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Imagination is the beginning of creation. -- George Bernard Shaw "One can't believe impossible things," said Alice. "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." ---- Alice in Wonderland "A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit." -- Richard Bach Clear and cool, clear and cool, By laughing shallow, and dreaming pool. --- from Water-Babies Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard.--Anne Sexton Here today, up and off somewhere else tomorrow! Travel, change, interest, excitement! -- Mr. Toad in The Wind in the Willows "I write when I'm inspired, and see to it that I'm inspired at nine o'clock every morning. -- Peter DeVries
Teach us delight in simple things, |
Journaling: Make a list of every job you've had, whether it paid money or not. Then go through each job and riverwrite-freely, flowing on thoughts like: what humorous things happened on the job? Humiliating? Satisfying? What did I learn? Who touched my life? Whose life did I change (for good or bad)?
Nonfiction: Taking a cue from the journal list above, make a list of every job you've had, whether it paid money or not. Then go through each job and riverwrite a rushing, rapid response of possible articles that could come out of what you experienced, wondered, hated, loved, learned from that job. Example of riverwriting on a job I had in college: Grocery store cashier. People on welfare…where's my perspective and prejudice… working off campus…divided between the "real" world and college life, what are unions all about anyway? Doing what you're told vs. doing what's reasonable. How reliable are truth detection monitors? What if I got closed into the store all night? Who buys the most ice cream, men or women?
Fiction: Take your female main character to the beauty supply and have her shop. What does she look for? Carry on a conversation with her about her attitudes and opinions about the people who work there, the customers, and what she's thinking about buying if she had the nerve. Or wouldn't buy in a million years. Write it as either a Q&A format or "in scene" where you're a character and talking with her or observing her talking to someone else about all this.