EXERCISE: One Flew In!

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 22:44:42 -0500

So, here's the basic scenario.

Two people (you pick the characters, the location, the scenery, what have you).

Pick a number from one to twelve.  Got it?

Good.  Here's the emotion you have picked:

1.  sadness  2. distress  3.  relief  4.  joy 
5.  hate  6. love 7.  fear  8. anticipation 
9.  anger  10.  guilt  11.  gratitude  12. pride

Now, pick a number from one to six.  Here's the result:

1.  a plastic flower
2.  a stapler
3.  a birthday card
4.  a lighter
5.  a toy wheel
6.  a pair of pliers

Your two characters are immersed in their scene (what are they doing?  Oh, that?  Kewl.)

Ding-dong.  Delivery boy, the daily mail, a box dropped from heaven, in one way or another, the object you picked gets delivered (consider having it wrapped, or in an envelope, as you then have the fun of opening it!).

And one of your characters (you flip the coin) experiences that emotion (remember?  one to twelve) in regard to that object.

What is it about that object which pulls them into the emotional maelstrom? What happened that dark day?

And how do they explain this to the other person?  Do they keep a stiff upper lip as their heart breaks again?  Or do they sob on the shoulder of their friend?

A small scene, but one that can go many places.

Just two characters, an object, and the emotions it brings with it.

Write it up!

exerCISE: what is like...

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: Thu, 06 Sep 2001 20:43:00 -0400

Okay, here's the simile -- what's the comparison?

xxxx is like an ocean.  The surface waves and sprays, while the deeps run silent and strong.

What do you think is like that?  What would you compare to an ocean, with that frothy top, and the deep silence?

(a fish?  how did that get in there?  oh, it's part of the package?)

write!

"Good morning, daddy!
Ain't you heard
The boogie-woogie rumble
Of a dream deferred?"  Langston Hughes

a dream deferred... and out of its time... tink

EXERCISE: What Would It Take?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 21:18:35 -0500

Let's try this old chestnut.  Maybe it will help a great oak to grow.

First, imagine this list as the list of your dreams.  What does that look like?  What kinds of postings are going on?  What kinds of responses happen? Maybe write down the kinds of things that happen during a day (or a week?  a cycle of some kind) on your list.

If it will help, consider the rough structure we have, of SUBmissions:, CRITique:, TECHnical:, EXERcise:, WOW: (the World Of Writing), INTeractive:, and FILL:.  Or consider workshops, books, and other wonders that you have encountered.  Or let the imagination fly, incorporating websites, chat rooms, and other digital fun, along with the all too human element that makes lists run.

Second, step back and think about what you are willing to contribute in participation.  Do you want to set yourself a goal of posting one SUB: every two weeks?  Would you like to take part in a round robbin, but you're not quite sure how to get one started?  What are you willing to pledge to make the list of your dreams a bit closer.

Third, think a little about what other people need to do.  Make up a "transition plan" that takes us from here to there, with assignments and steps to get the work done.

Fourth, and final, write it up.  You might like to do it as an essay, "FILL: The List of My Dreams" or perhaps as a novelization/fictionalization, "SUB: That List Coulda Been A Contenda" or even just as a dialog between friends, "FILL: Three Things I'd Like to See On This List" but however you want to do it, let the rest of us know what your ideal list looks like, and how you think we can get closer to that.

Did I see a little leaf popping out there?

I think I can feel the cool shadow of that oak, at least in the fields of my mind.

Write about your list.