Writing prompt: the colour of spices
Colourful spices for sale in Fes, Morocco
In December 2011 my wife, daughter and I travelled extensively through magical Morocco. One of many interesting experiences was wandering through the medinas of the old parts of cities like Fes. The huge variety of things for sale was overwhelming, as were the sounds, aromas and the thronging crowds everywhere.
Such vibrant and exciting places. I wrote a great deal of poetry during our visit, along with an extensive daily journal.
Writing prompt: write about the foods you love, including the colours, aromas, textures and tastes. It could be in journal form, or poetry or even as a backdrop of a fictional piece, such as a short story.
Good writing.
Writing prompt: Autumn
Autumn leaves in Bright, Victoria
On a recent caravanning holiday in the high country of Victoria, Australia, we visited the beautiful town of Bright.
The trees in the district were magnificent, showing numerous colours of autumn.
Writing prompt: write about the colours of autumn in your part of the world. Perhaps a poem describing the colours, or a short story where the leaves of autumn play a significant part of the plot.
Write a poem every day
The Writers’ Digest magazine is currently promoting a Poem a Day challenge. Participants are encouraged to write a poem every day for the month of April. I think it’s a great idea to get people writing, and they have a writing prompt every day to help you along.
Part of the deal is that the prompt is posted every morning and poets can take it from there, writing whatever the prompt brings to mind. For the brave there is also the opportunity to share your poem on the blog site, inviting others to comment.
A few years ago a fellow poet went on an extensive trip overseas. She told me before leaving that her goal was to write a poem every day during her trip. That seemed like a great idea, so I borrowed the idea when my wife and I travelled Ethiopia (to visit our daughter), Morocco and Spain. We were away for 45 days and I wrote 55 poems so I exceeded my goal. Most of these poems were vignettes of sights we saw, or responses to our many wonderful experiences. The poems ranged in length from haiku through to longer works over 50 lines. It proved to be a very rewarding and creative time. You can read about my travels on Trevor’s Travels. You can also read some of my poetry here.
To find out more about the Poem A Day Challenge click here.
Links:
Writing prompt – sacred places
No Comments »27th February, 2013; Category: Fiction, Poetry, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Short Story Starters, Writing prompts
Inside the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco
The Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco is obviously a sacred place in that country, going by the number of people visiting the site during our tour. If it isn’t a sacred place, it is certainly a very special place to many Moroccans.
We all have our special places; some of them are quite sacred to us. One special place for me is the small hill in the Flinders Ranges in outback South Australia. The panoramic view of the Wilpena Pound mountains in the moonlight was a perfect place to propose to my girlfriend. More than 40 years later she is still my wife.
This mausoleum was a sombre place. The stunning beauty of the building added to the strong sense of place and occasion.
Writing prompt:
- What sacred, or special places do you have in your life; write about them, describing why they are special.
- Write accounts of special places you have visited.
- Write a story set around a place which is special or sacred to someone else – perhaps a place special to many people.
- Write a poem about a place which is very special to many people in your country.
Good writing.
Inside the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco
Inside the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco
Happy birthday to me
Flower in our garden
To all my regular readers I’m sorry there has been quite a delay since my last post here. I’ve been busy finishing off the academic year and getting snowed under a little with all the end of semester marking. Nearly there.
I ignored the assignments waiting for my attention today because it’s my birthday.
I had a relaxing day, didn’t pressure myself in any way, enjoyed the lovely spring sunshine and gentle breeze. The highlight of the day was chatting via Skype with my grandchildren in Sydney. Precious times. Nearly went out birding, but didn’t in the end. I did manage to get a few nice shots of some of the flowers in our garden. I find our native plants and flowers very inspirational for writing, especially poetry.
Flower in our garden