tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309871442024-03-07T03:35:59.020-08:00Just WriteInformation and inspiration for writersTH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-69394748710414142762017-12-21T17:12:00.000-08:002017-12-21T17:12:08.205-08:00The Quest for a Standing Desk<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you’re trying to minimize the time you spend sitting, you’ve
probably looked into a standing desk. Me too, and after investigating my
options, I’ve reached two conclusions.</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-D8e-1ZjpqAAmeHSDQbhk_ORTX_XNwMEDGLLUfUsI-MDZcfmwJ_yyrH36rqaZvjyDS8EfuhA_vq4A46JlKB_VQttOF9FFf5Bj0aND0rN0wWnqQD6MjF1FApkG7SlAS8cv2sCm_A/s1600/19548014198_ad0837dd2c_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-D8e-1ZjpqAAmeHSDQbhk_ORTX_XNwMEDGLLUfUsI-MDZcfmwJ_yyrH36rqaZvjyDS8EfuhA_vq4A46JlKB_VQttOF9FFf5Bj0aND0rN0wWnqQD6MjF1FApkG7SlAS8cv2sCm_A/s400/19548014198_ad0837dd2c_k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#1) If you use notes, books, etc. while working, your desk
needs are different from people who don’t use reference materials.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’m a note taker, and I edit my work on printed drafts. For
me, a desk has to be big enough to accommodate my piles of paper, my coffee,
and possibly a sandwich. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last year I ordered the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mastermaq/19548014198/in/photolist-vMoFzy-9H8Y3s-eaWCZt-vMoQBJ-53vajz-53vatn-c2Z71f-52Zfbx-52ZeTK-22Bm9Gj-dgEq8R-88kaBr-8hfxC3-TnAwgG-bEbNRn-9THvQt-88HWoB-8xNBB5-59RX9J-5o3H1t-skzdFQ-4A9o95-53vaBH-bhcqcr-Fmi3oc-5EtezA-98dqBS-c2Z33Y-d2STdb-ap6b8N-dhGCh8-WRrh99-7ZzNNp-5TkuRs-aoXh9b-fQXsRW-bUYTaW-8iR8f2-p25BB9-dKyQkH-fUAwGy-dYK7Va-EwK9ZG-4Wkiuw-otgexF-6jund9-XsVzCJ-rZLG2-6DeMUB-mJNTzz" target="_blank">Oristand</a>, a cardboard device you can
set on top of your workstation to create a standing desk. I was attracted by
its low price and ease of storage, but I soon discovered a major drawback for
me: no space to put anything next to the keyboard.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsM9w0bDzsn66sh7HYhEIxmV3p4797pJeGkuy6zXm7U66Wn5rK2tG1vrCxpFp4aVhmTZAO1Dx90r59trBQmjzlH0D1DabrANVTdcztQh-4qHZ7Sa4yNeB7mturdieLF3WT99QwA/s1600/IMG_20160522_174422727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsM9w0bDzsn66sh7HYhEIxmV3p4797pJeGkuy6zXm7U66Wn5rK2tG1vrCxpFp4aVhmTZAO1Dx90r59trBQmjzlH0D1DabrANVTdcztQh-4qHZ7Sa4yNeB7mturdieLF3WT99QwA/s400/IMG_20160522_174422727.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You can see my marooned notes to the right of the Oristand</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On days when I was working on a rough draft and not using
notes, the Oristand functioned just fine. It accommodates the computer and
nothing else, which I’m sure many people would find totally acceptable.
Unfortunately for me, this severely limited its usefulness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And while it was easy to fold and put away, I found it to be
too large when fully extended to set atop my regular desk, so I wound up using
it on my dining room table. This wasn’t an issue on days when everyone else was
out of the house, but the rest of the time the area tends to be noisy and interruption-filled.
(I’m a writer. My hubby is a woodworker. Oh, what fun it is when he’s sanding.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sad to say, my Oristand has been collecting dust for quite
a while now. Even sadder, their website says they closed forever on December 15, 2017, however, they are selling Oristands for $20 while supplies last. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That experience led me to my second and most important
conclusion: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>#2) If you’re serious about using a standing desk, replacing
your whole desk is probably your best bet. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’ve tried replacing almost everything in my office, all in an
attempt to avoid spending $500+ on a new desk. Since I still have issues with
my neck, arm, and back, a new desk is the logical next step.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know a few people who have adjustable height desks--an
important distinction from a standing desk at a fixed height. Just as
sitting all the time is bad for you, standing all the time comes with issues,
too. Ask any hairdresser or bartender. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’ve looked at other options for desktop add-ons, but haven’t
seen anything that would work with my small desk, or that provides sufficient
space for notes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Trying to narrow down the best options can be challenging.
Google “standing desk” and take a look at the plethora of results. I considered going to the office supply store and buying one, but I wanted to have more information before shelling out such a substantial sum of money. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you’re looking for a reliable and thorough reference, <a href="http://reviews.com/">Reviews.com</a>
has done some serious homework on adjustable height desks. They started out
with 71 desks and narrowed the list down to the top 13--and they explain their
entire evaluation criteria, from ease of assembly to the motor's noisiness.
If you’ve been searching for an adjustable height desk, chances are these folks
have taken a look at whichever model you’re considering. Bookmark that page,
because you’ll come back to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my case, I have an ace up my sleeve, so to speak, with
the aforementioned woodworking hubby. I know at least one person who purchased
the hardware and made his own adjustable height desk (something the Reviews.com
piece also mentions as an option). This should come in at a much lower cost
than buying a pre-made desk, and I can customize it so I have plenty of desk
space for my many piles of papers. Not sure how long it will take before I have a new desk (spouses of handy people everywhere are laughing right now), but I'll be sure to post an update when I do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Are you using a standing desk, or do you have plans to buy
(or make) one? </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">___________</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Photo of Ikea standing desk courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mastermaq/19548014198/in/photolist-vMoFzy-9H8Y3s-eaWCZt-vMoQBJ-53vajz-53vatn-c2Z71f-52Zfbx-52ZeTK-22Bm9Gj-dgEq8R-88kaBr-8hfxC3-TnAwgG-bEbNRn-9THvQt-88HWoB-8xNBB5-59RX9J-5o3H1t-skzdFQ-4A9o95-53vaBH-bhcqcr-Fmi3oc-5EtezA-98dqBS-c2Z33Y-d2STdb-ap6b8N-dhGCh8-WRrh99-7ZzNNp-5TkuRs-aoXh9b-fQXsRW-bUYTaW-8iR8f2-p25BB9-dKyQkH-fUAwGy-dYK7Va-EwK9ZG-4Wkiuw-otgexF-6jund9-XsVzCJ-rZLG2-6DeMUB-mJNTzz" target="_blank">Mack Male at Flickr</a></i></span></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-59710944683636584412016-05-22T18:15:00.000-07:002016-05-26T14:30:41.139-07:00The Oristand Standing Desk <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sitting is the bane of my professional life. I sit all day at work, then come home to sit while I write at night. It adds up to a lot of sitting every day. All that sitting is a health risk, and sometimes it's simply physically uncomfortable. I decided a while ago that a standing desk was the obvious answer, but they're expensive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I read about the Oristand on LinkedIn ("<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/everyday-habit-thats-killing-you-heres-25-fix-ryan-holmes">The Everyday Habit That's Killing You: Here's a $25 Fix</a>"), I realized I'm not the only one on a budget who's tired of sitting. Instead of having to buy a whole new (and did I mention expensive?) desk, the <a href="http://oristand.co/">Oristand</a> is a collapsible cardboard stand that sits on top of your desk (or in my case, on top of my dining room table). Brilliant.