Writing Exercise Wednesday #51

Down to the final 2 writing exercises. Not sure what I'll do with the blog, if anything. Maybe use it for SCBWI events going on. Anyway, today's is a fun one. But what other kind is there?! :-D

WEW #51

Prompt: 
Below are great first lines from books. You can use it as a first line or last line or even just a jumping off point. I ended up using 2 of them and wrote 2 exercises. Go to it!

"The woods were silent, other than the screaming." The Game of Sunken Places by M.T. Anderson

"Our toilet broke on the day of the night that changed my life, and it nearly ruined everything." A Heart Divided by Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld

"The ghost stood on the church stairs, watching, waiting, for Catherine." The Presence by Eve Bunting

"'So...do you think the school will make me give back the tiara?” I asked my best friend, Mina." High School Bites by Liza Conrad

"She never says good-bye and so I never know when she'll be gone." The Window by Michael Dorris

"When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never good news." Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Result:

    The doorbell woke me up. The digital read three o’clock. In the morning.
    Noises down the hall were my parents, mostly grumbling and something about getting the bat.
    I hopped out of bed, snuck out quietly and followed Dad down the stairs.
    He flicked on the light. I froze, blinded. I squinted at him.
    Dad crossed his arms and shook his head at me.
    “What?” I asked.
    “Get down here.”
    I scurried next to him or mostly behind him as he grabbed the door handle.
    He cracked the door, then threw it wide open.
    “Jake,” Dad whispered.
    Jake smiled. “Dad.”
    I ran out from behind Dad and grabbed my brother around the middle so hard. I would never let go. “You’re home.”
    I heard sobbing. We turned and Mom collapsed on the stairs, tears running away.
    When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it’s never good news. Except tonight it was.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #50

I did it again! Last night I thought, I didn't post my exercise today. In my defense, I've been preparing for a writing retreat this weekend, and working, and my kitty hasn't been well this week. Excuses, excuses. 

But I'm here now with a different exercise. The prompts are built around punctuation. How you perceive the information. I took two sentences and changed punctuation so there are four to choose from. Interesting how each one brings different ideas to mind.

WEW#50

Prompt:

No way it's my fault.

No, way. It's my fault.

No way it's your fault.

No, way. It's your fault.

Result:

     "No, way. It's my fault." Jack's hands covered his face. "If I had been around more. Paid more attention. Checked on her more often. She wouldn't be dead." Jack looked up. "I'm so sorry Sean."

     Sean put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Dad, it's okay. I'll get another fish."

Writing Exercise Wednesday #49

Getting near the end of one year of writing exercises. The nice thing about exercises is that they can be one sentence, one paragraph or one page. Anything goes. It's fun once you get the words to see what pictures form in your mind, what words float to the surface and what results (or where it leads) is always an adventure and surprise.

WEW #49

Prompt: ragged, identity, county fair, curl

Result:
    Little Missy Johnston ran to the county fair with her ragged curls flailing behind her. It was time to discover the identity of her nemesis in the Best Pig in the County competition. And it better not be Fancy Harmony. Missy would do whatever it took not to lose to her again.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #47

Since being late is my MO these days, I won't disappoint. Just got back into town and had some words all ready to go so might as well get to it.  Most of what I write is fiction and I will stick to that story! I hope everyone is having and had wonderful holidays. Now let the healing begin!

WEW #47
Prompt: use as few or as many as you'd like.
trailer, train, recognize, reclaim, recite, manure, maple, manipulate, field, fidget, festive

Result:

We drive up to the trailer - stomachs in knots. Who knows what will be waiting for us once we go in.
My mother-in-law recognizes us and pulls us into long hugs. Her son first. Of course. And in a much longer hug than he cares for.
She is so happy to see us she starts reciting America the Beautiful.
There's no way to get a word in once she starts talking. And if you do, she either ignores what you say or manipulates the conversation back to her. Ever in the spotlight.
It never matters how busy or tough our lives get, she can always best that. It seems to be a competition as to who knows more people who have died. At 82, she wins.
She fidgets, she worries, she drives us to drink once we flee her house.
While holidays are supposed to be festive, it's a challenge when it's the mother-in-law.
Merry Christmas one and all.

