Writers’ Asylum: Prologue
Prepare to walk the corridors of today. I can’t promise they’ll all be this straight.
(Picture by Snap-shooter!)
You’re going to be pushed out of your comfort zone today. You’re going to write things you wouldn’t normally try. That’s good. That’s why we’re here.
Be free with it. Be brave and bold. Be inspired.
On the hour, every hour until the end of the event, I’m going to give you a series of prompts. I’m going to help you build a picture in your mind, then tell you the title of the challenge and push you over the edge into writing about that picture.
You can interpret the prompts in any way you wish, though I encourage you to follow the guidelines where you can, even if they make you uncomfortable. Even if they take you to a strange place. You may wish to subvert the challenge, but in doing so, you might also miss the point. Give it a try. Explore it, see what happens; surprise yourself.
The goal is to write a thousand words for each challenge. You only have an hour, so this is all about getting that picture in your head down on paper without stopping to reconsider, edit, or chicken out. Push yourself, spin it out, worm yourself into the details of that picture and tease them out. Give us everything you’ve got and then some.
I will not ask to see your writing, though if you wish to share it, I thoroughly encourage you. You can send it to me privately, post it on your own site, post it here in the comments on this blog; wherever you please! It is entirely your own choice.
Now, take a few minutes to prepare yourself. Stretch, breathe. Clear your mental palate and summon a fresh, clean sheet of paper to your mind.
Because soon, we will begin.
Next up: Challenge #1
Francisco says:
Sorry, I didn’t take part despite saying that I would. At the moment, I’ve got an important writing project to complete.
Is it OK if I try the challenges later.
May 2nd, 2013 at 3:47 am
Francisco says:
Sorry, the last sentence should have ended with a “?”.
May 2nd, 2013 at 4:28 am
Mel says:
Absolutely! They’re going to be up on the blog permanently, so do them anytime the urge strikes you. 🙂
Completely understand about competing priorities. It happens to all of us. Good luck with your project!
May 2nd, 2013 at 10:28 am