Prompt: Begin by listing your favorite words... then write a story using ALL of them!
bilious
Ulster
jiggle
unanimous
sylvan
Under cover of night, in the County Ulster, the parent-teacher association was attempting to solve the problem of rebellious teenagers. The problems with rebelliousness were innumerable: drugs, sex, yes, and rock and roll. A storm was rolling in from the sea, and the sylvan country was enveloped in thick cloudfall.
The committee unanimously voted against further rebellious attitudes, and was about to enjoy Ms. Heb's Jell-O mold.
All gave an abrupt start as they heard a great, jarring roar!
"The storm," Ms. Heb said, as she held the Jell-O mold. But when it happened once more, only louder and clearer, she jumped and the Jell-O mold flew upward, jiggled in mid-air, and was soon covering the heads of several members.
A dark creature growled into the window. Ms. Bruin and Ms. Heb gave a scream, but the rest were too startled to do or say anything. They sat frozen. The dark creature burst through the window, all hair and teeth. His claws grasped Ms. Heb, his body filled the room with a bilious stench. Ms. Heb fainted in her terror, and looked as though she were dead already. The dark creature stood in the center of the PTA meeting room and loosed another shattering roar. Ms. Bruin and several other members at this moment could hold themselves together no longer, and also gave way to a faint. The remainder were simply stunned and staring in horror, for the beast, at least 8 feet tall was sniffing Ms. Heb's face. He growled in a small way, and set her down. Apparently he had decided she was already dead. For the first time, he looked around.
What he saw was half a dozen corpses with their brains gushed out (for the creature was, as of yet, unaware of the existence of Jell-O). He thirsted only for live blood. Curse his ill luck for entering the only room in his radius which contained only the already-dead.
He dropped Ms. Heb and climbed back through the shattered window in search of those still waiting to be made victims.
When the committee members finally came to, they all agreed that this had been their most productive meeting yet, however, to this day they cannot stand the sight of a Jell-O mold.
[Update 10/24: Aaaand let's say Ms. Bruin's husband is both an expert hunter and the county sheriff, who took action the moment his wife called with an alert of a blood-thirsty, hairy, toothy monster on the loose. He saw the creature as it was headed down West Grube Street, and followed in his car. One well-placed shot was the end of the potentially long and gory saga that no amount of Jell-O could have fixed.]
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Judging Journeys to God
Prompt: Go off on a rant
Today, a friend's Facebook status said something about the existence of God. She said it with little punctuation, with spelling errors: three or four vicious lines about how obvious it was that no God ever did, does, or will exist.
I am generally annoyed and disappointed with public thoughts that reflect the same self-evident approach to the existence of God, usually focusing on some piece of creation and then insulting atheists.
They have no idea how long and hard the other has looked, only to come to the end of their ability and finally hit the ground in despair, usually at the edge of the faith leap. Those who see God there must realize how distinctly close they were to the edge of unbelief. And others arrive at the edge, and cannot lift their heads because of shame.
Who is either the atheist or the believer to call the other ignorant? The journey is treacherous. They may have arrived at either decision with only the faintest of guiding lights, and with great pain and sorrow.
Self-evident, indeed.
The way is narrow.
Today, a friend's Facebook status said something about the existence of God. She said it with little punctuation, with spelling errors: three or four vicious lines about how obvious it was that no God ever did, does, or will exist.
I am generally annoyed and disappointed with public thoughts that reflect the same self-evident approach to the existence of God, usually focusing on some piece of creation and then insulting atheists.
They have no idea how long and hard the other has looked, only to come to the end of their ability and finally hit the ground in despair, usually at the edge of the faith leap. Those who see God there must realize how distinctly close they were to the edge of unbelief. And others arrive at the edge, and cannot lift their heads because of shame.
Who is either the atheist or the believer to call the other ignorant? The journey is treacherous. They may have arrived at either decision with only the faintest of guiding lights, and with great pain and sorrow.
Self-evident, indeed.
The way is narrow.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Sorry, Bugs
Prompt: If you could be any animal...
I wouldn't. I love my life. But I wonder what the bugs must think. I hope they don't have higher orders of processing. Honestly, it seems unlikely. But, oh! the horror if they knew how despised they are on the girl's side of the residence hall.
People scream at the sight of them. So unclean are they, the little black bugs with an orange, striped pattern on the back, that a girl under 18 will never be found to touch one, indeed, will not even suffer being in the same room as one. They are the root cause of such upheaval, that they must feel the weight of their presence, their sheer unwanted-ness.
When a girl does muster the courage to touch one, it is only by force of a shoe, or a box of tissues, thus ending the life of the unappreciated being.
It's wrong, bugs, and I'm sorry.
I wouldn't. I love my life. But I wonder what the bugs must think. I hope they don't have higher orders of processing. Honestly, it seems unlikely. But, oh! the horror if they knew how despised they are on the girl's side of the residence hall.
People scream at the sight of them. So unclean are they, the little black bugs with an orange, striped pattern on the back, that a girl under 18 will never be found to touch one, indeed, will not even suffer being in the same room as one. They are the root cause of such upheaval, that they must feel the weight of their presence, their sheer unwanted-ness.
When a girl does muster the courage to touch one, it is only by force of a shoe, or a box of tissues, thus ending the life of the unappreciated being.
It's wrong, bugs, and I'm sorry.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Stream of Consciousness
Prompt: Something that grows
trees
plants
children
affection
"There can be no life without growth."
Growing... I think... that I am in awe of how wrong first impressions can be. Affection grows. All my favorite people who are not family have become dear through a process comprised of much time.