Writing Exercise (THURSDAY) #46

My bad. I don't think things will ever slow down. Ack! But 'tis the season to be late. I didn't get many Christmas cards out and the tree is a "light" tree this year. Just lights, no ornaments. That's the way life goes sometimes. So here is the writing exercise - late but that's okay - it can be done anytime, anywhere.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

WEW #46

Prompt: Dichondra, guard, pig strengthen

Result:

    Mama’s garden is her pride and joy. She has many award-winning vegetables each year. She has a wall dedicated to her State Fair ribbons. Except there’d be no ribbon this year.
    Where to begin? It kind of started when I rescued a baby pig. Mama didn’t want me to keep it. Daddy said, “It’d be good for the girl.” So Ramon got to stay.
    We have a couple of acres and a barn, but that wasn’t the problem (to Mama). Ramon was my pet. He slept in my room. He didn’t care for the barn too much.
    Then, we had an overgrowth of Dichondra. A lovely herb but it grows rapidly. And such pretty flowers. “Sally-Mae,” Mama said to me, “if I wanted flowers in my garden, I’d have a flower garden.” I couldn’t argue with that.
    But when Ramon squeezed into the vegetable garden through the fencing, he made a heck of a mess. He even ate the rutabagas. I don’t even eat those. Mama was fit to be tied.
    I had to stand guard so Ramon didn’t get back in while Mama strengthened the fence with Daddy.  All the while mumbling and cursing the day I got Ramon and she also cursed the Dichondra. Amazing how two seemingly innocent and unrelated things could cause Mama so much distress.
    So I saved one of her giant cabbages and made a ribbon for her and left it on the kitchen table.
    And Ramon was allowed to stay.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #45

WEW #45

Prompt: blur, dismount, pearl, snow
For some reason, I decided to use them all in the first sentence and continue from there. Join me on a trip!

Result:

    The pearl snow was a blur in my fantastic dismount from the galloping circus horse.
    We had to practice outside in the cold while waiting for the train to be fixed.  How you fix a train, I have no idea.  I patted Charmin and let the stable hand, Henry, lead her away.
    Sally, the bearded lady, whose show name was Sabina, shivered with chattering teeth even with all her facial hair.  She grabbed the first hot cocoa from Mr. Shamush.  He ate swords and breathed fire. His normally long hair was wound under a turban.  He winked at me when Sally took a second cup.
    Mrs. Craftsky, the tall woman and also our manager, gathered everyone around her.  “The train will be ready tomorrow.”
    A mutual groan did the wave around the circle.
    “I’m sorry.  I know it’s cold but we will have accommodations arranged shortly.”
    Sally raised a hair arm.  “Where are we?”
    Mrs. Craftsky hesitated.  My stomach flopped.  She pasted a grin on her face.  “Just outside Ulaanbaatar.”
    “Where?” I asked.
    She bent way down and touched my face.  “Oh, Pumpkin.”  That’s actually my real name and my show name. 
    Mrs. Craftsky stood up with shoulders back, towering over us all.  “Welcome to Mongolia!”

Writing Exercise Wednesday #43

This week and next week I'm using line prompts from different poems. You can start the exercise with it or use it within or even just as an idea maker. You never know where it can take you. It's just so much fun!!!! Okay, it's the last day of work before a long weekend so I'm easily excited. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, for those celebrating it, and for my Canadian friends, enjoy the parade!

WEW #43

Prompt: use any of the following lines from amazing poems and poets.

“Now I absorb immortality and peace” Walt Whitman, Night on the Prairies

“An ear can break a human heart” Emily Dickinson, The Saddest Noise

“Many have loved me desperately” Thomas Hardy, He Never Expected Much

“Since Truth is seldom friend to any crowd” Rudyard Kipling, The Fabulists

Result:

    "An ear can break a human heart," Alicia said.
    "No it can't," her brother Timothy said.
    "Yes it can!"
    "No it can't!"
    "Yuh-huh."
    "Nuh-uh."
    They sat on their front step and watched a butterfly float above their heads.
    "A butterfly can change the world," Alicia said.
    "No it can't," Timothy said.
    "Yuh-huh."
    "Nuh-uh."
    A cloud wisped and morphed past them in the sky.
    "How can an ear break a heart?" Tim asked.
    Alicia looked at her scuffed shoes.  "Remember when Mom and Dad were fighting?  Dad said a word I'm not allowed to use."
    Tim frowned.  "Mom cried."
    They silently watched a caterpillar inch its way across the cement.
    "A caterpillar can magically turn into a butterfly or a moth," Alicia said.
    "No it can't," Timothy said.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #42

Who said better late than never?  Well, that's what today has become.  Stop by for a quick exercise today or tomorrow or next week - because it's better that we do it sometime than not at all.  Next week I plan to be on time!