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJe9NGo0-KX4bHY5PG6iGsaZIk-WWMx74LviWH9ln5V57tSa1qH0umZGWHUkwJgRpnpvQCb-aZ-JSi7dKtFd__gTHF6b60atKjw1b6lpVj4G0LhJgRTOb6OM2o6opxd0-ZxiqJA/s1600/IMG_20160514_153739762_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJe9NGo0-KX4bHY5PG6iGsaZIk-WWMx74LviWH9ln5V57tSa1qH0umZGWHUkwJgRpnpvQCb-aZ-JSi7dKtFd__gTHF6b60atKjw1b6lpVj4G0LhJgRTOb6OM2o6opxd0-ZxiqJA/s400/IMG_20160514_153739762_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At $25, this was a price point I could afford, plus I loved its portability since I work at different places around my house. I scanned their website and wondered, “Can I use it with just my laptop, no wireless keyboard?” I suspected the answer was no, but I wasn't certain. I went ahead and ordered the Oristand anyway, figuring I'd sort it all out later.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0vLMmSuIp3_mbKIfdoYaSB1vxXlJ8a7X4GJHfMUFuei2nOWFIH5IZx2QI-TA75bT5jZJUYYfczEBUh07JC_EwiUF654gX2lLMU5qZaZ5qGkywANAxx67KeyIHHUPrrculuRP3Q/s1600/IMG_20160514_153646007_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0vLMmSuIp3_mbKIfdoYaSB1vxXlJ8a7X4GJHfMUFuei2nOWFIH5IZx2QI-TA75bT5jZJUYYfczEBUh07JC_EwiUF654gX2lLMU5qZaZ5qGkywANAxx67KeyIHHUPrrculuRP3Q/s400/IMG_20160514_153646007_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does this work on your Oristand? For me, nope.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When it arrived, I was thrilled to find it was easy to assemble and store, plus its sturdy cardboard is at least as durable as many assemble-yourself pieces of furniture I've owned. It folds into a step-shaped configuration that can hold a computer and withstands being leaned upon without bowing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As far as to whether or not you can use it without a secondary keyboard, the answer is no, at least not for me. I tried it and it was a terrible fit in terms of my neck being at an odd angle and my wrists and shoulders in a bad position, no matter which little ledge I put it on. On the other hand, for my teenaged son (a person who regularly contorts himself into the oddest positions while using a computer), the lack of a secondary keyboard was no problem.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbwY9cY3Pg88UAYea1OxgZsuEnPn0duU7xoFEJJZEGttZ9zqlBvb2gSSAmUORuA_zSTSv8ZwQ2Rce5JMdAL2dyv8JaImMI6Zj4K72FJj2EbhJurunR96RODiHrZtteu2UKAnzcQ/s1600/IMG_20160520_181902845_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbwY9cY3Pg88UAYea1OxgZsuEnPn0duU7xoFEJJZEGttZ9zqlBvb2gSSAmUORuA_zSTSv8ZwQ2Rce5JMdAL2dyv8JaImMI6Zj4K72FJj2EbhJurunR96RODiHrZtteu2UKAnzcQ/s400/IMG_20160520_181902845_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who needs ergonomics when you're 18? Yeah, not my kid.</td></tr>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I immediately went on Amazon and ordered a wireless keyboard--but neglected to thoroughly check the dimensions and wound up with a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rii-Portable-Stainless-Rechargable-Raspberry/dp/B00ESUXXZM?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00">teeny-tiny keyboard</a> that is far too small for my fingers. Actually, it's far too small for anyone over five, but it's adorable. We decided it would be perfect as the living room TV keyboard. Also, it was hard not to say “awwww” when holding it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I went back to Amazon, armed with a tape measure and the Oristand. I wanted enough room for a keyboard and a mouse. Voila, I checked the dimensions of several keyboards and found one that was 15 inches wide. Or so I thought.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Mom, that's the dimensions of the box,” my kid told me (complete with eye rolling), after I ordered it. Great. And I thought shopping online would save me time! At that point, I'd been itching to take the Oristand on a full test drive, but without a workable secondary keyboard, there was no way I could evaluate it. When <a href="http://www.amazon.com/JETech-Wireless-Keyboard-Windows-Vista/dp/B0173QNVT0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00">the keyboard</a> arrived, I found I'd still gotten the dimensions wrong. It's about 11” wide, but fits the space perfectly and leaves plenty of room for the mouse.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3wNSmm4hdp12szQZr82kTeQmIpo8Ly8GapZ6KfjdQ7qV1U5t8dPSt9QUdfjYmtCIZEI0d-o8hakL2TrA_H1EQiNMaBdbiJj6PKnqiZZOEZ_CMf7Rq1y22pHnLyVXnetLVZ14kw/s1600/IMG_20160522_180124306_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3wNSmm4hdp12szQZr82kTeQmIpo8Ly8GapZ6KfjdQ7qV1U5t8dPSt9QUdfjYmtCIZEI0d-o8hakL2TrA_H1EQiNMaBdbiJj6PKnqiZZOEZ_CMf7Rq1y22pHnLyVXnetLVZ14kw/s400/IMG_20160522_180124306_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNusxwLFEXWwWOKbOwlgsymB3Vqc2spzy9wchGQLVxZXV8oCDdbIUEedDjMkCprgfHPIaFd4mEXCDEf6zDPPWZg7pizs0A4rBXWNxp1ctwLGyU9D0cVG0jUmTmJPZ9JFwQM5WJPQ/s1600/IMG_20160522_180210035_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNusxwLFEXWwWOKbOwlgsymB3Vqc2spzy9wchGQLVxZXV8oCDdbIUEedDjMkCprgfHPIaFd4mEXCDEf6zDPPWZg7pizs0A4rBXWNxp1ctwLGyU9D0cVG0jUmTmJPZ9JFwQM5WJPQ/s400/IMG_20160522_180210035_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I used the new setup to write most of this post, and am incredibly pleased with the functionality. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Aside from the obvious health concerns associated with sitting too much, I like having the option to stand while I write. I tend to </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">write and ponder and wander around, and standing for part of the time is definitely preferable for me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The design of the Oristand lends itself to leaning your elbows on the lower ledge while resting your chin in your hands to look at the computer screen, which is probably seriously ergonomically incorrect, but at least I'm not sitting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think the Oristand is going to work really well, especially for the big project I just started working on. I've been excited about the project, but was dreading the additional hours spent sitting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I like the design and wish I'd been more attentive to the need for a keyboard so I wouldn't have had to wait the whole week to give it a true test.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The real result, of course, will be how I feel (and how the stand endures) after the next couple of months, when I expect to log a lot of hours on it. Also, my wood-worker hubby is determined to make a wooden version, which I insist will be too heavy (he disagrees). Stay tuned for updates. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">_________________</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Do you like to stand or sit while writing? Some well-known authors liked to stand while writing--Hemingway, for instance.</i></span><br />
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TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-5783600192369564482016-05-14T18:24:00.003-07:002016-05-14T18:24:41.067-07:00Summer and Other Writing Prompts<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s almost time for the traditional start of summer,
Memorial Day. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_solstice">Summer Solstice</a> in June may mark the official arrival of the
season, but as far as most of us are concerned, the last weekend in May is the
start of BBQing and swimming. Think of long, sunny, warm days and see if you
can come up with a story from one of the prompts below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzPDBdBsfn1aCwzA_bybCeHDOUhk6F5wF2ED5JgPzzwvRb-0pFyLfYW3elyLt9G30_stbA7gpOWXBY-O2QkOnseLt2T1o0BXLUAaRCuDJlNGLmVGqfkHErm5y27UqMqn0A8gdrA/s1600/7869479224_b9ff980011_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzPDBdBsfn1aCwzA_bybCeHDOUhk6F5wF2ED5JgPzzwvRb-0pFyLfYW3elyLt9G30_stbA7gpOWXBY-O2QkOnseLt2T1o0BXLUAaRCuDJlNGLmVGqfkHErm5y27UqMqn0A8gdrA/s320/7869479224_b9ff980011_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It wasn't Memorial Day yet, but the heat....</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The last thing she remembered was saying, "Isn't it