Oh, Lord, make me loving! Is it the caffeine in my veins that makes me more aware of faults, and less aware of what matters most to You? Forgive me my anxiety. Now I know why David prayed for You to know his anxious thoughts. They crowd me out, invaders.
One of the school counselors says that a good goal in teaching is to become a non-anxious presence.
trees
plants
children
affection
"There can be no life without growth."
Growing... I think... that I am in awe of how wrong first impressions can be. Affection grows. All my favorite people who are not family have become dear through a process comprised of much time.
Oh, Lord, make me loving! Is it the caffeine in my veins that makes me more aware of faults, and less aware of what matters most to You? Forgive me my anxiety. Now I know why David prayed for You to know his anxious thoughts. They crowd me out, invaders.
One of the school counselors says that a good goal in teaching is to become a non-anxious presence.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Advice to Men in Search of Ladies
Prompt: Give advice to the opposite gender
- If a girl treats her friends poorly, don't expect to have better treatment because you are a boy. Eventually, you will be in the same stressed and demeaned boat.
- Asking a girl out takes incredible bravery. If the girl rejects you, it could be a test of strength: how do you react to rejection? Are you going to withstand the roller coaster of a relationship? Or, she may not be that into you. (And, impossibly, there's a good chance that she doesn't even know which reason it is.)
- Don't let some rejection stop you forever.
- Don't always take other people's advice.
- Sometimes you are going to need other people's advice.
- George MacDonald said that men should marry women whose faces are not stunningly beautiful. Age and wisdom will then add beauty, whereas stunning faces fade with age. (I know he said this in earnest, yet part of me would be irate if I were his wife reading that.)
- It is possible to pay for the meal, and open the door, and still not be a gentleman.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Free Write Notebook
In my writing class, I require 10 minutes of most days be devoted to free writing. I try to participate in this time, as well. After 2.2 years of teaching this class, I have finally completed my first free write notebook, filled with prompts and my own responses. I'll be mining it and posting my favorite entries with the label "notebook." Especially if you're a writing teacher, find the prompts I use highlighted at the top of notebook posts.
Here is one:
Prompt: Respond to "Fog" by Carl Sandburg. How have you experienced nature recently?
The rain fell like it does: indifferently.
The streams rose and rose.
Falling asleep under down I heard
each passing car play its lullaby of tires,
water, road.
In our small tent, I woke up to the crashes of thunder. At first, they had not mattered. They were just background rhythms in my dreams. But then, we were all awake. Angela looked about; I could see her fright in the lightning flashes. And, for no good reason, this was hilariously funny to me. I began to laugh hard. We had to decide whether we would remain in the tent, dry, but perhaps electrocuted, or retreat to the car, getting soaked, but staying whole, and with less danger of trees crashing on our canvas-covered heads.
I stopped laughing when I was shivering in the car, unable to sleep.
Here is one:
Prompt: Respond to "Fog" by Carl Sandburg. How have you experienced nature recently?
The rain fell like it does: indifferently.
The streams rose and rose.
Falling asleep under down I heard
each passing car play its lullaby of tires,
water, road.
In our small tent, I woke up to the crashes of thunder. At first, they had not mattered. They were just background rhythms in my dreams. But then, we were all awake. Angela looked about; I could see her fright in the lightning flashes. And, for no good reason, this was hilariously funny to me. I began to laugh hard. We had to decide whether we would remain in the tent, dry, but perhaps electrocuted, or retreat to the car, getting soaked, but staying whole, and with less danger of trees crashing on our canvas-covered heads.
I stopped laughing when I was shivering in the car, unable to sleep.
The Longest Day of My Life
Prompt: describe the longest day of your life
[A story of when I was returning from a mission trip in Australia at age 15. More significant events took place, but this one sticks close in my memory.]
Technically, it would be the day you cross the international dateline, right? What could make that set of flights longer? How about a 24-hour virus that caused you to fill your sick bag every time you experienced turbulence?
While all your friends gleefully bought kangaroo jerky at the Sydney airport, you put your head between your knees and tried to disappear from earth. But, no, you had to line up to go through passport check? or something, and then security, where you discover too late that you had a water pistol in your backpack. But what's worse than holding up the security line for an inadvertent water pistol? Your friend being stopped instead, by mistake. As security searches her extensively, you once more wish to disappear, because of course you aren't thinking about your stupid, delaying-everyone water gun that could have righted the whole situation. You're looking for a trash can to throw up in.
Then everyone in your group of 72 has to board late, and the plane had to wait, and so you're last in the queue to take off, and when you finally arrive in Dallas, you're feeling great, but a little tired from living two days.
[A story of when I was returning from a mission trip in Australia at age 15. More significant events took place, but this one sticks close in my memory.]
Technically, it would be the day you cross the international dateline, right? What could make that set of flights longer? How about a 24-hour virus that caused you to fill your sick bag every time you experienced turbulence?
While all your friends gleefully bought kangaroo jerky at the Sydney airport, you put your head between your knees and tried to disappear from earth. But, no, you had to line up to go through passport check? or something, and then security, where you discover too late that you had a water pistol in your backpack. But what's worse than holding up the security line for an inadvertent water pistol? Your friend being stopped instead, by mistake. As security searches her extensively, you once more wish to disappear, because of course you aren't thinking about your stupid, delaying-everyone water gun that could have righted the whole situation. You're looking for a trash can to throw up in.
Then everyone in your group of 72 has to board late, and the plane had to wait, and so you're last in the queue to take off, and when you finally arrive in Dallas, you're feeling great, but a little tired from living two days.
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