Prompt 4 - random words as a key

Okay, so I said that sometimes the prompts would be quite specific - sometimes a little vaguer. Today's prompt is nothing new and nothing original, but the results are usually both, and quite fun too.

Take a printed text (I sometimes play this game with the dictionary, sometimes with a magazine), close your eyes, flick through it and stop wherever you like, pointing somewhere on the page. Choose the nearest word you find (ideally a noun, or if not then an adjective or adverb - you're allowed to try again if you either a) - feel totally uninspired by the word or b) - get things like 'it', 'that', 'because'. Try this three times (or more in aforementioned cases, but until you get three words). Take your three words, reflect a little if you like - or not, if you prefer. Write - using those words as part of your writing. See where they pull you. I'm going to be trying it and aiming for poems. If you want to try out a poem, great - if you prefer a story or something else, fine.

If you feel like playing along, then post up what you've written on your blog and leave a message in the comments here - one (or both) of us will be over to read what you've written.

If you have any ideas for future prompts then let us know, we'd love to hear them and would of course credit you with it should the prompt be used.

Alternatively...

If you haven't been inspired by this week's prompt, you could write about why you didn't do it. 

Or not. 

Remember that if you'd like to suggest a prompt, just drop us a line.

Have good weekends, whatever you're up to.

Prompt 3 ~ What do you see?

This prompt was inspired by my participation in the river of stones project and the act of seeing.  This post by Fiona Robyn made me wonder - Do we see things as they are?  Can we?  Are we able to let things be as they are, or do we feel a need to decorate, embellish, improve what we see, make them seem better, give them an interpretation that is perhaps not really there.  If so, why?

Anais Nin said that we don’t see the world as it is, but as we are.  So is it possible to really see “clearly”?  Buddhists might call it seeing without ego. 

Whether you believe that seeing in this way is possible or desirable, for a few moments this week, I’d like you to try it.

Sit down somewhere for a few minutes where you won’t be disturbed, preferably with a view out a window.  Or go for a walk.  For five minutes (or however long you wish), focus on what you see, whatever it might be.  Try not to be selective in your seeing.  If you see something unpleasant, don’t censor it from your thoughts.  If you see something beautiful, try not to hold on to it.  See what you see and then let it go.  Then, take a break.  Make a cup of tea or put the washing in the machine.  Then, do this:

Write about what you saw.  Write as quickly as you can without thinking, without stopping to edit or correct yourself.  This can be a piece of freewriting, a poem, a story, a list.  Whatever comes.  If it makes you feel more comfortable, give yourself a time limit.  5, 10 or 15 minutes.  It needn’t be long.

When you are finished, put your writing away.  Don’t reread it immediately.  Come back to it a day or so later and reread it then.  Do you feel that you were able to write what you saw?  Were there things you’d forgotten to mention?  Did any interpretations or assumptions creep in?  If you were to rewrite it, would you change anything?  How did you feel about the exercise?  Tell us about it.

If you'd like to share what you've written, post it on your blog and leave a comment below with your post's url.  At least one of us will come over and read it.

Thank you!

Prompt 2 - Immune to overused words

This week’s prompt is to focus on, and somehow avoid, overused words, words which have lost their meaning.

Which words do you consider to be overused? (You may consider them overused in society as a whole, even in newspapers or books, or they may simply be words that you think you rely on too much.)

So often, it seems, we instinctively opt for the first, the easiest, or the most automatic or instinctive word that comes to mind…. I, for one, do this all too frequently.

Many of those words are adjectives. Some of those words could include ‘beautiful’, ‘great’, ‘old’, ‘interesting’, ‘ugly’, ‘excellent’, ‘scary’, ‘surprising’. Often they may also be verbs, for example the bland verb ‘say’ (whatever happened to ‘whisper’, ‘shout’, ‘murmur’, ‘stammer’, 'order', 'sing' etc.?).

The result is that certain words seem to have lost their meaning, lost their value …or rather, we become somehow ‘immune’ to them – we overlook them, we forget to focus on what they really mean, and therefore overlook what is really being experienced and really being expressed.

- Make a list of words that you consider ‘overused’, or words which have lost their meaning, especially words that you often use.

- Focus on one of the adjectives – ‘beautiful’ or 'scary' for example. Think of something, somewhere, someone which you would describe as ‘beautiful’ (or whatever adjective you choose) and focus on that thing/place/person - describe it, how you perceive it, how it makes you feel (etc.) …using any words you like, but not ‘beautiful’ and no other words from your list either!