WEW #42

Prompt: arrested, forlornly, lavender, perspiration

    Mariposa assumed she would be asked to the dance.  With her golden curls and baby blues, who could resist?  Apparently, everyone.  How could she attend the spring dance unescorted?  It would be scandalous.  The arena would be set with tree nymphs and wood fairies and little twinkling lights and no Mariposa.  Her lavender dress would stay arrested in her closet, never to see the starry lights, feel the motion and sway of Mariposa’s rehearsed dance steps, never feel the damp perspiration on its fabric.
    Unless.  Unless Mariposa made up her date.  He would be a military man; ready to show the world how good she looked next to his uniform.  Then when he, sadly, forlornly, unexpectedly got reassigned, or better yet, shipped out, showing up at the dance alone, she would be accepted and applauded for her courage and bravery while she was separated from her fella.
    She’d have to find a photo online and use it in case anyone was curious enough to ask about him.
    This could work.  Poo on all those high school boys.  Mariposa was about to get herself a real man.  So to speak.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #41

Here's a different way to think about what you're writing. Turning things around or on its head or changing the order you put it together might open up insight to your story or character or setting. It can be surprising what presents itself.

Prompt:

Pick a word. Write a sentence with that word. Then write the sentence before your original sentence. Then write the sentence after your original sentence. And then write the 4^th sentence. Put them in order.

Result: My word is bug. My original sentence: There was a bug named Ug.

In a forest, under the trees, past the bushes, beside the grass was a landed called Lotsofun.

And in this land, there was a bug named Ug.

Ug wasn’t just any bug, Ug was a ladybug.

But Ug was just one of many ladybugs in his family of 16.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #40

Happy Halloween Everyone! Fun day, fun costumes, fun size candy.

 

We are in the final stretch of this year long blog of writing exercises. And now I'm at 40! 

I do have to comment on Writer's Day on Saturday. It was fantastic and informative and a beautiful day and so great to see so many friends! A fabulous success. Well worth driving in the (slow) Friday traffic. I will leave earlier next time.

Here is today's exercise - hope it sparks and illuminates.  And it's perfect for Halloween since that's the photo I used from the prompt!

WEW #40

Prompt:
Think of photos from around kindergarten age – can be photos of anything and then bring one to life.  My photo is of my two older sisters dressed up for Halloween.

Result:
Why do they keep dressing us alike? We’re not twins, just sisters. I wonder if Jan’s costume is as tight as mine? I love the baby blue of mine. But it is riding up. I think I look more like a china doll than Jan – her blond hair isn’t very Asian looking. Her red outfit with the little flowers is pretty. I think the orange pumpkin filled with candy clashes with our costumes. Oh well – it’s only for one day. Jan stole some candy out of my pumpkin, I just know it. Well, I’m going to take some back. Hey, who put this apple in here? It’s not even caramel coated. And everybody knows you don’t eat apples from strangers. One more block, my feet hurt in these little black shoes. We should have brought a pillow case to get more candy. I hope I don’t have to share – I can make this stash last for months. That’s if Jan doesn’t steal anymore.


 

Writing Exercise Wednesday #37

So while I'm in jury duty today, do me a favor and have fun with a new exercise!

Prompt:

Gloomy, white poplar, solidify, formulate, bookman, scanty, admonish, constant

Result:

The gloomy day solidified with the heavy layers of falling snow. It looked so peaceful falling. Giant cotton balls sent from heaven. Except for the yellow snow against the snow bank. This would be a perfect day to stay home from school. What excuse would I come up with today?

Step-mother admonished me last time I was faking, but Sabrina, my best friend gave me some tips to fool her. If we could both pull it off today – we had a list of great fun planned.

Step-mother doesn’t approve of Sabrina. “Katy,” she constantly calls me even though I go by Kat. “Katy, Sabrina is a bad influence. Dresses so scanty and that tattoo. What kind of mother let’s her 14 year old daughter get a tattoo?”

I don’t have any tattoos. I barely got pierced ears last year for my birthday. Step-mother has strict rules of conduct every young lady should follow.

This means my long brown hair is always neat; I don’t get to have funky haircuts or color. I don’t get those vibrant green color contacts I wanted. My glasses are good enough according to her. And none of my clothes are black unless we’re attending a funeral. And how often does that happen?

Now that I’ve finally gotten my braces off, I’m finally developing some bumps on my chest and I have a cool best friend.

