EXERCISE: A Potential Topic...

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 20:52:00 -0400

One of the news channels had survey results on recently.  Roughly, they indicated that 83% of the American public believe that corruption is rampant among CEOs.  However, 48% believe that upper management in most corporations is honest and ethical.  And rounding out the picture, 87% believe that upper management in their corporation is honest and ethical.

You see the oddness?  CEOs are widely known to be corrupt.  However, most honchos are honest and ethical.  And as for my company, well, of course we don't participate in that kind of shenanigans.

(Just like 80% of us are above average, right?)

The commentator could not resist noting that there appears to be some cognitive dissonance here (I wonder if he really knows what that term means?)

In any case, it appears that a relatively simple story of today might revolve around a working slob (oops, this is going to be our hero -- make that a fine upstanding professional?) who comes to find out that the boss (or the Top Brass?) aren't quite as honest as he thought they were.

Or, of course, you could break the pattern, and find out that they really are honest and ethical, despite the pressures (izzat why they get paid the big bucks?)

Anyway, consider a tale of corporate life, and whether tis nobler to make a buck or to keep one's ethics!

and don't forget to write.

EXERCISE: Title Challenge

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: Thu, 08 Aug 2002 12:26:00 -0400

and from the quiet, a small, still voice asked:

Can I suggest one?

"The Fish Of Your Compassion"

(believe it or not, it's a song lyric!)

to which, the crusty old meister of the inne replies, "of course you may!"

So, there you have it.

The Fish of Your Compassion

A title fit for a stream?

Or would that be a whale fit for a dream?

Anyway, let the fins, gills, and scales work their way into your thoughts, and let the emotional tinge of compassion color your heart, and then consider a story, a poem, a tale, some words!

and write!

The Fish of Your Compassion

A carp by any other name would smell as sweet?

Go, fingers, go.

And the meister returns to polishing with a well-worn rag, a small smile almost tugging at his lips.

EXERCISE: Around the Corner

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 00:22:56 -0400

This last weekend, I took a walk with visitors.  Their little child was terribly excited as we walked along, dashing ahead to look, then running back to tell us what was around the next corner.

I was thinking about that childhood enthusiasm for the little mysteries of "what's around the next corner?"

Perhaps that's the wonder of writing -- you get to decide what's there, hiding around that corner.  And you get to tease us (your reader) into peaking around with you.

What do you think?  What corner is your writing about to peak around?  And how are you going to get me (the reader) to peak with you?

Tell us about the street you're walking down, the corners that hide things, and what lurks around those corners...

write!