Begin at the End
Posted by Derek Loosvelt in Writing Prompts on Jan 1st, 2013 | 1 comment
During the four years I’ve been leading writing workshops, perhaps no other prompt has been as effective as this one: giving participants a printed out list of evocative first sentences from published novels or short stories and inviting them to begin a piece of writing with one of these sentences. In fact, it’s been so effective that, in the past year, on this blog, I’ve posted three variations of the prompt (here, here, and here). And today I’m posting one more, with a slightly new take. (more…)
Before Your Time
Posted by Derek Loosvelt in Writing Prompts on Dec 26th, 2012 | 0 comments
Yesterday morning, which was Christmas morning, I came across a short story by the Brooklyn-born poet and writer Delmore Schwartz called “In Dreams Begin Responsibility.” The story is collected in a volume of great American short stories called You’ve Got to Read This (a book I’ve had on loan from a friend for some time and probably need to return). “In Dreams” is also the title story of Schwartz’ first story collection, and it’s perhaps Schwartz’ most well known work–for good reason. “In Dreams,” which upon its publishing immediately made Schwartz a literary star, is a seven-page story with the breadth of a novel. And it was written in 1937 when Schwartz was just 23 years old. (more…)
See, Don’t Think
Posted by Derek Loosvelt in Writing Prompts on Dec 18th, 2012 | 0 comments
Last week, on The New York Times website, I came across a beautiful and heartbreaking five-minute documentary called “Solo, Piano – N.Y.C.” The film, which I can’t recommend strongly enough, follows “a lone piano standing curbside in New York City” and “chronicles the interactions of passers-by as the piano awaits its fate.” The film was made by Anthony Sherin and tells its story entirely through images and sound. That is, there’s not a single word. Which is quite an amazing feat for a narrative film. And which had me thinking, yet again, of the power and importance of imagery in writing and how I’m attracted to prose that relies more on images and less on narration to tell a story. (more…)
A Drastic Break
Posted by Derek Loosvelt in Writing Prompts on Dec 10th, 2012 | 0 comments
Have you ever wondered what would happen if, instead of getting off at your designated subway stop in the morning, the subway stop you’ve been getting off at each morning for the past seventeen years on your way to work at job you’ve been working at for the past seventeen years, you kept riding the subway beyond your stop and to the end of the line, at which point you exited the subway, proceeded to walk to the nearest rental car outlet, rented a car, rolled down the windows, fired back the sunroof, then drove north, south, east, or west, with no particular destination, never to return to your job, your place of living, or previous life ever again? (more…)
Lives of Streets
Posted by Derek Loosvelt in Writing Prompts on Dec 3rd, 2012 | 0 comments
A few months ago I posted a prompt inviting writers to write from the point of view of a plant, tree, flower, or bush. Today’s prompt is somewhat similar, but instead of plant life, the focus is on street life. That is, I invite you to begin to write a piece of prose or poetry from the point of view of a street, highway, avenue, road, lane, court, or drive. (more…)
