Writing Prompt for February
Writing Sprints - how to do them, plus a very quick exercise
‘Word sprints’ are about writing quickly, often to a prompt – 10-15 minutes is perfect. You should be able to incorporate a sprint into most days, however busy. During the commute is perfect - assuming you’re not driving! - or during a lunchbreak or even while waiting for food to heat up in the oven or microwave. You may be able to break it into two halves if time is very short, eg start the task and then continue later.
Sprint Rules
During a sprint, don’t think too hard at first, just slap down words in whatever order feels right for now. Consider it like taking dictation from the universe or automatic writing. Famous Irish Poet W.B. Yeats was a huge believer in automatic writing and in the poet being a kind of ‘medium’ between the universe and the poem.
Once you have a few words down and things are starting to take shape, or perhaps you have the pressing sense of a new direction, you can begin to sculpt away any excess until the true work underneath is revealed.
Michaelangelo used this technique – he believed the statue was already inside the stone, and all he was doing as an artist was chipping away at extraneous matter until he had revealed the natural sculpture within.
How To Sprint
If the first 5-10 lines go well, continue to the natural end or break of the poem or piece of writing, even if that means ignoring the time limit, then put the draft aside for editing later.
If the lines feel flimsy or pointless once you’ve written 5-10 lines, discard that attempt, wait a short time – maybe do some housework or gardening, or read a book – and then start your timer again with a brand-new prompt.
Don’t be too serious about this exercise, or feel it is defining or limiting your writing approach unfairly.
It’s not about changing the way you’ve always written. It’s about forcing the subconscious to discover new ways of striking sparks off the flint – or discovering the shape hidden within the marble.
February Sprint
Write a poem, screenplay scene or short piece of narrative prose in which the sight, colour or scent of LILACS is central to the story.
For extra inspiration and fiendishness, try to incorporate two or more of the following elements in your writing:
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Monkey puzzle tree
Clogs
Tarot card
Key
Gunshot
Snakeskin
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Now, let me know how it goes in the comments…