it is more of a diary or memoir if you will, and other times poems (I just posted one yesterday) or excerpts written for a fictional piece that I want to work on (like what I posted today). I find that even though it's hard sometimes to follow the same routine every single day, I like to keep up because I feel how my creative energy builds up. I am super glad that you continue.
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