Exercise with words

Use all of these words in a piece:


fussy
hairy
blooming
slippery
flutter
damp
pale
weeds
yanking

Vary line lengths. fifty word sentences. One word sentences. Add at least two questions. The subject of this story should have something to do with exercise. Any kind of exercise. Don't think, write blindly, write quick.

The Envy Prompt

write a piece jam packed with disguised envy toward another person, a person's life, a person's opportunities.... maybe even a person's dog! It will be helpful to remember a time you seethed with with envy in your life, and the way that felt. What do you notice when you are envious of somebody or something? What pops out at you? What do your senses tell you? Fight or flight may happen, or may not happen.

words to incorporate:

bathtub
hide
France
gentle
Harbor
tarantula
finger nail clippers

Observe a human that touches you with small things

Think of a person that just makes you happy. The little things they do, even the mundane. or the things they say. Use this for the basis of a story. Finding the good in people brings us back to who we are, or were, or wish to be.

Let Your Narrator Dream!

Write a piece in which the narrator's mind drifts to a bug on the table, or a dog on the floor. Allow the narrator's mind to drift, to embellish, to fictionalize and anthropomorphise this little life, this bug life! Or this dog life! Let your narrator dream....

words to play with or include:

sneaker
key
pocket
rock
duck

my flash at Matchbook Lit review (this link works!)

My new flash, "Vegan", is up a Matchbook Lit.

Story up at Right Hand Pointing

Five Words and a Sneaky Extra Five Words!

Incorporate these five words in a story:

sneaker
shell
shop
wrap
bingo

and a sneaky extra five: (optional)

face
phone
chicken
china
blush

Fictionaut Five Interview with author Joseph Young

I had such fun interviewing Joe for the Fictionaut Five feature. Joseph Young was the person who interviewed me for my SmokeLong story, California Fruit. Now we've interviewed each other! That only seems fair!

Adaptation to a New Environment Prompt

Your main character has a major life change, i.e. a new town, a new school, a new relationship... and has to adjust their personality in some way. In other words, we all try to adapt, we do the do the best we can. We often feel like a phony!!

Here are some possible words to use or not use! Beware!


cheerful
grizzly
wipes
prescription
swanky
powder
digital
blot
tailless
Holy shit!
hellbent
splayed
lens

going casually with a heavy topic... don't look it in the eye

Like talking to your teenager about...sex. Don't look them in the eye! Forget it, they will cower, and shut down. Drive somewhere, with them in the passenger seat, the music blaring, and casually...bring it up, while laughing about a stupid song!

So, write a piece that may be HARD to write, by having the narrator start with casual thoughts or actions: doing the laundry, eating lunch, cooking soup... and let the big thing come out in little ways, however it feels like it wants to, and when it wants to.

Treat your brain, treat your character's brain... like a teenager!

"In the Weeds" up at Staccato

Join Fictionaut! Highly highly recommended (by me)!

Bringing the possibilities of the
social web to literary writing.

Fictionaut is a vibrant literary community that is opening exciting new possibilities for short fiction and poetry. Part self-selecting magazine, part community network, Fictionaut is a way for readers to discover new voices and for writers to share their work, gain recognition, and connect with their audience and each other.

Contact me on Facebook if you would like to join and need an invitation.

Do You See It Anywhere?

Your main character has lost something, something real or imagined. It could her a hairbrush, or a lover. The point is, your main character is obsessed with finding the thing that is lost.

Prompt Words:

matter
honey
sandwich
ring
garbage
noodle
play
bingo
garlic
wilting
well?
tangerine soda

The Explosion of Belief Prompt!

Write a story in which the main character believes strongly in some quite specific things or people: a new lover, a husband, bath salts, astrology, coffee, the lottery, vegetarianism, online dating... (these are all possible examples). The main character's world is directed forward by this belief... IN the story, something should blow up, something will destroy the main character's trust in this person, or these things. I might choose a main character who loves her husband and wants to stay skinny, healthy, and strong for him - becomes obsessed with training for marathons to stay fit FOR HIM. Then, in the story, she finds out that her husband is cheating on her with an out-of-shape smoker, someone flabby and weak. This would rock the main character's world built on a floppy foundation. The idea here is to feel that battle for sanity after losing so much... to imagine what losing that kind of trust in personal gods would feel like, and to write that.

Here are some possible prompt words:

scowl
tramp
lox
mocha
flop
low-cut
shame
freak
cranky





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Emerald, a tiny story, up at elimae

SmokeLong Quarterly Issue #26 is Live!

My Story, "Weasel", is up at Mud Luscious!

I'm thrilled to have my story, "Weasel", in Mud Luscious, along with these writers: Kate Wyer, Peter Schwartz, Bradley Sands, Mel Bosworth, Richard Osgood, Andrea DeAngelis, Zachary Tyler Vickers, Cortney McLellan, David Peak, Roxane Gay, Gregory Sherl, Steven J. McDermott and Kimberly E. Ruth!

Making it Special Prompt

Write a story about something that most anybody would consider average, but your main character considers special. This can be an animal, a person, a toaster... anything. Have your main character consider it to be very special, and let the story involve the main character's exaggerated adoration of this person/animal/thing.

