Ooooooo and Iiiiiii and Uuh
Smooth move.
Time flies.
Such a dumb bunny.
There’s something pleasing about repeating vowel sounds. The words don’t rhyme, but they do go together nicely. They make me want to see how far I can take them.
Rooster’s smooth move boosts a baboon to croon a groove tune that soon balloons into a new cashew moon.
Well, that’s so-so. Certainly, you can do better.
The Sounds
Smooth move
Time flies
Dumb bunny
There’s something pleasing about these repeating vowel sounds. The words don’t rhyme, but they do go together nicely. They make me want to see how far I can take them.
Rooster’s smooth move boosts a baboon to croon a groove tune that soon balloons into a new cashew moon.
Well, that’s so-so. Certainly, you can do better.
Plotting
Characters: a teacher, a person who owns a used car lot, a police officer, angry kid
Setting: 1980’s middle class neighborhood in small town on a fishing lake
Your Task: Give a plot synopsis using these elements. You decide the major conflict or problem plus a resolution. Please keep your plot synopsis less than 300 words.
Good practice!
A Bit of Bricolage
As you may recall, bricolage means you make something out of nearly nothing at all. We’re writers; we can do that! Even so, it’s great practice. So here is a list of nearly nothings. Do select one and write about it.
~That speck in the corner of your eye.
~A bit of gravel trapped in the tread of your tire.
~It’s autumn. One leaf lies by itself on your patio.
~Dryer lint.
~A tear in the leather seat of a Harley Davidson motorcycle
Lucas Reilly
Do Google this man and explore his writings. He has written about some truly strange and wonderful topics including an 800 mile long yard sale. I’m sure that many of you will find his work very, very pleasing. He is an original.
What is Poetry?
The following is a personal interpretation of E.O. Wilson’s comments about biology from his book The Diversity of Life (1992). I have substituted the framework of writing poetry for his references to the field of evolutionary biology. What a mind he has, and what a writer he is! Perhaps it is not so odd that what he has to say about science so easily translates into our endeavor to write.
From Chapter One, Page 8.
Perhaps poetry is a kid of hands-on reaching to grasp fuzzy abstractions in order to make them appear in an understandable shape. We wander in and around a subject, looking for a pattern that imposes some order. We seek a name or a phrase that calls attention to the object of our attention, hoping to make a connection. We aim to capture a process, a reaction, a change that reveals how life flows so powerfully. We cast our net of words, hoping to land almost anything at all.
Most ideas are waking dreams that quickly fade, yet we continue to grasp at them before they dwindle to mere emotional residue. We know that no one has captured a metaformula for how life is lived. We accept that art is a stroke of luck aided by a mind set to receive. And so, we hunt outward, and we hunt inward.
The Challenge of Nonsense
Oh how busy our brains are. They constantly look for ways to make connections. Perhaps some soothing hormone is emitted when we put 12 and 58 together and figure out that they yield 70. Over and over during the day we reward ourselves with such small “ah ha!” moments. Yes, scalloped potatoes will taste great with my beef roast. Yes, I can get the oil changed while I grocery shop tomorrow. Yes, if I invite my family for a Memorial Day picnic, we can discuss how to help cousin Billie. On the other hand, non-sense is harder. Let’s challenge our brains to un-function into new territory by coming up with five sentences that make no sense whatsoever. Click on “Read More” to see mine. I’m eager to read yours.
Complete Nonsense
1. Snorkel purple a vague squealing.
2. Speculate across weakling three months.
3. Beachcombers ethical straps undercut yellow shortcake.
4. Duh conclusion of angular security.
5. Lightning puddle smoothie parts new bandages.
A Question for You
What reward do you get from writing?
I know my own answer to this, but I’d like to hear yours. Why do you write? What benefit do you derive from writing? And also, if no one ever read a word you wrote, would you keep writing?
I’m eager to hear your thoughts on this.
Writing Dialogue
Here’s the scene: Janice likes to talk to her plants. She is convinced that it makes them thrive. Her husband, Stan, not only thinks this is a crazy idea, but he also finds it extremely annoying. It’s Saturday morning, and Janice has the watering can in hand. Bring us into this scene by showing their interaction. Make it entertaining rather than just a lot of bickering.
Can You Tell a Story Using Only Verbs?
Walking, talking, sharing.
Interrupted! Burbling, burbling, burbling. Gesturing.
Walking, talking, sharing.
Interrupted! Giggling. Nodding. Laughing. Burbling.
Stopped. Scowled. Reversed. Strode. Relieved. Freed!
Confused. Blinking. Watching. Considering. Running. Catching. Apologizing.
Pausing. Grabbing. Sneering. Inhaling. Exhaling. Growling. Crowing!
Stopping. Scowling. Re-examining. Departing!
Galumphs Away!
In an effort to provide a helpful headslap, I offer you this setup:
Pandora
Smelly old socks
A crack in the sidewalk
Rowboat oars
The countdown
Your job, should you choose to accept, is to make a story out of these elements and to delight us all.
- All
- blog
Smooth move
Time flies
Dumb bunny
There’s something pleasing about these repeating vowel sounds. The words don’t rhyme, but they do go together nicely. They make me want to see how far I can take them.
Rooster’s smooth move boosts a baboon to croon a groove tune that soon balloons into a new cashew moon.
Well, that’s so-so. Certainly, you can do better.
Characters: a teacher, a person who owns a used car lot, a police officer, angry kid
Setting: 1980’s middle class neighborhood in small town on a fishing lake
Your Task: Give a plot synopsis using these elements. You decide the major conflict or problem plus a resolution. Please keep your plot synopsis less than 300 words.
Good practice!
As you may recall, bricolage means you make something out of nearly nothing at all. We're writers; we can do that! Even so, it's great practice. So here is a list of nearly nothings. Do select one and write about it.
~That speck in the corner of your eye.
~A bit of gravel trapped in the tread of your tire.
~It's autumn. One leaf lies by itself on your patio.
~Dryer lint.
~A tear in the leather seat of a Harley Davidson motorcycle
Beginning Writer’s Workbook helps you develop your writing skill and take your work seriously. You’ll discover how to make writing an ongoing part of your life and learn ways to keep going when you feel stuck. This workbook is based on over a dozen years teaching tens of thousands of beginning writers from all over the world. Filled with practice, strategies, new techniques, and lots of usable information. Enjoy the ride!