time to get in the pool!" before....</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What's your favorite summertime memory?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Did you go on summer vacations as a child? To Where?</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>My summer vacations as a child were road trips to Texas. How
about you?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>_________</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Photo courtesy of Holly <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/watershedpost/7869479224/in/photolist-cZp91h-qC9U1v-bBB7U4-e4Jd7W-8pp64F-ajEydF-8ocx8C-d6rzaj-5c4uED-7ReUdv-6ixUQx-6D8CbR-5VAzPR-coBZQb-6PDazr-8gBZJA-fhmsYf-dQAg3b-4AdfAp-dcZ4Av-cXDsgY-8JD26e-5WMLN2-5m4Qr-6g46yP-8DosCw-eMcUp9-4W6ptA-sBefo-a96RLj-c9L7Jh-cRr2Mo-czhM8d-4W6uBo-4W6tHm-7zTan-6nZ2Mr-4W6kfN-9Uuy5w-8gGMKt-juBtP1-7Eca9U-86yLEA-4W4SZ3-KvUy9-cKAzs9-98fhXo-j95x6-fnerk4-e8XHZk">Salzman</a> at flickr</i></span></div>
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TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-82283881460311000132015-12-11T23:47:00.000-08:002015-12-11T23:47:02.098-08:00The Typewriter & Other Writing Prompts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsx6Hv5d3nfECVX_0Igl7Hl4qcDPpCorxHSPCxda70yLxD9AJx05_cjv-TS0kjtN0Z5tpVYjrVhti3vDYyf0rxbfOdLVmtNxYDZXZgsESswlKmKKYIm5tKQRMGz_kG6toZHg9iQ/s1600/Typwriter+Prompts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsx6Hv5d3nfECVX_0Igl7Hl4qcDPpCorxHSPCxda70yLxD9AJx05_cjv-TS0kjtN0Z5tpVYjrVhti3vDYyf0rxbfOdLVmtNxYDZXZgsESswlKmKKYIm5tKQRMGz_kG6toZHg9iQ/s400/Typwriter+Prompts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Typed up on my trusty Sharp typewriter. I've got an even older Brother in the garage. Sure wish I had an old IBM Selectric!</i>TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-67363727164674430312015-12-11T23:33:00.000-08:002015-12-11T23:48:19.287-08:00Fun But Fake -- Internet Memes and Quotes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eiZ4XQUGZAD9815ySAcS6gMsZ-bY6pyj6jyP9lKVOANfWmtHEzP-04Pry7vrPaQk-_tFWXXWyOSrPcyeies79BYNXOeNz7LuSZj7-49o25bNDxmsu9r_Ecyen-iq6aYwuaR85g/s1600/IMG_20151211_231827400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eiZ4XQUGZAD9815ySAcS6gMsZ-bY6pyj6jyP9lKVOANfWmtHEzP-04Pry7vrPaQk-_tFWXXWyOSrPcyeies79BYNXOeNz7LuSZj7-49o25bNDxmsu9r_Ecyen-iq6aYwuaR85g/s400/IMG_20151211_231827400.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I found my old typewriter in my office closet the other day,
and the first thing I thought was, “Memes!” followed by “Etsy!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although I’ve been writing for most of my life, I officially
became a freelance writer just as this wacky Internet thing took off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are things I miss about the pre-Internet days. Longer
attention spans. Letters in the mail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I have to admit that I love ebooks. And social media.
And the profusion of all those chipper and funny and inspiring sayings that I’ve
plastered all over <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/thmeeks/">my Pinterest page</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here’s the thing about all those pithy sayings: a lot of
them are fake. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At one time, I diligently checked every quote I came across
in social media, and then I realized I didn’t have enough time for that. It’s
entertainment, not a research paper. And problems with <a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/List_of_misquotations">misattributions</a> have
been going on for quite some time—since before the Internet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With all that said, I’m still thinking of unearthing my
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartlett%27s_Familiar_Quotations">Bartlett’s</a> and whipping up something creative. #GenuineQuotes
#QuotesForReal </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hmmm. I’ll have to think about that.</span></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-5029135881788001892014-06-13T00:49:00.002-07:002014-06-13T00:49:58.288-07:00The Feather on the Wall and Other Writing Prompts<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In our first prompt today, we have an odd accessory pinned
to the wall. What room do you think they’re in—whoever “they” turn out to be? Grab
a pen (quill optional) and see what kind of story you can weave from one of the
prompts below.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></h3>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-B81M6v0GitQaPdgomBStd5CLJ28bExadJ4Np2Su9lF2_mal2X4d5ps2uIfg15ciZw8ZWcym6V-akMYc0Ha8Mc9U2EyP_ZVVs_ysJjiQbxWbLgQH4PJyX8z3td_HgL41iNIKHg/s1600/5917699497_5fb7f9e757_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-B81M6v0GitQaPdgomBStd5CLJ28bExadJ4Np2Su9lF2_mal2X4d5ps2uIfg15ciZw8ZWcym6V-akMYc0Ha8Mc9U2EyP_ZVVs_ysJjiQbxWbLgQH4PJyX8z3td_HgL41iNIKHg/s1600/5917699497_5fb7f9e757_z.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Why is that feather pinned on the wall?” asked….</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What’s your favorite kind of bird?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jane was shocked when she heard the parrot say….</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">An ostrich wanders into your backyard. What happens next?</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">____________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Personally, I think ostriches are scary. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Comments and stories welcome below!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Photo courtesy of <o:p></o:p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/15016964@N02/5917699497/in/faves-43025149@N02/">Marie Hale at flickr</a></i></span></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-73141011791165702462014-06-04T23:16:00.000-07:002014-06-04T23:16:11.825-07:00 A Shaky Situation and Other Writing Prompts<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What is that person standing on in the first prompt, and why
is it a bad idea to stand on it? If you don’t get any sparks from that prompt, keep
reading until you find something that inspires you.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjZmx7-KVdwtBL43gzszHXFjiyD1YkUFxn_PIppz0G2K-0TUoTOm74GYh2ePl0QR7dJFzajnzPZPCQkEZTRYMXt4m0NpDJ3Rwk_1ZkHqz0z61mkuzJDkccYva-RvxifRSjV-C5Q/s1600/Ladders+by+Newsome+Antiques+on+flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjZmx7-KVdwtBL43gzszHXFjiyD1YkUFxn_PIppz0G2K-0TUoTOm74GYh2ePl0QR7dJFzajnzPZPCQkEZTRYMXt4m0NpDJ3Rwk_1ZkHqz0z61mkuzJDkccYva-RvxifRSjV-C5Q/s1600/Ladders+by+Newsome+Antiques+on+flickr.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
</span></h3>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“I wouldn’t stand on that,” she said, right before ….</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A lot of people thought it was a mistake when I….</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Linda realized that she’d turned the wrong way when…</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What do you think of the idea that nothing’s a mistake if
you learn a lesson from it?</span></li>
</ul>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Common writing advice is to “start with the day that’s
different,” and the day something goes wrong is always “different,” isn’t it? Comments
(or good stories) welcome below!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">__________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Picture courtesy of <o:p></o:p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61818890@N08/7608772984/in/faves-43025149@N02/">Newsome Antiques on flickr</a></i></span></div>
<div>
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TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-9213065602646985112014-05-28T21:50:00.001-07:002014-05-28T21:50:44.233-07:00Thoughts of Summer and Other Writing Prompts<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pick one of the prompts below and cook up (or would that be "barbecue"?) a story about summer. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpRqBVg0VW71GW6hrpwc5Cxfd5sNkMs7ZAwsdn8G5X-L2jRqF_abT_rQEr44FhxqxdY_00iS8mLktUB1NuBYHCYYBlSzzPz9sce1EJvu9bkHgOBSHlZKME7HVru7yKnknpoORlQ/s1600/3601744848_d63761c680_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpRqBVg0VW71GW6hrpwc5Cxfd5sNkMs7ZAwsdn8G5X-L2jRqF_abT_rQEr44FhxqxdY_00iS8mLktUB1NuBYHCYYBlSzzPz9sce1EJvu9bkHgOBSHlZKME7HVru7yKnknpoORlQ/s1600/3601744848_d63761c680_z.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
