P is for Prompts

P is for Prompts

Those who write sometimes use prompts to prime the writing pump. When a person is stuck for an idea of what to write next, prompts can be a great way to prime the writing pump and get thoughts and ideas flowing again.

Here in Blogland, bloggers often use prompts as a way to give readers a glimpse into their lives... what they're doing, feeling, working on, reading, etc. There is a sense of fun in the writing and people tend to gather round, sharing their own thoughts as they read. A nice way of getting to know one another

I like prompts and enjoy creating my own sometimes. Sometimes the prompts follow a theme or they are randomly put together.

What fascinates me is how a prompt can release memories or ideas and suddenly you're thinking the most interesting things. And you wonder where that came from! One never quite knows what will pop out -- surprising the writer herself more than anyone.

Here we go -- my prompts for today....

I never thought... I'd want to be a writer. In fact, I didn't even have an inkling when I was growing up that I'd ever, ever consider it. Essay writing in school was a most dreaded exercise. It took me years to realize that my distaste for writing had less to do with the actual craft than the task of agonizing over the horrid list and choosing a topic might be the least painful to write about.

I don't really enjoy... eating liver or bean soup (yukky childhood memories are attached to having to eat these meals, although I don't 'mind' them quite so much and I quite enjoy Susan Branch's bean soup).

I really, really like... eat egg salad sandwiches (on fresh white bread - yep) especially when they are cut up into tiny triangles and a little lemon zest has been added to the ingredients.

I cannot... watch movies where animals or children are being mistreated in any way. That's also why I cannot read -- to this day -- the story of Black Beauty. The first time I read it as a child I was devastated for weeks. I've never read it since.

I have... been gathering my research for a workshop I'm presenting this fall on 'blogging and web presence' for a local writer's conference. I'm having fun thinking about what I want to share to get people excited and equipped to join this amazing community of bloggers.

I do not like... the smell of really overripe bananas. Yucky!

I'm going to... make raisin bran muffins for breakfast. The ingredients are all set out ready to go when I wake up in a few short hours. It'll be my special treat for hubby who loves freshly-baked muffins with coffee.

A book I'm enjoying right now... If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland. I'm pondering what she says about learning how to live and write in the present, as that's where the inspiration will come to write. She goes on to say: "Sometimes say softly to yourself: 'Now...now. What is happening to me now? This is now. What is coming into me now? This moment?' Then suddenly you begin to see the world as you had not seen it before..."

Some advice I'm going to take is... from something Carrie Wilkerson at Barefoot Executive said in one of her teaching sessions. She asked the class, "How many of you have a book in your head?" Many responded in the affirmative. She then said, "Well what's it doing there? Get it out of your head and on paper. No one can read it, or buy it, when it's still in your head." How true. One book I started a couple of years ago, with most of it still in my head, is coming out of the cupboard...today.

I haven't figured out... how to knit. I love the idea of knitting and have tried to learn many times over the years. But, in truth, this girl's finger have never quite figured it out. Finally, she got the message and said, No more, put away the knitting needles and give away the yarn.

Happy Writing,

Brenda

PS. You might like to check out the Clogged Pipes post too!