Today’s online writing groups’ poetry and story exercises: 27 February 2015

Every weekday I post a set of poetry prompts on poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com and a set of story prompts on the script, novel and short story blogs (and poems, script / novel extracts, stories at the weekends, when I get them). As you’ll see by the headings, you’ve missed a few but they’re listed on the relevant group’s Exercises page so you can always find them there…

Poetry Writing Exercises 554: Friday 27th February

Here are your four poetry exercises for today. Time yourself for 15 minutes per exercise, having a break in between each one or move on to the next.  When you’ve finished, do pop over to this blog’s Facebook Group and let everyone know how you got on.

Below are the four – you can do them in any order.

1. Keywords: schedules, stressful, throat, house, update
2. Random: front and back
3. Picture: what does this inspire?
4. One-word prompt: step

Have fun, and if you would like to, do paste your writing in the comment boxes below so we can see how you got on! Remember though that it counts as being published so don’t post anything that you would want to submit elsewhere (where they require unpublished material).

See below for explanations of the prompts, they do vary…

• Sentence starts = what it says on the tin. You can use it at the beginning of the poem or include it later, and being poetry it doesn’t have to be exact – just be inspired by it.
• Keywords = the words have to appear in the poem but can be in any order and can be lengthened (e.g. clap to clapping).
• Single-word prompt = sometimes all it takes is one word to spawn an idea. Sometimes it easy, sometimes hard but invariably fun.
• Mixed bag = an object, a location, a colour.
• Picture prompts = nothing other than a picture. What does it conjure up?
• Title = The title for your piece.
• Haiku poem= 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables
• Random = whatever takes my fancy!

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Story Writing Exercises 558: Friday 27th February

Here are your four story exercises for today.

 

Flash Fiction Friday 156: 6-word stories

Welcome to Flash Fiction Friday and the one hundred and fifty-sixth piece in this series. This week’s is the nineteenth bunch of 6-word stories by a variety of authors, together with their 6-word biographies!

6-word stories

by Chong Teck SIM – aspiring Singaporean writer

• Small lamps. Rangoli floor paintings. Deepavali.
• Re-igniting old pains. Past love.
• Sweet innocence. Ever-lasting marriage. Golden anniversary.
• Creaking doors. Pitter-patter footsteps. Mischievous poltergeist.
• Every morning. Unexpected roses. Secret admirer.
• To my beloved: no refund permitted.
• Tear-soaked face. Photograph. Departed lover.
• Two students. Holding hands. Puppy love.
• Anonymous donor. A blank cheque. Charity.
• Love misses a stop: my heart.

by Sal Buttaci finds humor in life

• Words of kindness transcend all tongues.
• In sleep no one is harmed.
• Life is measured with a thimble.
• The last great war was not.
• Counting to six, use both hands.
• Can “I do” be empty boasting?
• Find your purpose and live it.

by Mark K – a writer? Trying hard.

• Snail racing: Not an exciting sport.
• Twenty-twenty vision but he’s deaf.
• My Teddy bear died last night.
• Airline stewardess joins mile high club.
• When she went, my world stopped.
• Then diamond tears track furrowed cheeks.
• I’ll so miss her child-like smile.
• Her voice is like an angel’s.
• The door closed, my lips trembled.
• Sweet silence reigned, she’d left me.

by Samantha Wilcox, navigates life through writing

• Mix up, mothered the wrong child.
• Two men, three girls, one sigh.
• Her assistance declined, she left carefree.
• Ignored his call and walked away.
• Colorado snowfall brightened the dark firs.
• She failed and so I won.
• Excited, needed to share, chose you.
• Icy, moved fast, bad move, dead.
• Wrote this and more inspiration came.
• Degree’s done, job’s unfulfilling, still searching.

by Awen Thornber. Creative dreamer. Cancer survivor.