Step-mother may ruin my entire high school life.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #36

Today's exercise is a bit different. Write a paragraph that is symbolic or representative of a character.

WEW #36

Prompt:
Emblematic – like a snapshot that reveals character.

Result:
Tasting the first snowflakes on her tongue, Sarah's amazement turned into a wide grin. White flakes sitting on her soft brown hair, the red flush of life in her cheeks, warding off the cold. Her eye sparkled with the adventure and fun of experiencing something new. She threw a snowball high in the air, letting it smash over her head – giggling without a care in the world. The dampness of the melting snow on her clothes was only that, nothing could damper her spirit.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #35

I can't believe I'm up to #35. Makes getting to 52 seem more possible. And then what? I do not know.  Enjoy the fun words today!

WEW #35

Prompt:
Scurry, shining, smelly, foolishly

Result:

     Smelly, smelly fish. That’s what I think of them. They stink. My brother gets all excited about their shining scales, how big they are and what they eat.
     Don’t care – never will.
     Now my sister, loves rats. She has two and they scurry about. They sit on her shoulders and clean her eyebrows.
     Not for me.
     I foolishly go for pigs, cows, sheep, goats and cats. But in my room, I only get to have the cat now. You’d be surprised at what sheep and goats can do indoors.  Someday I’ll have the whole farm.
     That’s what I’m gonna do.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #34

What I've gotten out of this next exercise is specific details.  They make all the difference in a story's believability but also they help the reader really connect with the characters.

WEW #34

Prompt:
Take a childhood secret or incident and fictionalize it.

Result:
     My sister Nanna and I had a leftover red balloon from her birthday party. Her real name’s Joanna, but we’ve called her Nanna as long as I can remember.
     In our living room – which is separate from our family room, and there is a BIG difference – we were flicking the balloon to each other.
Nanna grabbed the balloon in front of her and stuck her tongue on it and made a crazy face. I was laughing so hard I had to sit down. But I would have been even funnier if I could have popped it right at that second.
“Patty-cake,” Nanna said, “stop daydreaming and play.” She calls me Patty-cake at home and sometimes in public when she wants to embarrass me.
     I jumped up and smashed the fat balloon as hard as I could. It bounced off Nanna’s face and flew to the mantel over the fireplace. The balloon drifted down but a cracking sound made us look at each other.
     “Oh, oh,” I said.
     On the marble floor in front of the fireplace was Mom’s precious figurine – head half cracked open and the little lamb’s leg skewed.
     Nanna ran for the glue while I gathered parts back together.
     We never said a word to Mom – she never noticed. But if you look close enough, you can see the lamb’s leg fractured and the patch job on the girl’s head.
     It’s still our little secret.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #33

Prompt:

Swimming pond and summer.  Go to it and make it mysterious.

Result:

     Down at the old mill was a swimming pond. All summer me and Hank and Bethany turned into fish. The rope Father hung was well worn in and swung like Tarzan’s vines. It never mattered how hot we were or how cold the pond was – we’d jump anyhow.

     The summer Old Man Hooper died was the last summer Hank and Bethany and me were fish. Watching the rope being cut down made my heart ache. Bethany cried. I’m not sure who she was crying for: herself or Old Man Hooper. But ever since that day, anytime we’re around the adults, we only whisper his name.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #32

Here's a chance to let your teenager voice come out and play, be a diva, drama queen, quiet wallflower.  Anything goes!

Prompt: Sumo, Nordic, insensitive, crestfallen
 
Result:

Being jilted is not something I’m used to. Of all the girls in school, I’m the least likely to get dumped. But that status has changed – as of 4:45 yesterday afternoon. I didn’t realize that word would spread as fast as it did. And my own friend told me what everyone was saying. The insensitive bitch. I was crestfallen and almost depressed. Not that I could ever be depressed, but I was feeling down. Getting dumped isn’t half as bad as having everyone talking about it and looking at me with pity. Pity! Me!

I should have broken up with him first. That’s my way. That’s the only way. I can’t believe how bad it looks being cast off by a Nordic sumo wrestler. Well, that’s what he looks like. Maybe a slimmer sumo – but he’s all Nordic and all wrestler – put those together and you have a dick of a boyfriend.

If he thinks he can do better than me, he is delusional. There is no one better and he knows it. I wouldn’t want him back anyway ‘cause there are better guys than him.

Ooh – here comes one right now.  “Hey gorgeous!”