</span></h3>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Summer makes me think of....</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellen said, "Camping always sounds like a good idea until...."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Define "summer beach read." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What was summer vacation like when you were a kid?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">_______________</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/klearchos/3601744848/in/faves-43025149@N02/">Klearchos Kapoutsis at flickr</a></i></span>TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-22426982818922192322014-05-20T21:31:00.000-07:002014-05-20T21:31:10.599-07:00The Book Collection and Other Writing Prompts<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things
above all others: read a lot and write a lot." ~Stephen King</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRN40g_0XHA5V59nGK3j4yVAw-K7WrcdcUq04iV8bfGIQA5Tc8pC25pQwj5Ao7gZKodJ78fKGGrTZ2FmSwhBf3wz88Blt3jpfFJqgmXVHMwzU8tkCa37pVhpcEgcnxdzRN4JUBw/s1600/4424513954_1c24a810fb_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRN40g_0XHA5V59nGK3j4yVAw-K7WrcdcUq04iV8bfGIQA5Tc8pC25pQwj5Ao7gZKodJ78fKGGrTZ2FmSwhBf3wz88Blt3jpfFJqgmXVHMwzU8tkCa37pVhpcEgcnxdzRN4JUBw/s1600/4424513954_1c24a810fb_z.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Where is “she” in prompt number one: a massive library, or in
a room with just a few books? And who’s she talking to: an adult or a child? All
the details are up to you if you tackle prompt #1, but you can also browse
the other prompts. Try them all, if you’re feeling bibliophilic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. "How many books do you own?" she asked... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Describe three books that have influenced you greatly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. "I found your little black book," said...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. Combine a book, a loaf of bread, and a cactus in a story
or poem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Pick a prompt and get to work! Leave a comment to tell me
about the results.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">______________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mascardo3/4424513954/in/photolist-ci8s7s-8KrWLt-69eLHE-zeT59-bpxvhG-bpCgvC-dUnj3M-KTVsg-4FqFGV-7owadv-9dUby3-akFR3u-9uPVG8-3kftSZ-7JYMRm-7vWy6u-6uVJeH-4iDRVY-dvUAuW-4FnsKY-8Tp1G6-mG4Wdr-m7NPcv-bk94WJ-cmYE8b-8qKovN-7wiQks-anxHwx-dvNU6a-mG4HDR-L3F6f-6cFVL4-787Wt9-3GwEF-5FegB1-3PGuv2-aUqNfk-3kjXL9-gfbHGN-qU7b2-7RhJ3s-majnde-2UCfh-5CNcg-e3h7sV-a2gCWj-4P3LnY-7Xs7U8-dNBELo-4D3Toa">Tom Mascardo at flickr</a></i></span>TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-23633472150296281772014-05-13T23:00:00.001-07:002014-05-13T23:00:18.344-07:00Tattoos and Other Writing Prompts<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Body art is the theme of today’s batch of writing prompts.
We’ll start our potential reflections on personal ornamentation with a glimpse into that
all-important moment of decision: who is that guy in the first prompt, and why does he want
something put on his body permanently?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6K683_yipp9xBYQGsqW7DpLt3tPOKRfb17asQhidQFcPDXNWhsOaMIoBVfSjjEWZEA-uoJtu6oc1-LYyDz9VPNwQJDZ_vcmLbGFlDYCxhYxkZisEOGe7h84_TvvV2v6MXJOzjkg/s1600/3794703265_a8579ef8d2_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6K683_yipp9xBYQGsqW7DpLt3tPOKRfb17asQhidQFcPDXNWhsOaMIoBVfSjjEWZEA-uoJtu6oc1-LYyDz9VPNwQJDZ_vcmLbGFlDYCxhYxkZisEOGe7h84_TvvV2v6MXJOzjkg/s1600/3794703265_a8579ef8d2_z.jpg" height="328" width="400" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He decided to get a tattoo because….</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you had anything pierced?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Your hair looks like….”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s your favorite article of clothing? Where did you get it?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Personally, I’d love to get a tattoo. Do you have one? </i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>___________</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/micaeltattoo/3794703265/in/faves-43025149@N02/">by Micael Tattoo Faccio at flickr</a></i></span></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-25665980790958117652014-04-03T23:03:00.000-07:002014-04-03T23:03:38.822-07:00The Desert in Spring & Other Writing Prompts<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The desert can be spectacular in spring... but what are those flowers hiding, there in the first prompt?</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVOiMYyapjVPJBu7iPS-C84zBVSbVZLwsPLWbXnwafI8AQggPL2d26MZh2DtBvExrgIUnyTGoClFNl-6kMuzVjZLin7bkwD9ZfriP3Rh4YS1yVV9XTQ4Kev_ee9XD9jcJg4D3iQ/s1600/Yellow+Desert+Flowers+by+Michael+Dorausch+at+flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVOiMYyapjVPJBu7iPS-C84zBVSbVZLwsPLWbXnwafI8AQggPL2d26MZh2DtBvExrgIUnyTGoClFNl-6kMuzVjZLin7bkwD9ZfriP3Rh4YS1yVV9XTQ4Kev_ee9XD9jcJg4D3iQ/s1600/Yellow+Desert+Flowers+by+Michael+Dorausch+at+flickr.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The patch of yellow desert flowers covered...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have you ever had an unpleasant encounter with a cactus thorn(s)?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The dirt road led into the Joshua Tree forest...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What's your favorite thing about the Mojave Desert?</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For bonus ideas: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Are you familiar with the story of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojave_phone_booth">Mojave Phone Booth</a>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chiropractic/8608249028/in/faves-43025149@N02/">Michael Dorausch</a> at flickr.</i></span><br />
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-18408286789392738932014-04-02T22:06:00.000-07:002014-04-02T22:06:38.649-07:00New Writing Group at Derfelt Senior Center<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A new writing group is starting up in Las Vegas at Derfelt Senior Center! The group is open to writers of all genres. Come prepared to write something and contribute to a writing-related discussion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Details:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Group meets every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Derfelt Senior Center</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3343 W. Washington Ave.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">(In <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/lorenzi+park+las+vegas/@36.180194,-115.1840505,17z/data=!3m1!4b1">Lorenzi Park</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>If you have questions or need more info, just leave a comment below.</i></span>TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-3376660478078858762013-06-17T22:22:00.000-07:002013-06-17T22:22:23.948-07:00Introversion vs. Extroversion & Other Writing Prompts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QBli4Prq-Vi9uuPzwsOstItZiNALaupQ5C9MI2Y5cmg8XT7vaPaLIoOy1K8dwQpw1Q3QRv5EXJ7pUCWA4JRDY8xOWuTws0O2fRGJ1IuxeEJSJYd_6qLBK5p9hKf4GcZi_HZWQA/s1600/Introvert+and+Extrovert+Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QBli4Prq-Vi9uuPzwsOstItZiNALaupQ5C9MI2Y5cmg8XT7vaPaLIoOy1K8dwQpw1Q3QRv5EXJ7pUCWA4JRDY8xOWuTws0O2fRGJ1IuxeEJSJYd_6qLBK5p9hKf4GcZi_HZWQA/s400/Introvert+and+Extrovert+Flowers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Did you know “introvert” is not synonymous with “shy”? Generalizations
