Monday, October 22, 2012

Our First Monday Challenge!

Monday has finally dawned, and that means it’s time for a bright, shiny writing challenge!

For our first challenge, we’re going to start with something simple. A good, old fashioned writing prompt. Now, before I give you the prompt, there's a rule that I would like you to try and follow. Try to write at least four hundred words in response. Or, if you would like to do a poem, try to do a minimum of three stanzas (or the equivalent).

Why am I asking you to do this? Well, as I've mentioned before, one of the main points of this blog is for both my readers and I to challenge ourselves; both in how we think about writing, and how we actually write. By having goals to reach, we’re redeveloping new skills. Many of you – especially those of who would like to go into journalism – will have a word limit that you will have to deal with, so getting into the mind set of reaching a certain amount of words will be good practice.

But enough of my blabbering, on to the prompt! And the prompt for this week will be:

Why do you write?

Now, as simple as this question may seem, I think that this is a chance for you and I to think about why we do what we do. So, why do you write? And how did you start writing? Is it some kind of emotional, or even physical, release for you? Or is writing the way you try to bring some new kind of truth into the world?
With these questions in mind, you and I now have seven days to complete this challenge! So get ready, get set and get writing!

1 comment:

  1. This is called "Pens and Swords" and it goes like this. (clears throat)...


    There are multiple reasons for picking up the pen
    And putting away the sword and bringing the battle to an end
    Money is always the easiest reason
    Even if those jobs are far out of season
    The urge to create is like a feeding frenzy
    That doesn’t stop even after writing the ending
    Staying relevant in a town with no scene
    Is always a goal regardless of the pipe dream
    Speaking my mind in these treacherous waters
    Keeps these elections and debates from becoming slaughters
    Maybe I just write because it’s a ton of fun
    It’d be my only hobby if I could only choose one
    Maybe I was never meant to jockey a cashbox
    Or sweep the floors or peddle crack rock
    Or couch surf my way to the top of the mountain
    Or siphon from the rich like a financial fountain
    Maybe all I want is a bright future ahead
    A swimming pool out back and a woman in my bed
    A personal driver to take me to Mickey D’s
    A cruise ship to take me to the adventurous seas
    I actually thought the American Dream
    Would come true as easily as it always seemed
    Just pick up a pen and translate my thoughts
    But it just may be all for naught
    Studying literature and the ways of ink
    Have nothing on text messages and internet links
    Now I know why they call it a dream
    Because being asleep is the only way to believe

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