[stylist] New writing prompt

Wed Jan 9 03:48:11 UTC 2013

This sounds like an intriguing assignment.  I don't have a card to copy this 
stuff onto at this moment and we are leaving for ten days tomorrow morning. 
I will attempt something with this when I return.  Gonna take a cruise off 
my bucket list.  I hope I get to feeling much better and actually have a 
great time away.
Barbara

Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance. -- Carl Sandburg
-----Original Message----- 
From: Chris Kuell
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2013 8:20 PM
To: Stylist
Subject: [stylist] New writing prompt

Since the response to Bridjit's December fan fiction prompt was on the 
cooler side of lukewarm, I will post a new prompt for those interested in 
flexing their writing muscles, or perhaps actually working on a new year's 
resolution.

This prompt has several steps. The first is to read and digest Bridgit's 
excellent lesson on creative non-fiction, which she posted last week. If you 
deleted it without reading it, it can be found in your deleted folder, or in 
the archives on the NFB Writer's Division web page.

Next, open a new document on your computer. Take a deep breath and clear 
your mind. Now, quickly write 3 to 10 truths about blindness, as you know 
it. They can be a single word, a sentence, or several sentences, but be 
brief, be general. For example: Blind people can do anything. Or, blindness 
sucks when you have a remote for your new TV with 742 buttons, yet none of 
them seem to turn it on.

For the next step, take a day or two or three to think about your list of 
truths, and see if any of them resonate more than the rest. Which one do you 
really connect with at this point and time in your life? That's the one you 
are going to write about.

When you have your 'truth', and have reflected on it, how it applies to you 
or someone you know, think about how you might write about this in a 
creative non-fiction piece. How can you apply some of the tools you learned 
about in Bridjit's lesson to craft a piece that will both inform, and engage 
a reader?

Now write your piece. There's no word limit, but try to make it at least 250 
words, and less than 3,000. When you've finished, let it sit for a day or 
two or three, then take another look at it. Are there extraneous words? 
Tighten your sentences. Does each sentence add to the piece? If not, delete 
it and see if it still makes sense. Does your piece have a beginning, a 
middle, and an end? Does the first sentence grab the reader's attention? If 
not, work on it.

Once you have a piece of writing you are satisfied with, post it for the 
group to read and comment on. Don't take the comments personally, but see if 
they have merit and might help improve your piece. That's our goal here. We 
want to become better writers. Which means you also have to read other's 
pieces with an editor's mindset. Try to make helpful comments, both positive 
and negative, if you feel it's appropriate. We want to be helpful, and 
supportive.

Warning: Do not criticize anyone who has a different opinion than you do. 
Comment on the writing, not on the opinion. This is my biggest concern with 
this writing prompt, beyond a lack of participation. We are all individuals, 
at different places in regards to how we feel about blindness. I may think 
all blind people can drive cars, and you may disagree. However, the point of 
this exercise is to comment on the writing. If I didn't make a good 
argument, then say so. But if you think blind people driving cars is 
ridiculous, keep that to yourself.

Finally, take the feedback that hopefully others have given you, and edit 
your piece one more time. Polish it (I hate the way Jaws says that like 
someone from Poland) and take the scariest step any writer has to 
take-submit it to your state NFB's newsletter. If your state doesn't have a 
newsletter, submit it to the Braille Monitor. Or your local newspaper's 
op-ed page.

Lastly, if anyone who participates in this prompt gets their piece 
published, even if it's 6 or 8 months from now, let me know and I'll send 
you an amazon gift card. And then you can say with pride that you are a 
professional writer.

This offer is only valid for newly written pieces. Articles you wrote before 
and just dusted off won't be considered.

Now, let's get writing.

Chris

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