and stereotypes abound about both extroverts and introverts. Today’s writing
prompts will lead you to consider the differences between the party animals and
wall flowers among us:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">--Would you describe yourself as an extrovert or an
introvert? Why? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">--Jennifer hated going to parties because….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">--After Ben volunteered to deliver the eulogy, he remembered
that….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">--What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever done in a
public place?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">______________</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the subject of
introverts, I recommend: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352153/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371530430&sr=1-2&keywords=extroversion">Quiet:
The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking</a> by Susan Cain. (Yes,
I’m introverted.)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/e3000/245712097/sizes/z/in/photolist-nHkDt-5zYHD9-5zYHDf-5zYHDo-5zYHDC-5zYLQE-5ZqyT1-61xcA2-agsTgG-86zvUL-86YvC9-8M6jtA-8M6iXb-8M3gyx-8M6jnd-8M6jgQ-8M6jb1-8M6j8E-8M6iZs-8M6iTq-8M6iMQ-8M6iKC-8M3gut-8M3grn-8M3goH-8M3gaZ-8M3fGr-8M3fBa-8M3fzc-cNCXju-8yjBwc/">Picture</a>
by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/e3000/">Eddy Van 3000</a></span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-55517237249026353422013-06-01T21:20:00.000-07:002013-06-01T21:25:55.642-07:005 Reasons to Write Every Day<i>“I made a startling
discovery. Time spent writing = output of work. Amazing.” – Ann Pachett</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQaGjpfpemWTmb4HQ7t4ligx8_Px8MbeH-qdO8VfAhGFAun6oqRZRSIxVJxY05J4srSXsN5lLFUx8SOmLnWRvx6BWXU0Vuk23MCm-uJBcQdiI8Vg_bkSSK6mv1Z_bB05fAnG4frA/s1600/MrsDrebsBymrsdkrebsAtFlickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQaGjpfpemWTmb4HQ7t4ligx8_Px8MbeH-qdO8VfAhGFAun6oqRZRSIxVJxY05J4srSXsN5lLFUx8SOmLnWRvx6BWXU0Vuk23MCm-uJBcQdiI8Vg_bkSSK6mv1Z_bB05fAnG4frA/s400/MrsDrebsBymrsdkrebsAtFlickr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the most common pieces of writing advice is simple: Write every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like many simple things, it’s not easy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Life is full of
distractions. </b>Errands. Dinner. Chores. <a href="http://pinterest.com/thmeeks/boards/">Pinterest</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d always regarded the advice to write every day as an
ideal, something that only saintly writers did. I tried to corral my writing
neatly, while still leaving time for all of the distractions I like so much. I
wrote schedules and created plans for certain days of the week to be set aside for
specific projects. Invariably, something came up in those time slots. I had to
work late, or I had a sick pet, or unexpected visitors showed up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I decided the least complicated
solution was to write daily, and in the process I discovered five important
reasons to write every day:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1.) Writing is mental
exercise.</b> Think of it as crunches for the brain. Whether you’re writing in
a journal or working on a novel, the act of writing will make you use your
noggin. This is a good thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2.) Small bits add up to
big things</b>. Books are written one word at a time, and if you write every
day—even just a few words, if that’s all you can manage—you’re creating a word
change jar. Over time, it adds up to something.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3.) You can take chances.</b>
Take this as an opportunity to test drive new styles, formats, genres. I vowed to
write every day, but I placed no limits or constraints on my writing. I consider any
number of words, any style acceptable. On days when I really don't want to
write much, I can manage a poem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4.) Writing every day
keeps the passion alive.</b> Have you ever been caught up in the passion of a
new story? You can’t wait to find time to work on your project. Writing every
day feeds the fire. Otherwise, lack of contact can cause you to fall out of love
with a story (in much the way as you do with people).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5.) You get a great sense
of accomplishment. </b>When you strive to do something positive every day,
whether it’s writing or running or doing actual crunches, you feel like you’ve done
something good. I’m all for more things that feel good, aren’t you?</span><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about you? Do you
write every day?</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">________</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56041749@N02/6812988187/in/photolist-bo3m2z-9Aj2sd-9Aj2qd-9Ag4DH-9Ag4Wp-9Ag4Kn-9Ag4wr-9Aj1Y7-9Ag4Pe-9Aj2o7-9Aj2bL-9Aj2i5-9Ag4Qx-7Fro7M-7FvhiG-bveaAJ-bveavQ-bJ8WHP-bJ8WYB-bJ8WED-bveaC5-bveahA-bveaMS-bveaH1-bJ8WLt-bveakJ-9bgigX-anE4Rp-9mtgko-ap32Kk-7NvnKo-8W8EiW-8meUth-8rSvrA-7CUriE-7C4cEZ-apngdR-7VKzx5-bkTiDJ-bkTfFo-bkTeWj-byN7Pp-byN7Hg-bkTk2h-byN5SP-bkTe5Q-byN6Zv-bkTggU-bkTfC3-bkTgom-bkTjfu">Picture</a>, "Miss A Writes a Song," courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdkrebs/">Denise Krebs/</a></span></i><span style="background-color: rgba(200, 254, 207, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdkrebs/">mrsdkrebs</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> at flickr</span></i></span></span></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-28760673718959870752013-04-17T21:39:00.000-07:002013-04-17T21:39:17.939-07:00Lola the Lost Lizard & Other Writing Prompts<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Not all those who wander are lost.” </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--J. R. R. Tolkien</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever been lost—literally or figuratively? Today’s
writing prompts have two things in common: each has something to do with the
word “lost,” and each prompt is a picture. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We’ll start with the story of Lola, the lost lizard:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/squant/1518066640/in/photostream/"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzgbINcLSED85_QUhs1rzVWAdQkBmKWk6AN8I9RMYtmAeaV-_Js90soS5KIjJhI7zLkRkbPugCatce_23OuUeesUgcDZ7LOs1IOq-MOiEA0X-ODyqJmxKoj-AlNUIsjhEWdmk7g/s400/Lola+the+Lost+Lizard+by+squant+on+flickr.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/squant/1518066640/sizes/z/in/photostream/">Photo </a>by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/squant/">squant</a> at flickr</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who lost this bear?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sassiecat/2605676119/"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiLdkcL8f8j30pbOkbIp5BAQ6_Ui_wKE4HHttvhOApxoq8hl21yx9XOPkwPTEy6UOeItbW6lM-RglAp2wprqHDHmvBt3ZKSijmgOtyG1ifZi-nbz-RINDKiC0io50lwepzYAfwA/s400/Lost+Pink+Teddy+Bear+By+Kevin+Saff+at+flickr.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinsaff/82830147/">Photo</a> by <strong><span style="background-color: #fefefe; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;">By</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: #fefefe; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"> </span></span><strong><span style="background-color: #fefefe; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinsaff/" id="yui_3_7_3_3_1366256632816_1238"><span style="color: #0063dc;">Kevin Saff</span></a>
at flickr </span></strong></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Emotionally lost can feel even worse than physically so, don’t
