I’ve just found that word on the internet. It’s all about writing without stopping or censoring, which I’ve taken to mean editing. Censoring would probably involve me laying out carefully aligned black blocks over the best parts of my blog (assuming I can find any black blocks or indeed best parts) and only publishing the redacted version.
Redacted. That’s a word I’ve always wanted to get into a story. This doesn’t count as a story so it only gets a half-tick in pencil. I’ve also always wanted to write a character who says things like secure the perimeter.
But that’s another story.
Anyway I stumbled across the word freewriting on the first hit I got for the search random writing prompts. The web page in question has a random subject generator. It’s got a big green button and everything. For my moment in the freewriting sun I was given:-
Write about a time when you had to forgive someone.
The idea was for me to write for ten minutes from that prompt. This presented me with two immediate challenges.
1. It’s a boring prompt. So like there was this guy and he like totally ruined my day but instead of writing a really funny and savage attack on him via the passive aggressive middle class rebellion medium of a blog post I decided to like turn the other cheek and stuff.
Yawn.
2. I knew I’d waste at least eight minutes writing something about my experiences leading up to the actual prompt. And I was right.
So I clicked again and was rewarded with:-
Write about an ornament.
Really? An ornament?
Fine, here’s two minutes of freewriting about an ornament.
I don’t own many ornaments or items that could be considered ornamental. I’ve got two genuine Groggs (rugby player caricature figurines for those who don’t know them – I might take a picture for this post) but I’m not entirely certain they qualify as ornaments.
OK let’s agree that they do.
One is of Jonathan Davies the other is of Bryan Habana and they were a wedding present from a dear friend of mine.
There they were minding their own business up on the bookshelf when a small crazed child we will lovingly refer to as Chucky climbed up, grabbed one and smashed it on the floor in a fit of rage. Alright it wasn’t smashed as such but it was broken into multiple pieces.
A small part of me knows that if the Jonathan Davies figure had been smashed the child would have probably gone up on eBay. Luckily for her Habana got the treatment and was repairable and so I was able to forgive her.
…and there we have it ladies and gentlemen, an ornament story that somehow tied back to a time I forgave someone and nailed both prompts…
Wait…what do you mean it took too long? You can’t exclude my reference to the initial prompt simply based on the ticking of a clock purportedly measuring an abstract concept…fine…whatever. I forgive you. See if I don’t turn that into its own blog post.
Woohoo! Five hundred words. Bedtime.
Night night and very well done
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And just like that it was morning…reckon I’d better do some more writing today Diane 🙂
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You tied it all neatly together there. Well done. That was two separate things just so you know. You tied it together and I announced I’m finally done with building my well.
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And well you should be my friend. That cursed water hole has been a burden on you for too long. Thanks for your twofold answer – I will be sure to fold it twice.
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You’ll be Folder and I’ll be Wellder and we’re a detective team. “No witnesses huh? This looks like a case for Folder and Wellder !” *80s music while we punch random suspects in rapid succession* “Chief Haggart… what’s this about? I’ve got a nasty hangover…” (I figured my character always had a hangover, never drank, but always hungover).
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Never drinks but always hungover – that’s genius. Don’t be surprised if I steal that from you Tobbe 🙂 I’m thinking that in a bombshell development in episode 4 his non-drinking will be revealed to his eternal shame.
I can already see Folder and Wellder investigating the rogue accounting firm Nick, Rob and Swindle, and in my mind the Beastie Boys track Sabotage is currently on repeat (if you’ve never seen the video go and youtube it – the greatest 80’s cop show parody ever).
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We should co-write such a story!
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A splendid idea! I’m working on a very very very silly piece at the moment which should get me in the right frame of mind 🙂
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When I read a dull prompt I can’t even bring myself to write for it, so we’ll done on finding the motivation to write about an ornament. I wouldn’t have even tried.
I was looking for a prompt this morning, I quite fancy this one:
There’s nothing worse than waking up next to someone after a night of drinking and not being able to remember their name,
Or how you met,
Or why they’re dead.
I always free write for these and try and keep them under 1500 words. I’ll post what I come up with later. Maybe.
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Strangely enough the really really mundane ones fire up my brain to come up with something unexpected – doesn’t always work but at the very least it gets me to commit something to virtual paper!
That’s a great prompt – lovely twist to what appeared at first to be quite normal and tame. I hope your maybe turns into a reality – be very interested to read what you come up with.
My challenge this week is to come up with a story that I believe is good enough to submit to Firewords. I was lucky enough to have a story chosen for issue 4 earlier this year (my one and only time in print!) but I’m not sure lightning will strike twice. I seem to be a little low on ideas at present but it’s amazing how quickly a random thought becomes a story…
Thanks for taking the time to comment – great to hear your thoughts.
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Congratulations on the publishing credentials, I hope you come up with an idea and a bucket of motivation.
Here’s what I came up with for the prompt by the way, http://wp.me/p5g0se-2z, nothing groundbreaking but there’s only so much you can do in an hour!
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Excellent – well done on getting something written and uploaded! Will look forward to reading it in my lunch hour 🙂
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