Writing Exercise Wednesday #31

Too much fun - that's what this next exercise is.  Grab a fairy tale or nursery rhyme and turn it on its ear.  Or head.  Or bum.  And just have fun.  Almost rhymes. :-)

Prompt: equitable, homely, canvas, chutzpah, unfair

Result:

Mary and her little lamb were given a raw deal.  She couldn't take the lamb to school and the lamb wouldn't go to pasture without her.  The establishment wouldn't allow them to do both - which would make Mary and her lamb extremely happy.  This was unjust, unfair and just plain mean.

Holly, Mary's homely friend, had chutzpah and brainstormed on Mary's behalf.  Holly was ahead of her time, wearing colorful shirts and beads.  Once, she even staged a sit in for Jack to be enrolled at the school even though he lived out of their district in the sky.

Mary was so thankful to have Holly on her side.  Mary gathered the two canvases Holly had asked for.  Provided with dyes and brushes, Holly got to work.

By the next day, Holly presented Mary with a painting of her lamb and gave the lamb a portrait of Mary.  Mary and her lamb were besides themselves.

Mary and Holly skipped to school and set up the lamb painting beside Mary's desk.  The lamb was contentedly grazing in the meadow with Mary's likeness watching over her.

And there wasn't a darn thing the establishment could complain about.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #30

Hard to believe we're so close to the end of the year again. Sure there are four months left, but with September just around the corner, it's close. Someone told me they saw Christmas decorations in Costco already. Yikes!

Well, let's slow things down a bit, take a breath and transport ourselves to another place where the only thing that exists is whatever pops out of our minds during a writing exercise. All that matters are those characters and what they have to say. It is a nice break in all the craziness that is the world.

Grab your pen, paper, laptop, or foggy window and let's have some fun. 

WEW #30

Prompt: pierce, crooked, shipwreck, breakdown, phlegm, pharynx

Result:

    “A crooked pharynx is never a good thing,” Dad said, carving the turkey in front of 20 people.  Luckily, most were relatives, so they already knew Dad’s love of medical trivia.  Since he’d retired from being a surgeon, he’d pierced his ear, bought a red sports car and come close to a breakdown.
    Being his only daughter (pre-med in 10 years) I did the best I could with his shipwrecked life.  I took him to concerts – Coldplay and Chicago.  He actually liked them both.  I let him chaperone my Valentine’s Day dance – it was a long night for both of us.  And I even got him a Facebook page and enrolled him in a guaranteed dating service.  Anything to get a little peace in my life and time for myself.  If he doesn’t find a hobby soon, I’m moving out.  Or kicking him out.
    My boyfriend sat across from me heaping his plate full of mashed potatoes and gravy – compliments of the grocery store.  My best friend was next to me for one more hour before she had to run to two homes for two more dinners.
    A smattering of aunts and uncles and colleagues of Dad’s sat and talked while Dad stared at the turkey.  I hoped to God he wasn’t about to start crying.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #29

Back to work after the busy conference and back to writing exercises.

WEW #29

Prompt: I took a name and just had fun. What's in a name - what do names mean to you and your characters?

Result:

Robert Borisdell – Robert, Rob, Bob, Bobby – he was all these names to me.  Well, maybe he was never Bob.  No, not Bob.

When we fooled around, he was Bobby.  When we had serious discussions, he was Rob.

The boys he played football with called him Boris.  I never did.  It’s a guy thing.

But the last thing I ever called him was Robert.  That was the day my heart was broken, shattered, annihilated.

That was the day he became Bob.

Writing Exercise Wednesday #25

WEW #25

Prompt: askance, towel, matchmaker, garbage

Result:

Going through other people’s garbage is messy and dirty but so much fun!  My rubber gloves on, face mask in place, hairnet and an old shirt and off I go.  Now, normally I’m looking for hidden treasures since one man’s garbage is another’s gold.  Or something like that.

One evening – you have to do it at night so you aren’t seen – I hit the mother lode.  I looked askance up and down the road and dove in.  I had laid out my treasure towel – that’s what I call it – and placed items of interest on it.  Tupperware – perfectly good – a bunch of nails – couple pieces of wood and then – a ream of paper.  Not just Any paper – but stacks and stacks from the Matchmaker.

Now, I don’t know if these names were discarded because the people were no good – or because the Matchmaker was recycling – which the garbage is not.  But I pulled those coffee grounds, banana peel covered papers out and stared.  Hundreds of names – eligible men from all over New York.

        Harold Appleby would be my first call.  It might possibly be his last.