• Flash fiction. Short story. Became novella!
• Flees England, becomes Huguenot. Flees France.

by Geoffrey Iley: hedonist, romantic, aspiring wordsmith

• Will you… please? No! Goodbye.
• I demand your money! No! Bang!
• Where? Just here? ¾ enjoyable? Ooooh!
• Help! What? Can’t hear, sorry. Aaaaaargh…
• Candle snuffed… whose hand grips mine???
• (Enriched plutonium) + (psychopath) = extinction.

by James Holden works as a geek.

• But you were beautiful, back then.

by Mary Annie: writer at her best.

• The car screeched. And she screamed.
• Sang, danced, dined. To no avail.

by Suzanne, Pear-shaped, pushing 50, risking all

• Daughter bride chooses hyphen, maintains identity.
• Matriarch flees. Ocean restores. Family rejoices.
• Boy turned man. Loved her back.
• Grampa spoiled us flea market Sundays.

and then some from yours truly… Morgen Bailey, Morgen With an E

• Valentine’s Day. I’d expected something else.
• Generous lover, lonely wife, guilty feet.
• Concerto plays as he proposes. “No.”
• I love AC/DC. The band too.
• Watching movie, sinking into the sofa.
• Bought duct tape. Lover or killer?

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Thank you, everyone.

If you’d like to submit your 6-worders (up to ten per blog post, although you can send as many as you like and I’ll either pick the best ones or if I like most / all of them, schedule ahead) and / or 500-word max. stories for consideration for Flash Fiction Friday take a look here.

 

Today’s online writing groups’ poetry and story exercises: 26 February 2015

Every weekday I post a set of poetry prompts on poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com and a set of story prompts on the script, novel and short story blogs (and poems, script / novel extracts, stories at the weekends, when I get them). As you’ll see by the headings, you’ve missed a few but they’re listed on the relevant group’s Exercises page so you can always find them there…

Poetry Writing Exercises 553: Thursday 26th February

Here are your four poetry exercises for today. Time yourself for 15 minutes per exercise, having a break in between each one or move on to the next.  When you’ve finished, do pop over to this blog’s Facebook Group and let everyone know how you got on.

Below are the four – you can do them in any order.

1. Keywords: time, plus, someone, own, walls
2. Random: decision made
3. Picture: what does this inspire?
4. Thursday Title: Renovating the Shack

Have fun, and if you would like to, do paste your writing in the comment boxes below so we can see how you got on! Remember though that it counts as being published so don’t post anything that you would want to submit elsewhere (where they require unpublished material).

See below for explanations of the prompts, they do vary…

• Sentence starts = what it says on the tin. You can use it at the beginning of the poem or include it later, and being poetry it doesn’t have to be exact – just be inspired by it.
• Keywords = the words have to appear in the poem but can be in any order and can be lengthened (e.g. clap to clapping).
• Single-word prompt = sometimes all it takes is one word to spawn an idea. Sometimes it easy, sometimes hard but invariably fun.
• Mixed bag = an object, a location, a colour.
• Picture prompts = nothing other than a picture. What does it conjure up?
• Title = The title for your piece.
• Haiku poem= 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables
• Random = whatever takes my fancy!

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Story Writing Exercises 557: Thursday 26th February

 

Here are your four story exercises for today.

 

Today’s online writing groups’ poetry and story exercises: 25 February 2015

Every weekday I post a set of poetry prompts on poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com and a set of story prompts on the script, novel and short story blogs (and poems, script / novel extracts, stories at the weekends, when I get them). As you’ll see by the headings, you’ve missed a few but they’re listed on the relevant group’s Exercises page so you can always find them there…

Poetry Writing Exercises 552: Wednesday 25th February

Here are your four poetry exercises for today. Time yourself for 15 minutes per exercise, having a break in between each one or move on to the next.  When you’ve finished, do pop over to this blog’s Facebook Group and let everyone know how you got on.

Below are the four – you can do them in any order.