Try to force yourself to stretch the limits, to focus on your senses, your feelings, and even your thesaurus or dictionary, if need be!

- Use these ideas as starting points, then write whatever you like, but experiment with the words you use and be aware of the ones you would like to avoid.

If your writing were a painting (still-life, landscape, portrait, it doesn’t matter), which subject would you choose, and how would you portray it in order to really express both yourself and your subject?

If you decide to join in, and would like to share what you've written, whether a rough draft or quite polished, post it on your blog and leave a comment here (or send us an e-mail) with your post's url. Heartful or I (or both of us) will come over to read it.

Thanks - and have fun!

Still time to join in...

Just to remind you that there is still time to join in with this week's prompt that Heartful posted up on Monday.

If you're interested in seeing the contributions so far, please check out the 'comments' section of the previous post.

I'll be posting up the next prompt on Monday, 'hope you might like to join in with us!

Good weekend to you.

Prompt 1 ~ The Names of Things

Give your writing power and focus by being specific.  So, write silver birch instead of tree or red Datsun instead of car.  I don't mean fancy.  You don't have to use ornate language.  Just give things their names.

If you'd like an example, take a look at this.  It's a link to a poem by William Carlos Williams (and one of my favourites). 

Then come back and do this:

Write down the names of 3 things from each room in your house.
Be specific.
Sit with the list for a while and see what comes.
What stands out? (or what's missing?)
Does anything tug at you?  Why or why not?
Tell us about it.

Respond to the prompt however you want to - freewriting, poem, story, etc.  Whatever it brings up is fine, you don't have to follow the instructions to the letter.  If you'd like to share what you've written, however rough or polished, post it on your blog and leave a comment below with your post's url.  At least one of us will come over and read it.

Thank you!

As of next Monday...

26ⁿ will be starting as of next Monday. In the meantime here is a little information about the project:

Can I participate?

26ⁿ is open to everyone, whether you decide to participate from the beginning, or somewhere down the track - there's no one 'starting point' so it's not too late to join.

26ⁿ is aimed at enjoying what you write, it isn't important whether you consider yourself to be 'a writer' or not. There's a writer in everyone, and 26ⁿ is just about experimenting with, and enjoying, the writer in us all.

Weekly prompts

Each Monday a new prompt will be published on the 26ⁿ blog.

Sometimes the prompts will be quite specific, other times they'll be open to greater interpretation.

If you decide to use the prompt and write something leading from it, then simply post it up on your blog.

If you've responded to the prompt and would like one of us to read it, please leave a comment with your blog's url. (We reserve the right to remove urls and comments that do not correspond to 26n related posts).

When possible please try to respond to the prompt before the next one is published.

When publishing your writing on your blog, please use the tag 26ⁿ

What if I miss one or more prompts?

It isn't the end of the world. Frequent participation helps to build a sense of community, but it's by no means essential.

I wrote something a while ago, it suits the prompt, so can I use it?

Well, you can, but as the idea is about exploring, experimenting and enjoying writing, then why not try to write something new?

Can I publish writing that isn't my own?

No, please just participate with your own writing, as that's what it's all about.

I have an idea for a prompt, can I share it?

Great! We'd love to hear of your prompt ideas! Feel free to e-mail them and we'll try to use them. Please tell us which name to use (and your url) when you send us a prompt idea, so we can give you credit for it and link to you if we use your prompt!

Can you link to my blog in the side-bar?

If you'd like to be included on the blog-roll of participants then please send us an e-mail telling us you'd like to be added to the sidebar and remember to include your blog's name and url - we'll add you to the list.

(Please remember that we maintain the right to remove a url if the blog has not participated or responded to at least one 26n prompt per month.)

What's the 26ⁿ e-mail address?

It's write26n@gmail.com

26ⁿ - 26 to the power of 'n'

26ⁿ

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. And with them, with them comes an infinity of possibilities. Possibilites often never put to the test. Worlds that can be opened, unlocked, merely glimpsed, or even closed, with the power of those 26 symbols.

Twenty-six to the power of 'n'.

26 times 26 times 26 times 26 times 26 times....

...infinite possibilities with 26 letters.

26ⁿ ...a creative endeavour to experiment with some of them.

I've been day-dreaming about a collective writing blogging project for some time. Here's my first invitation -' heartful blogger' - would you like to join in?

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