A friend of mine recently told me that she committed to writing 1000 words per day and since she started she has slowly ramped up to over 5000 words per day. She said that writing more helps her write more because it the storyline stays in her head so she 1) doesn't have to try to remember where she left off and 2) is constantly developing plot even when she's not sitting at her computer.
Also, the knowledge that she has to write 1000 words gets her writing so that she can get up and do other things, while her previous method - time commitment - had her finding long lost preschool pals to friend on Facebook.
So BACK AT IT amigos. It's time to rekindle that creative spirit.
Go ahead and get it started. Today's assignment is to write a single paragraph - a FIRST paragraph that will make us wish there were more to read.
I'll start.
It had been a long, hard week on the road and Sam was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed. He wasn't supposed to be home until tomorrow but that last order had put him over quota and he was headed home. When he pulled into the driveway it was after midnight and he was surprised to see his wife's best friend, Bee's car in the driveway. Maybe she's stayed over because his wife was often scared to be in that big house alone. He let himself in and tiptoed up to the bedroom. When he opened the door he was SHOCKED. "What the hell is going on here?" he yelled.
yum, would love to see more of this.
Posted by: Kait B. Roe | October 19, 2010 at 08:24 AM
Jareth hated PE, except on snow days. Supposedly the sports weren't about winning, just about doing your best and contributing to your team, but it was hard to see past the being picked last every time because he was at least a foot shorter than everyone else. He couldn't run as fast, throw as far, jump as high... and it sucked the fun out of the whole process.
But on snow days they played dodgeball in the gym.
When you're smaller, you are more maneuverable; and Jareth was untouchable.
(Ok I know I put some paragraph breaks in there but its about a paragraph...right?)
Posted by: Matt Shields | October 19, 2010 at 10:42 AM
It was days like this that made her long for the single life. The children were running wild, the house was a total mess, her husband was sitting on the couch waiting for dinner to magically appear, and she was looking at her car keys! How far could she get before they'd catch up to her? Just a few days at the coast? Mexico maybe? She thought of somewhere quiet and with the ocean, sand, sunsets and drinks with little umbrellas in them. Then there would be the endless supply of young, college beach boys looking to bring her drinks, massages, food, and meet her every need! Oh yes, and then there was the night life! The endless hours of carefree parties, drinking, and crazy vacation sex! It all sounded so good, she could picture herself there on the sand with him, the moonlight shining down, the sounds of the party in the background, and them not caring if anyone could see them. She wanted him so badly! His body was young and hard, she could feel every muscle on his body as he rolled onto her.
Posted by: Wicked | October 19, 2010 at 11:06 AM
She paused, the clacking of her knitting needles falling suddenly silent as she gazed at a spot on the wall. Her eyes shone bright with held-back tears as she found her voice.
"That time is impossible to forget. I close my eyes and it is there".
Posted by: Paxochka | October 19, 2010 at 09:41 PM
As he stumbled across the hall, he was amazed at his lack of grace. Jack knew he was a novice at this whole “ghost” thing, but the movies had given him the impression that he would have a bit more flow. Perhaps this would come with time – right now, he was struggling to remember why he had chosen to haunt Anna anyway. Crap.
www.raisingstinker.com
Posted by: Tanniah | October 20, 2010 at 12:40 AM
The best storytellers have a knack for good endings. Erin taught me about the importance of a strong ending. She was an aspiring actress, who ultimately became a mother, wife and cosmetologist, and she loved an audience. Her voice changed when she found people to listen to her stories. And when she missed the mark and knew her audience was unimpressed at the end, her face would deadpan, a silent second would pass, and she would tag on this line: "But all those people are dead now." I have thought a lot about Erin's endings as I try to begin. It would be so much easier if all the people in this story were dead now.
Posted by: Wendy Weinhold | October 20, 2010 at 01:29 PM
Yup, she thought as she finally walked in the front door, kicked off her shoes and headed straight to the fridge for a bottle of wine.
Any day that starts with finding a dead cat is unlikely to be a good one. As she threw the screw cap from the bottle over her shoulder and proceeded to gulp down about a glass worth she reconsidered. It could have been worse. It could have been two dead cats.
Posted by: Sally Megan | October 27, 2010 at 01:09 AM
After 6 shots of tequila, it really did not take much to convince me to don a pair of heels and head out to the bar. Besides, my pregnant best friend was living vicariously through me, I had to be entertaining. "The shot or the drink?" "Both." Little did I know that this would be the night that turned my life around, even if the details of how it happened were hazy....
Posted by: Cara | April 25, 2012 at 08:24 PM