1. Keywords: progress, dry, installing, clear, cable
2. Random: the last three weeks
3. Picture: what does this inspire?
4. Sentence start: If there are things…

Have fun, and if you would like to, do paste your writing in the comment boxes below so we can see how you got on! Remember though that it counts as being published so don’t post anything that you would want to submit elsewhere (where they require unpublished material).

See below for explanations of the prompts, they do vary…

• Sentence starts = what it says on the tin. You can use it at the beginning of the poem or include it later, and being poetry it doesn’t have to be exact – just be inspired by it.
• Keywords = the words have to appear in the poem but can be in any order and can be lengthened (e.g. clap to clapping).
• Single-word prompt = sometimes all it takes is one word to spawn an idea. Sometimes it easy, sometimes hard but invariably fun.
• Mixed bag = an object, a location, a colour.
• Picture prompts = nothing other than a picture. What does it conjure up?
• Title = The title for your piece.
• Haiku poem= 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables
• Random = whatever takes my fancy!

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Story Writing Exercises 556: Wednesday 25th February

Here are your four story exercises for today.

 

Today’s online writing groups’ poetry and story exercises: 20 February 2015

Every weekday I post a set of poetry prompts on poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com and a set of story prompts on the script, novel and short story blogs (and poems, script / novel extracts, stories at the weekends, when I get them). As you’ll see by the headings, you’ve missed a few but they’re listed on the relevant group’s Exercises page so you can always find them there…

Poetry Writing Exercises 551: Friday 20th February

Here are your four poetry exercises for today. Time yourself for 15 minutes per exercise, having a break in between each one or move on to the next.  When you’ve finished, do pop over to this blog’s Facebook Group and let everyone know how you got on.

Below are the four – you can do them in any order.

1. Keywords: stuff, loads, send, along, awesome
2. Random: trying to start a cold van
3. Picture: what does this inspire?
4. One-word prompt: sweet

Have fun, and if you would like to, do paste your writing in the comment boxes below so we can see how you got on! Remember though that it counts as being published so don’t post anything that you would want to submit elsewhere (where they require unpublished material).

See below for explanations of the prompts, they do vary…

• Sentence starts = what it says on the tin. You can use it at the beginning of the poem or include it later, and being poetry it doesn’t have to be exact – just be inspired by it.
• Keywords = the words have to appear in the poem but can be in any order and can be lengthened (e.g. clap to clapping).
• Single-word prompt = sometimes all it takes is one word to spawn an idea. Sometimes it easy, sometimes hard but invariably fun.
• Mixed bag = an object, a location, a colour.
• Picture prompts = nothing other than a picture. What does it conjure up?
• Title = The title for your piece.
• Haiku poem= 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables
• Random = whatever takes my fancy!

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Story Writing Exercises 555: Friday 20th February

Here are your four story exercises for today.

 

Flash Fiction Friday 155: Josh’s Frog by Angela R Sargenti

Welcome to Flash Fiction Friday and the one hundred and fifty-fifth piece in this series. This week’s is a 193-worder by Angie Sargenti.

Josh’s Frog

“Don’t forget to save me a bullfrog.”

Josh grinned. “Will do.”

It all started when we were kids. They read us a story in class about a princess who kissed her way through hundreds of frogs, looking for a prince.

All through the years, every time Josh went gigging, he brought me back a nice fat frog, and every time I kissed it, nothing happened.

“That’s gross,” he’d say.

“You eat them,” I’d answer. “That’s even grosser.”

As the years went by, the bullfrogs grew fewer and fewer, and once Josh went off to college, they stopped entirely.

Finally, he showed up at my door one day while he was on spring break.

“You got my frog?”

“That’s kids’ stuff,” he said, grabbing me off my feet and spinning me around. “It’s time you tried the real thing.”

So I kissed him, and all those years of kissing frogs must’ve had some effect, because suddenly I was hugging air and kissing the sky.

At my feet sat a big fat bullfrog, who promptly hopped away.

“Well, damn it all,” I told him. “What’s a girl got to do to find love around here?”