you think?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sassiecat/2605676119/"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLx_9d5g5XXJYLU3qsgeuu6heorPP1oK-Mq6CeS3rt2AnsCvKZYc3q49JRNkOTqqW679zhk1P9lV7xqaQrsXyrHsPZb7QqwNkf9347I7HhcUg7r5NxGX_PpPnbn6vvrRcINEK2w/s400/Lost+Girl+by+By+S.%C2%B3+at+flickr.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sassiecat/2605676119/">Photo</a> by <strong><span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;">By</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #222222;"> </span></span><strong><span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sassiecat/" id="yui_3_7_3_3_1366257732966_1191"><span style="color: #0063dc;">S.³</span></a>
at flickr </span></strong> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What happened when the man arrived at his vehicle… without
these?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulsimpson1976/4528391954/"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxrEJH26RHw8McRJ8c-uvvLYsKIc5g_ZSwgahbZk0TN0qIVn7_VlN1IFJkK-kIrgXEuEOmfVKIei69GFgvULJy0nIm1EmmKVp6ECRKQUMkxwRgm6gW2Oj9B6YesCT-SQhkUwezA/s400/Lost+Keys+by+paul-simpson.org+at+flickr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulsimpson1976/4528391954/">Photo</a> by<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #222222;"> </span></span><strong><span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulsimpson1976/" id="yui_3_7_3_3_1366257696728_1140"><span style="color: #0063dc;">paul-simpson.org</span></a>
at flickr</span></strong></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">____________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The opening quote comes from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_that_is_gold_does_not_glitter">Tolkien's poem</a> that begins with, </i>“<i><span style="background-color: white;">All that is gold
does not glitter,” which could inspire several writing prompts itself. </span></i></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-72189314540322207482013-03-23T23:17:00.001-07:002013-03-23T23:17:11.584-07:00Climbing Mount Everest & Other Writing Prompts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0F7jlfqwGQNTveiVEyUn787gBJuv6PdlCrY_gsdyPoRFjwUhlR_XlG1uWw9zRREZxs4JFdGsl4F3wDHpCez7zbVK0SDalYSYvWROQCHQPAz_-mSvWOD1_JiGWNF9uUPOZYRfgQ/s1600/Mountain+Climber+by+Peter+Gene+on+Flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0F7jlfqwGQNTveiVEyUn787gBJuv6PdlCrY_gsdyPoRFjwUhlR_XlG1uWw9zRREZxs4JFdGsl4F3wDHpCez7zbVK0SDalYSYvWROQCHQPAz_-mSvWOD1_JiGWNF9uUPOZYRfgQ/s400/Mountain+Climber+by+Peter+Gene+on+Flickr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s your favorite form of exercise? This batch of writing prompts uses physical activity to
inspire a mental workout. Get at the starting line and see where one of these takes
you:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">~Ellen decided to climb Mount Everest because….</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">~He watched Willy throw the golf clubs, one by one, into….</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">~“I think we should play tennis,” she said, inspiring
him to reply….</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">~He told his wife the bowling league met on Thursdays, but the truth was….</span>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s the most
challenging physical thing you’ve ever done? Marathon, back packing, sky
diving? <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/petebackwards/377560156/sizes/z/in/photostream/">PeterGene</a></span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-71251549229273820722013-03-14T21:36:00.000-07:002013-03-14T21:37:06.559-07:00The Lessons of a Writer’s Journal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicg9hnXn1x_s6S1RPp19SzmP2aQptII2rBbsO99N8DDXk1bMFwlUTt-ARZlPpFV0TK2G2WD21K3mutJQDTNB6exF4LjeYTFOa22ARE64LIXB1ZYVBvIRQqYTUZiWiaAX3Bu-zkNg/s1600/Journals+by+TheCreativePenn+on+Flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicg9hnXn1x_s6S1RPp19SzmP2aQptII2rBbsO99N8DDXk1bMFwlUTt-ARZlPpFV0TK2G2WD21K3mutJQDTNB6exF4LjeYTFOa22ARE64LIXB1ZYVBvIRQqYTUZiWiaAX3Bu-zkNg/s400/Journals+by+TheCreativePenn+on+Flickr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #443f38; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“To gain your own voice, you have to forget
about having it heard.”</span></i><i><span style="color: #443f38; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">—Allen Ginsberg<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">For a long time, I journaled like my life depended
on it.</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> And when I say “a long time,” I
mean over ten years. (Prior to my years of excessive journaling, I was merely a
frequent journal writer. I’ve kept a diary/journal of some sort since I was
nine.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I never regarded journal writing
as important. I thought of it as free therapy. Writing helped me sort through
my thoughts. It gave me a place to vent without getting fired or arrested. Bad fiction
and sappy poetry lived in my journals, right next to the written temper
tantrums and to-do lists. It was word gumbo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">At some point, perhaps after the point at which I
was buying my favorite style of journal in bulk, I started reading my old
journals. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The first thing</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> I noticed was that the sheer volume of writing practice had sharpened
my voice and style. Practice may not make you perfect, but it will make you
better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The second thing</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> I noticed was that I complained a lot. I had journal upon journal
filled with ranting, anger, and a core set of constantly repeated gripes (let’s
call them Standard Operating Gripes—just because SOG is such a great acronym
for what I found). This discovery was enlightening and disturbing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The last thing</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> I discovered was that there was some good stuff in there. I read
descriptions of taking my son to the beach when he was a toddler, of caring for
my mother when she died, of lazy afternoons under the plum tree in my beloved
old backyard—all of it unedited, honest, and deeply personal. It was like
panning for gold. I sorted through the dirt of complaints, marveling when I
uncovered the nuggets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">It took me days to read through my
old journals, and at the end I realized I had a priceless resource. I had a
record of my life, a clear picture of my improvements and failings (as both a
writer and a person), and some inspired pieces of work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Keeping a journal gives you a place for unrestrained,
raw writing not intended for an audience. </span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">It's where you build the foundation for the article, or the novel, or the
breakthrough that will come later.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">What have you learned from journal writing?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><i>For more great writing quotes, visit <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/72-of-the-best-quotes-about-writing">Writer's Digest</a>.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">_______________</i></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><i>Photo courtesy of </i></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38314728@N08/3840827347/">TheCreativePen</a></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-44832153978324147272013-03-06T21:33:00.000-08:002013-03-06T21:33:56.940-08:00Gold Hunting & Other Writing Prompts<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfqChELjGcYc730ADTP68g12VpGKeP5vE80WfB97gMUMil4AOo3TyaxMg4IEKIaJbC1OW8xV8Blz-0hDMt5tZATn0L8c6gNZYHJgTzelTluGRY5TMw5bzOZUTann9GMqjoDM4jw/s1600/Gold+Center,+NV+by+D'oh+Boy+(Mark+Holloway).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfqChELjGcYc730ADTP68g12VpGKeP5vE80WfB97gMUMil4AOo3TyaxMg4IEKIaJbC1OW8xV8Blz-0hDMt5tZATn0L8c6gNZYHJgTzelTluGRY5TMw5bzOZUTann9GMqjoDM4jw/s400/Gold+Center,+NV+by+D'oh+Boy+(Mark+Holloway).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was cruising around <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/">Outside’swebsite</a> when several headlines caught my eye, inspiring me to post another installment of Prompts with Links. Certainly,