The "Get Unstuck" Prompt

This is a prompt about feeling stuck or confined in a life. Have your main character work on escape: physically, or spiritually. Have your main character not feel sorry for himself/herself (it's drudgery to read about self pity in a main character, there is nothing worse). Make this character believe there is a way to escape, even if there isn't.

possible words,

cold
wrong
close
scream
rain
morning
dark
shy
trace

Beatles Song Prompt

Pick any Beatles Song (I'm thinking of Lovely Rita, for my own). Take the theme of the song, and write a story from it. You can borrow words from the song, of course!!!

Puce Prompt!

Write a story with some odd color names in it. One good example is.. puce!!! Here are some others:

Palm
pistachio
pea
mint
arugula

an example, "He said he had arugula walls... that his mother picked the color, and he liked the fresh sound of it. In my opinion, his freshly painted walls looked baby pink - but he seemed very proud of this."

See what happens to your characters that are surrounded by fake sounding designer colors!

The Author (me) Interviews a reader (Tim Jones-Yelvington) on Flashfiction.net!

I interviewed Tim Jones-Yelvington about my story from SmokeLong Quarterly, Issue #21, Calfornia Fruit.

The Author (me) Interviews a reader (Tim Jonees-Yelvington) on Flashfiction.net!

I interviewed Tim Jones-Yelvington about my story from SmokeLong Quarterly, Issue #21, Calfornia Fruit.

A Drama Playing Out Next Door

Write a piece that involves mostly observation of the narrator's neighbor's action. Write about what is observed second hand. Let your narrator's imagination get carried away perhaps. Also, perhaps the narrator has some personal hook, some involvement in the outcome of a drama playing out next door.

Here are some prompt words:

legs
curves
wild
power
divide
suit
strip
parakeet
whirl
glitter

Prompt from Facebook Friend's Suggested Words!

Thank you to Marcel Inhoff, Nancy Boutin, Sube Rozza, Susan M. Schultz, Katherine Grosjean, Anne Elliott, Tamara Christie, Cynthia Reeser, Bonnie Hudgins!!!

Try to incorporate ALL OF THESE WORDS. These were compiled suggested prompt words from many Facebook friends.

Try to vary sentence length - make sure one sentence is at least 55 words long, and one sentence is one/two words long. Keep playing with sentence lengths. See what happens!!!!

pillow, curcuma, green,
star, digging, citrus
lifeguard snapshot elm,
plump chalk moan,
cheap, toast, sticky,
salivate, coriander, satisfactory,
spurious, obfuscate, whirligig,
lavender, dew, glow
(for, then, but) overuse these words while working with rhythm!

Video of me reading Leaving Hope Ranch (Storyglossia)

Leaving Hope Ranch republished by Storyglossia!

Thank you so much, Steven J. McDermott, and Storyglossia, for republishing my story, Leaving Hope Ranch! The original magazine (971 Menu) disappeared - and Storyglossia is making the piece accessible again! I'm honored to have Storyglossia as the new home for this piece, it is wonderful.

Troublesome Beauty

Write a piece that has something to do with the issue of physical beauty. Perhaps your main character is beautiful, or worships someone who is, or something... Maybe the character thinks about beauty too much (gee, that would be unusual in THIS culture!) Let the obsession with beauty get you character into trouble!!!

Here are some prompt words to possibly incorporate:

coo
change
feed
champagne
opal
bus
hip
cap
tender
cinder

My story, The Big Dipper, up at Annalemma!

The Science Fiction of Ordinary Life Prompt

Look at the details in your life as one might read science fiction - by this i mean, STARE at the little things that you do that construct your day - things like brushing your teeth, feeding the dog, using your cell phone... let us know the details in one or more of your "boring" rituals! Make it... science fiction... because in a way, IT ALREADY IS! The stuff that seems unimportant is important. Leave it up to the reader to notice how insane life is when you break it down this way.

some words to play with:

open
want
breathe
chair
thanks
sure
dig
quiet
offer
rest

Fighting about the..... toothpaste!

Write a piece in which two characters are fighting about stupid little things, and not the real thing (of course).

here are some prompt words:

slap
paw
napkin
drink
fit
upside down
nice
fingernails
tiny
sponge
button

2 tiny stories at the wonderful elimae:

Turn a Bad Job Into A Good Job Prompt

Write a story in which the main character has a bad job, but insists on only seeing the good in it! An example might be: your main character gets a job doing... telephone sales! What can this character "discover" in the job that is pleasing? Perhaps, it's the cute person in the pod next to them, perhaps it's the moment that someone doesn't hang up on them, or, maybe (if all else fails) it's that religious moment of escaping to the bathroom for a smoke!

prompt words:

tall
look
drop
flock
jacket
teen-age
fudge
hair loss
winter
aluminum
slip

microfiction prompt - just fine!

write a story max. 100 words, about how everything is perfectly fine! Dandy! Lovely! Just swell! Make sure that things in this narrative are NOT really swell, that the voice in the story is trying to hide the truth.