August 25, 2008

WRITING PROMPT: What is your own Olympic talent?

In watching athletes from around the world compete for gold medals at the recent Olympic Games in China, it made me also think about other ways in which people can excel and demonstrate their talents.
Some of us, of course, have tremendous physical talents which can be applied in sports. But there are also other ways of demonstrating what is special in each of us. Some individuals have wonderful talent in relating to and interacting with other people -- their personalities are warm and engaging. Some people have a great sense of humor and know how to make people laugh and smile. Some people never give up no matter how hard the challenge and keep trying their best until they accomplish their goal, whether it's learning a new language or understanding a math problem -- they refuse to allow defeat in their lives. Other people are gifted dancers and musicians, and they deserve gold medals, too. Still others are gifted artists who write or draw or dance or act with great talent.

So now the big question -- what is your own special talent that sets you apart from others and which gives you a tremendous sense of pride about yourself? Yes, you have a talent, and now you need to think about what it is. Please share your gift with us.

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August 19, 2008

WRITING PROMPT: Rewrite Your Parents' Lives

What if we could rewrite the life stories of our parents or of those we love?
That is exactly what Nobel Prize-winning writer Doris Lessing has done in her new book about her parents, Alfred and Emily.
This is a book of two parts. The first half is a work of fiction about the lives she wished her parents did have, a life filled with happiness and fulfillment. The second part is the real version in which she explores the unhappy lives of her parents as she actually knew them.
What Lessing has done is what many of us often think of when we imagine what if such and such happened instead of what really did happen. Doesn't each of us at times try to imagine our life in a different way? Who wants, for example, to accept a sad or bad story when what we really want to have is a happy, wonderful story -- even if it's one we have to make up?
The wonderful thing about being a writer is that you can use your imagination to create different worlds from what you know. If you're feeling unhappy in real life, for examle, you might want to create a world in which you feel happy. If you are poor, you might want to imagine a story in which the characters are rich.
So, for this writing prompt, you have permission to change a story about your parents or yourself into something entirely different, the complete opposite if you wish. There is no one to stop you from creating the story that you really wanted to hear and read.
Please share your writings with us.

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