one of these headlines (or articles) will inspire you to take an adventure of the
written kind (a ten minute adventure, in which you write without stopping or
crossing out or questioning the direction you’re going—judge your results after
the buzzer goes off).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--<a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/woman-rescued-looking-for-gold.html">Woman Twice Rescued Hunting for Gold</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--<a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/Super-Mosquitos-to-Invade-Florida.html">Super Mosquitoes to Invade Florida</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--<a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/Man-Claims-Bear-Saved-Him-from-Lion.html">Man Says Bear Stopped Lion Attack</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--<a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/mountaineering/everest-2012/Four-Confirmed-Dead-On-Everest.html">Four Confirmed Dead in Two Days on Everest</a></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which prompt inspires you?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Photo courtesy of </i><strong><span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/us_army_rolling_along/"><span style="color: #0063dc;">D'oh Boy (Mark Holloway)</span></a></span></strong></span><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-76491595107205021912013-02-19T00:31:00.000-08:002013-02-19T00:31:17.515-08:00The Wardrobe Malfunction & Other Writing Prompts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47AA7nSuuMuWzs_yWXhZ4q0LrZgM-UqUs7NO7gI6gEbVbuvJjAhf6Or6TqfGZt2tFXFmvnH3JYmOXAqWU5uYHw6wdrn0VwvXKeSDtJbAS8T_KY-enJ-sK_bkWAF_31ClPC0CSGg/s1600/Torn_Jeans_byTHMeeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47AA7nSuuMuWzs_yWXhZ4q0LrZgM-UqUs7NO7gI6gEbVbuvJjAhf6Or6TqfGZt2tFXFmvnH3JYmOXAqWU5uYHw6wdrn0VwvXKeSDtJbAS8T_KY-enJ-sK_bkWAF_31ClPC0CSGg/s400/Torn_Jeans_byTHMeeks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Have you ever had an article of clothing rip open, fall off, or otherwise fail you? I’ve had to find creative solutions to the unexpected failure of
everything from shoes to bikini tops. Those embarrassing sartorial moments are
the inspiration for this week’s writing prompts. Try on one of these prompts,
and see if you can stitch together a story:</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Sam heard the fabric rip and realized.... <o:p></o:p></div>
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“~Give me your shirt,” she demanded, “because….”<o:p></o:p></div>
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~The elastic wasn’t strong enough to withstand….<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Have you ever used duct tape, paper clips, or staples for an
emergency clothing repair?<o:p></o:p></div>
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_________________</div>
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<i>What's your most memorable wardrobe malfunction?</i></div>
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<i>My picture of a pair of jeans that failed my hubby at a most inopportune time.</i></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-19066270616368765692013-02-11T21:10:00.000-08:002013-02-11T21:11:11.769-08:00The Traveling Companions and Other Writing Prompts<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmHt_FkhnYsHOXIeanxOK9xgO0pGk2oGp6TZ6PrDJFX62tAiLxOxM4ln_tj4VZlqjcUK2daSor1m2HnSSmRsCrtCfABHc_fPsjbO4i9v3qHJL6WqVnEjaA1yb1Hl2K6r25W6oVQ/s1600/South+Point,+Hawaii+(Big+Island),+1995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmHt_FkhnYsHOXIeanxOK9xgO0pGk2oGp6TZ6PrDJFX62tAiLxOxM4ln_tj4VZlqjcUK2daSor1m2HnSSmRsCrtCfABHc_fPsjbO4i9v3qHJL6WqVnEjaA1yb1Hl2K6r25W6oVQ/s400/South+Point,+Hawaii+(Big+Island),+1995.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Over dinner with friends last weekend, I wound up talking (too
much) about vacations I’ve taken—in particular, some of my trips that went awry
(to use that term loosely). Those trips inspired this week’s writing prompts.
Grab a prompt and jet away, figuratively, into a story… </div>
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<ul>
<li>Hawaii was beautiful, but her traveling companions were….</li>
<li>“I’m going to Boston with or without you,” he said, “so you
can stay at home or….”</li>
<li>I found the graveyard charming, until….</li>
<li>The night before her flight home, she found out she was
allergic to….</li>
</ul>
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<i>________________</i></div>
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<i>What about you? Do you have a trip-gone-awry story?</i></div>
<div>
<i style="font-size: small;"><br /></i></div>
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<i style="font-size: small;">Photo Info:</i></div>
<div>
<i style="font-size: small;">My photo of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka_Lae"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px;">Ka Lae/</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px;">South Point</span></a> (the southernmost point in the United States)<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px;">, on the Big Island of Hawaii, 1995.</span></i></div>
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<i style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span></i></div>
<br />TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-7363312706471316042013-02-04T22:04:00.000-08:002013-02-04T22:04:29.425-08:00You’re a Writer if You Write<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“A <b>writer </b>is a person who produces and composes fictional or nonfictional writing or literary art such as novels, short stories, poetry, plays, screenplays, or essays—especially someone who writes professionally.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wikipedia</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOhH70ozo2QCnSLzpbVKTvb4nLuKo7QTV017AVpDA8XRUQ06l4kud1p2pCQzomu_oHX2WFd_CDLhh4syU865H0dOc8dwqXzR7pSO4h2t0j9YmXiPuDTdDf-oCfA-Lgq8wDI86IA/s1600/Writing+by+tnarik+at+Flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOhH70ozo2QCnSLzpbVKTvb4nLuKo7QTV017AVpDA8XRUQ06l4kud1p2pCQzomu_oHX2WFd_CDLhh4syU865H0dOc8dwqXzR7pSO4h2t0j9YmXiPuDTdDf-oCfA-Lgq8wDI86IA/s1600/Writing+by+tnarik+at+Flickr.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Notice that Wikipedia’s definition of “writer” did
not say, “A writer is… </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">only</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> someone
who writes professionally.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you write, you’re a writer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Don't put a bunch of conditions on being a writer. Own the label without restrictions.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You don’t have to have a book on the shelf (or the cyber-shelf) to be
a writer. You don’t have to
have your by-line in a big magazine (or even a little magazine). You don’t have
to have your by-line appear publicly anywhere, actually, to be a writer. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you put words together in written form to tell a story, you’re
a writer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have you heard that it only “counts” if you’re
published? If you’re acclaimed? If you’re paid?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">All of that is nice, but in the end, if you
write, you’re a writer—no matter why you write, how you write, or where your
words appear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>What’s your definition of “writer”?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>________________</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tnarik/366393127/">Tnarik</a></i></span></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-74673442630409188872013-01-24T19:42:00.002-08:002013-01-24T19:44:25.423-08:00Message in a Bottle & Other Writing Prompts<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aigle_dore/4571115207/"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d8lulrw4Y2b5UfNqecubSDV7KLqeLfGWxfGprWII-sNoLj1RSqDxI0A1wdnYvhzl8XiKOdyj6smLhUMp6z_-1GQHOnSLsHHYG3UOwgta-jpwF0d98vuaXSdrzXN9J6hW9TMerg/s400/Bottle+on+the+Beach+by+Moyan+Brenn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here’s a twist on my usual writing prompts: actual
