Memory Is Mostly Perception, No?

A bit ago Mari bought me this great book, Room to Write, and it has oh-so-many writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing. Of course, because I'm the awesome person I am, I decided to share its contents with you, hoping it will light a fire under your writer's block.
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Ever notice how you'll sit around reminiscing with friends and family about certain events and they look at you all funny and say, "That's not how it happened." Doesn't that just make you sit back and wonder if your whole life has been a lie because of your faulty memory skills? I mean, I've come to terms with my Swiss cheese brain (Kids: Just Say NO To Drugs!!) but it can still get pretty annoying.

This next exercise is geared towards accepting and deriving creativity from what you DON'T remember.
Goldberg suggests,

"Non-memories may involve parts of the past you have difficulty recalling [and] may include what has been absent from your life."

Ready? Play along with me...

Room To Write Activity #3: I Don't Remember

This time, begin with the phrase "I don't remember" and fill up a page...

I don't remember when it was that I got my first TV. I only know that it allowed me the freedom to disappear from what I considered to be an overbearing life. I could escape to the Eastland School for Girls or be a nurse during the Vietnam War or marvel at the luscious beauty of Sophia Loren during the late-night viewings of foreign films on Channel 13. I watched TV until programming would go off the air- back when television stations took a break from programming- with little-to-no regard for my mind and body's need of rest and relaxation. I watched The Mets play, I watched ABC Afterschool Specials, I gorged on Channel U68 for doses of Swan's Crossing, Degrassi Junior High or Video Music Box. This picture box became more important to me than family, schoolwork and sleep. I don't remember when this TV came into my life, but I can trace the downfall of my productivity and ability to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships to its arrival.

See? Piece of cake! Now you try- leave it in the comments or keep it to yourself. Either way, happy writing!!

*smooches...hoping to inspire a writer or two today*
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wouldn't it be nice if we ALL got published? then we can be the snooty members of The Jaded Empire!

Write What You Know

A bit ago Mari bought me this great book, Room to Write, and it has oh-so-many writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing. Of course, because I'm the awesome person I am, I decided to share its contents with you, hoping it will light a fire under your writer's block.
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One of the age-old words of wisdom for writers is "Write what you know." But I understand that it can be difficult to compartmentalize, organize and layout your life into one story. This next prompt aims to aid you in this by tapping into your memories.

According to the book,

"Memory is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. One memory sparks another. Each time you write from memory...a creative shift takes place."

Ready? Play along with me...

Room To Write Activity #2: Memory Is Imagination

Begin with the phrase "I remember" and start writing...

I remember lazy, hot summers spent leaning out of the barred windows of my grandparents' third-floor walk-up. I would watch all the neighborhood children riding bikes, playing tag or just sitting on the stoop. Enjoying the break from school and all its rigors. I hated the playground that was just out of my line of sight; whenever the other kids left the block I sat there alone with nothing to watch and nothing to do. It was during one of these balmy August days that I met that shadow that lived behind the mirror in the living room. We've been inseparable ever since.

See how that works? Your turn! You can leave it in the comments or keep it to yourself. Either way, happy writing!!

*smooches...doing what I can for my fellow creatives*
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I know life gets in the way but we MUST push through all the bullshit and gift the world our art!

Fear And Self-Judgment In BK

As a birthday gift, Mari gave me Bonni Goldberg's Room to Write, a little book filled with BIG inspirational messages and prompts that any writer can appreciate. While sitting under the dryer at Mami's house I was already moved to write this post just from an item I read in the book's introduction:

The only obstacle to writing creatively is a lack of faith that appears as fear and self-judgment.

"That passage right there, ni**a, that passage right there?!?!"

Listen, I've already explained about my faux-confidence, so no need to dwell on it. Let us instead dwell on the fact that I will not be able to meet my own goal of being published by 2011 if I allow this fear and self-judgment take over my entire life. Not to be conceited, but we've already established that I'm a great writer. Sure my pieces need work but the stories are engaging and captivating. THIS is what I need to remind myself every time I chicken out of submitting my work to a literary magazine, every time I go before an audience to read, every time I send pieces to be workshopped- this needs to be my mantra.

Otherwise I'll just become a victim of what my mom so affectionately called "wasted talent" and I don't want that to happen.

I have a story (or two) to tell. I need to get off my ass and tell them.

And because I know many of YOU have a story to tell, too, I'm going to share one of the writing prompts with you every month.

Room To Write Activity #1: Diving In

TODAY dive into writing by choosing any of the following words that have more than one meaning: bear, cleave, lie, sewer, tear or desert. Start by copying the word and quickly, without stopping for any reason, continue writing until you reach the end of the page...

Now go write your ass off... dedicate your first piece to me & Mari!

*smooches...anxiously plotting my rise to literary greatness*
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Oh it's GOING TO HAPPEN, and when it does you can't even imagine the party I'm going to throw...