*

I asked Angela what prompted this piece and she said…

 

Today’s online writing groups’ poetry and story exercises: 19 February 2015

Every weekday I post a set of poetry prompts on poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com and a set of story prompts on the script, novel and short story blogs (and poems, script / novel extracts, stories at the weekends, when I get them). As you’ll see by the headings, you’ve missed a few but they’re listed on the relevant group’s Exercises page so you can always find them there…

Poetry Writing Exercises 550: Thursday 19th February

Here are your four poetry exercises for today. Time yourself for 15 minutes per exercise, having a break in between each one or move on to the next.  When you’ve finished, do pop over to this blog’s Facebook Group and let everyone know how you got on.

Below are the four – you can do them in any order.

1. Keywords: grateful, appreciation, share, reader, update
2. Random: shall we go in the car?
3. Picture: what does this inspire?
4. Thursday Title: The Old Piano

Have fun, and if you would like to, do paste your writing in the comment boxes below so we can see how you got on! Remember though that it counts as being published so don’t post anything that you would want to submit elsewhere (where they require unpublished material).

See below for explanations of the prompts, they do vary…

• Sentence starts = what it says on the tin. You can use it at the beginning of the poem or include it later, and being poetry it doesn’t have to be exact – just be inspired by it.
• Keywords = the words have to appear in the poem but can be in any order and can be lengthened (e.g. clap to clapping).
• Single-word prompt = sometimes all it takes is one word to spawn an idea. Sometimes it easy, sometimes hard but invariably fun.
• Mixed bag = an object, a location, a colour.
• Picture prompts = nothing other than a picture. What does it conjure up?
• Title = The title for your piece.
• Haiku poem= 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables
• Random = whatever takes my fancy!

*

Story Writing Exercises 554: Thursday 19th February

Here are your four story exercises for today. Time yourself for 15 minutes for each one, then either have a break or move on to the next one. When you’ve finished, do pop over to this blog’s Facebook Group and let everyone know how you got on.

Below are the four – you can do them in any order.

1. Keywords: modern, big, nice, incredible, fence
2. Random: bought some more shampoo
3. Picture: what does this inspire?
4. Mixed bag: bus driver (character 1), conductor (ch.2), ticket (object), bus (location), strange (trait), unpaid ticket (dilemma)

Have fun, and if you would like to, do paste your writing in the comment boxes below so we can see how you got on! Remember though that it counts as being published so don’t post anything that you would want to submit elsewhere (where they require unpublished).

See below for explanations of the prompts, they do vary…

• Sentence starts = what they say on the tin. You can start the beginning of the story with them or a later sentence but they’re a great way of kicking off.
• Keywords = the words have to appear in the story but can be in any order and can be lengthened (e.g. clap to clapping).
• One-word prompt = sometimes all it takes is one word to spawn an idea. Sometimes it easy, sometimes hard but invariably fun.
• Mixed bag = two characters, an object, a location, a dilemma, a trait. Mix them all together and you have a plot… hopefully.
• First person piece or monologue (a one-sided conversation).
• Dialogue only = this is where you literally just write a conversation between two people. No ‘he said’, ‘she said’ or description, just speech and the reader has to be able to keep up. :)
• Second-person = some of you will know that I champion. The prompt can be in any style but has to be written in second-person viewpoint… oh, what a hardship. :)
• Title: This is the title of your story.
• Picture prompts = nothing other than a picture. What does it conjure up?
• Random = whatever takes my fancy!

Tips

• Don’t forget your five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, smell
• Show don’t tell: if your character is angry, don’t tell us he is, have him thumping his fist on the table.
• Colours: Include at least one colour in your story. It does add depth.
• Use strong verbs and avoid adverbs: Have a character striding instead of walking confidently.
• Only use repetition to emphasise.
• When you’ve finished the first draft, read the story out loud. It’s surprising how many ‘mistakes’ leap out at you when you read out loud… assuming you have any of course!
• And there are loads more writing tips on https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/writing-101.

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Pictures above courtesy of morguefile.com