headlines, linked to their respective articles. I’d bet that if the headline
itself doesn’t spark a story (any kind of story, in any form, by the way), then
something in the article will. Pick one and dig in for ten minutes to see what
you can create (remember, no backspacing, no crossing out… <i>just write</i>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">~"</span><a href="http://www.ksl.com/?sid=23818717&nid=711" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Message in a bottle returns to writer's family after 76 years</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">~<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/poor-sleep-sink-relationship-study-article-1.1243981#ixzz2ImEYJsf8">"Poor sleep can lead to feeling unappreciated in your relationship"</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">~<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/jan/22/writing-letters-strangers-make-world-better">"Writing letters to complete strangers can make the world a better place"</a></span><br />
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~<a href="http://www.digitalspy.com/odd/news/a453582/oldest-marathon-runner-plans-to-retire-aged-101.html" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Oldest marathon runner plans to retire, aged 101"</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">____________________</span></div>
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<i>Photo info: <b style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Copyright by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/aigle_dore" style="color: #1057ae; text-decoration: initial;">Moyan Brenn</a></b></i></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-71685204126533728902013-01-16T20:49:00.000-08:002013-01-16T20:49:54.730-08:00Writing Prompts: The How of Writing<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mAM8xzmwzhidzXbTTbYRF_n3aZkXZUzryt0P_ryb1DwBWu_PemfhBnQgQlwLZTppNHRSXMikAsS08sbj4gtFP__CBMLnj2W63YYVqzj0BoSNXgfig37iHgRR1BMOB77Ger_FoQ/s1600/Typewriter+by+Sarah+Scicluna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mAM8xzmwzhidzXbTTbYRF_n3aZkXZUzryt0P_ryb1DwBWu_PemfhBnQgQlwLZTppNHRSXMikAsS08sbj4gtFP__CBMLnj2W63YYVqzj0BoSNXgfig37iHgRR1BMOB77Ger_FoQ/s1600/Typewriter+by+Sarah+Scicluna.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Many writers have a routine that eases them into the waters
of creativity. I recently changed my routine, which got me to thinking about how we
write; our writing spaces and the things we do to call the muse.</div>
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With that idea in mind, here are four writing prompts:</div>
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1. Describe
your perfect writing space. </div>
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2. The one
thing I have to have when I write is…</div>
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3. First drafts: Longhand or computer? </div>
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4. Have you had an interesting experience while writing in a public place (Starbucks, the library, etc.)?</div>
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_______________</div>
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<i>Photo courtesy of <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahxic/3113629368/">@sahxic < twitter - Sarah Scicluna</a></span></i></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-13874819630965835492013-01-09T01:12:00.000-08:002013-01-09T01:12:04.238-08:00Have You Put in Your 10,000 Hours?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXxR5BWAQx6iBTGJtbyBvCdujrJ_DYZcgcvhyphenhyphenuJ7VLZTxZLfzAr7RrvKTvtXGlRFLz0jLrrhg5_5E4eJZQi4ZVaWJ3l1A-Wb_YtjTpfb4ANJtDkdJXOn2BYWvfWx9IuNHn3IhHA/s1600/Writing+by+Indi+Samarajiva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXxR5BWAQx6iBTGJtbyBvCdujrJ_DYZcgcvhyphenhyphenuJ7VLZTxZLfzAr7RrvKTvtXGlRFLz0jLrrhg5_5E4eJZQi4ZVaWJ3l1A-Wb_YtjTpfb4ANJtDkdJXOn2BYWvfWx9IuNHn3IhHA/s1600/Writing+by+Indi+Samarajiva.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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In <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930">Outliers: The Story of Success</a></i>, <a href="http://www.gladwell.com/outliers/index.html">Malcom Gladwell</a> wrote about super-achievers. One of the things
he examined was the role of sustained practice—the often cited 10,000 hours—in attaining
world-class success.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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How many hours a week do you spend writing?<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you wrote for 20 hours each week and kept that up for ten
years, you’d have 10,000 hours of writing practice. If that sounds like a lot
of time, consider that the average American spends more than 20 hours a week
watching television.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>How many hours of
writing practice do you think you’ve accumulated over the past year?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>________________</i></div>
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<i>Photo courtesy of </i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indi/119410491/"><span class="given-name" style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Indi</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="family-name" style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Samarajiva</span></a></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30987144.post-47684429213584112492013-01-02T23:49:00.002-08:002013-01-02T23:49:34.630-08:00The Return of Writing Prompts<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNExuMrCduR_VpN8Tne_fdgu1hMDvLOYcOUh4F2_85-iqs2El9twj3ooqZeoa3-8r2y9gzdsPa8fkXBjf40z8ZZ6Od7PNZw6hr5cH2EMsFiD5JOBsSUgfCWsJUSnE6ZQwA-771RA/s1600/4886053965_1a59eff6bf_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNExuMrCduR_VpN8Tne_fdgu1hMDvLOYcOUh4F2_85-iqs2El9twj3ooqZeoa3-8r2y9gzdsPa8fkXBjf40z8ZZ6Od7PNZw6hr5cH2EMsFiD5JOBsSUgfCWsJUSnE6ZQwA-771RA/s320/4886053965_1a59eff6bf_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When my writing group was meeting on Wednesdays (I miss you all, by the way, wherever you are), I created writing prompts each week to give everyone a warm-up exercise.</div>
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<i>~What’s your favorite food?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>~At the top of the stairs…</i></div>
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The goal was to spark an idea that could be used in any way: poetry, fiction, memoir, or essay, and it didn't matter how tangential the piece might be to the actual subject or question in the prompt. Crossing out was strongly discouraged and no dictionaries were allowed. We took ten or fifteen minutes to craft our impromptu pieces. Sometimes we came up with gems, and sometimes we wrote clunkers.</div>
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~<i>Describe your first car.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>~Combine a bowl, a lamp, and a dog toy in a story/poem.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Writers are often dismissive about prompts since no writer has a shortage of ideas. I think of prompts as an exercise, or something akin to Suduko for people who like to write.</div>
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<i>What do you think you could do with one of the prompts above? All were popular with my group.</i></div>
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________</div>
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<i>My first car was a Ford Granada that looked a lot like the one in the picture above. Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveseven/4886053965/">Dave_7</a>.</i></div>
TH Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10686820920035214589noreply@blogger.com0