Today I am hosting the Words for Wednesday Challenge for the last time, and I'm going to reveal my method of choosing the prompts this month!
Yesterday, I posted a new section of my "Mindy Story" using my word prompts from the previous two weeks. I hope everyone has enjoyed using the words I have selected! Strangely enough, some of the prompts fit better into my own stories using a different connotation than the one I had originally been thinking of when I selected them! It's amazing how versatile the English language can sometimes be!
Words for Wednesday was a meme originally created by Delores of Under the Porch Light. She used this weekly writing prompt to encouraged others to write something creative. When she could no longer continue to host it, Elephant’s Child took over for a while, and then organized volunteers to share the responsibility. Drifting through Life hosted in July, Randomosity in August. During September the challenge has been posted here, and October's prompts will be created by Margaret Adamson and her friend Sue, but published on the blog Elephant's Child.
How to Participate in Words for Wednesday:
The writing prompt is usually in the form of six (or twelve) words, or a phrase, but may also be a photo, an idea, or anything that might inspire a piece of flash fiction.
There are no deadlines or rules or prizes. Everyone is invited to participate, as often or as little as you choose. Feel free to write a single sentence or an entire story from the prompt.
Publish your work in the comments below, or on your own blog with a link back to this blog post. If you publish your work on your own blog be sure to also leave a comment here. That way everyone can find, read, and comment on your post.
Note: As with any comments on this blog, anything considered inappropriate, derogatory, or offensive will not be published.
Here is the prompt for this week:
album, lunar, sparkle, furry, sconce, inquire
AND/OR
AND/OR
builder, contract, attend, ultimately, land line, fall
My methods, revealed!
I used to always wonder how Delores (and the others who have hosted this challenge) chose the words for the prompt. Suddenly it was my turn to host, and I
had to figure it out!
had to figure it out!
Part of the fun of writing from a prompt for me is seeing what direction the words will take a plot. I wanted to continue to participate in writing even during the month I was hosting Words for Wednesday, so I wanted to be sure I was not choosing words based on the story I have been writing. I really tried to clear my mind and not think about my story during the selection.
I used a random selection process to pick the words - no rocket science involved at all! Each week I spent just a couple of minutes looking around my house, or a newspaper or magazine for the first 12 words, subjects or sounds that caught my attention. I didn't really pay attention to how these words worked together, but I did try to ensure that in addition to nouns, there were at least a couple adjectives and verbs.
An easy-peasy process! Perhaps you might now even want to volunteer to host Words for Wednesday in a future month!
I hope you participate in this challenge, and don't forget to visit the website, Elephant's Child next month to continue to play along!
What is your opinion?
Was I successful in selecting inspiring word prompts?
This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!
Well done, Susan! Now I know . . . ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if my method is the one most people employ - but it worked for me!
DeleteI think you did a great job choosing the words. I like your method!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lana!
DeleteYou did well. Very well. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI am sadly lacking in inspiration today, but for what it is worth here is my take on the words.
We had a dream. We planned a new life for ourselves in a small and environmentally friendly house, nestled in the woods, sited so we could see the lunar cycle unfold through our windows. We had the land. We had the plans. We even had the money. Not riches, but enough.
Our house was going to be made of natural materials, wood and hand-crafted slate. We would be off the grid, cooking on a wood fire relying on candles and firelight. We had a builder. We had a contract with that builder. However, he didn't attend to the contract or to our repeated calls to either his landline or his mobile phone. His fall from grace was spectacular.
The sparkle had gone from our dream and the furry critters in that wood were the only residents. The album we bought to record progress had a before photo, and photo of the builder and his truck, and rather a lot of blank pages.
If we took legal action, our money would run out. Smacking him round the ears and shaking some sense into that thick sconce of his was a much more tempting option... Even pacifists have their limits.
Bravo, I especially like your use of sconce! Actually made me laugh! For lacking in inspiration you did a marvelous job I'd say. Also, I understand that you are taking over for next month, hooray I'll be joining in too, although not next week. This Sunday I'm flying to Alabama to spend the week with my daughter and family (my grand-daughter has the week off from first grade) and I'll get to have adventures with her all week. So my blogging will suffer, but I'll be back!
DeleteEC - your concept of lacking in inspiration is the level to which most of us aspire to achieve! I love this- and I hope it wasn't based on personal experience!
DeleteI like your selection method! The words you chose were good ones and gave me a bit of challenge to work into a current story or to create a completely new one. I like how the words often took me in directions I wouldn't normally go.
ReplyDeleteI love EC's contribution up there. I'd be smacking that builder around the ears too, unless he had a really, really good reason for for the nil progress.
I am glad you liked the words River - you always do such a nice job using the prompts, I would have hated to have failed you! Looking forward to seeing your efforts with these. I'm headed to you blog to see if you have something posted there :)
DeleteBravo, I like how you come up with the words! I enjoy putting all 12 words to use but at times it's not easy to find them or know where or when to post them. Here is where mine can be found.
ReplyDeletehttp://twincitiesblather.blogspot.com/2015/10/good-fences-in-forest.html
Karen S - I am sorry finding the published prompts has been confusing. Glad to see you here now, and I am headed over to your link for this week! Even the url looks interesting!
DeleteYou chose some great words! They even stumped me, but my mind is wore out tonight. It's been a long weekend here in the supposed land of the sun! Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteI haven't started writing with these word prompts yet either Rena - but I suspect some of them may be a little tough to work in! Hope I haven't made it too hard for everyone!
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