Drama: December 11, 2013 Issue [#6024] |
Drama
This week: Using the Power of Prompts Edited by: Joy More Newsletters By This Editor
1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.”
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
“I turned silences and nights into words. What was unutterable, I wrote down. I made the whirling world stand still.”
― Arthur Rimbaud, A Season in Hell/The Drunken Boat
“Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break.”
― William Shakespeare, Macbeth
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is on writing from prompts.
Your Drama Newsletter Editors: zwisis NickiD89 kittiara Joy
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
Note: In the editorial, I refer to third person singular as he, to also mean the female gender, because I don't like to use they or he/she. |
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
Writing prompts kick start our creativity as a hidden resource for the writing process. If we are writing from a prompt, the quality of our writing will reflect the time and forethought we put into what the prompt is about or what it suggests to us to get our creative juices flowing.
There are several reasons for using writing prompts. One reason is if we want to write something and find that we are out of ideas, we can use a prompt. A prompt is the perfect medicine when faced with a blank page or screen; it gives us an idea or a topic for a piece.
Another reason is because we may feel stumped while writing something else. In such a situation, we can put aside that writing and pick a prompt and write, even if what we write may be disjointed and incomplete. Then we can come back to our original writing and continue, with our minds feeling refreshed.
In addition, what we write in response to a prompt can create valuable material in itself. It always surprises me how many ideas and how different avenues surface, once I start.
Another good reason is getting into the habit of writing regularly by using prompts as a daily or weekly exercise regime.
Plus, prompts are a great way to get involved in a writing community, such as Writing.com. When you look around our site at any given time, you’ll see several contests going on, with most of them offering prompts.
Writing prompts can come in several forms.
As a single word such as: tree
As single unrelated words put together such as: autumn, love, accident
As the start of a story or essay: A scream echoed through the house. She heard the sound of footsteps running out of the front door, and a noise that she couldn’t decipher
As one single sentence or an unfinished sentence: She took a bite out of the cherry pie, but…
As a quotation, a proverb, an excerpt from another writing, a song lyric, book titles, and personal objects: “Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” by Oscar Wilde
As a question: What was your last train trip like?
As a musical prompt: Listen to a children’s song or the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven from beginning to end and write a story that includes your impressions.
As a picture prompt:
Write a story or a poem using this picture:
Writing well requires several skills that develop with time, but the understanding of a writing prompt is fairly easy to learn, for it goes hand in hand with reading comprehension. In order to successfully respond to a prompt, we need to analyze the prompt as the critical part of the piece we are writing.
To start with, it is a good idea to read the prompt three times and jot down our impressions of it at each time. Then we’ll need to ask some questions about the prompt and write one-sentence answers to each question. Some questions to ask are:
What is the purpose of this prompt?
What form of writing does it require: essay, fiction, poetry? Which genre?
How much and what kind of research do I need to make?
If I add other details or arguments to the prompt, would it take away from the importance of the prompt? This question is especially important for essay writing.
Who will be the audience and what will be the audience expectations for my piece?
If we are writing non-fiction such as essays, we ought to look carefully at the clues in the prompt.
A narrative essay is needed when some words are used, such as: Explain, Define, Classify, Describe, Tell about your experience.
A persuasive essay is needed when words are used, such as: Compare and contrast, Convince, Give your opinion, Choose a point of view, What is your position on this issue, Argue for or against.
As writers we love the sound and the flow of words. We aspire to find the perfect combination of them so they feel functional and beautiful. Using prompts is a viable practice that helps us to develop a feel for coming up with such words and impressive writing.
Writing,com has a prompts page we can use and also prompt apps we can purchase for our smart phones and other devices.
Prompts page:
Prompts
Writing.com prompts apps:
writing-prompts
WdC-character-prompts
Wishing you all a very happy and productive holiday season…
Until next time... |
Enjoy!
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter! https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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This Issue's Tip: Since drama is emotion, and emotion is drama, .if you want to show an emotion in a scene or a poem, first make a list of what kind of forces can set that emotion going.
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writetight
Your newsletter on clichés hit the nail right on the head! Oops.
Thanks, Dan.
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Red Writing Hood <3
Loved all the quotes that accompanied the newsletter. The S.M. Blooding one is the one all writers should have posted on their walls! :D
True. Thanks, Red.
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ANN Counselor, Lesbian & Happy
The next writing I want to accomplish is Writing Drama. A local theater group likes my stories and wants me to write plays for them, especially ten minute plays. AS soon as I get my selfpublishing of my work finished; am now on third one, I will learn drama writing. I appreciate any help.... ann
Best of luck with the publishing process, and as the cliché goes: Practice makes perfect.
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Fi
Thanks for featuring my article.
My pleasure.
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BIG BAD WOLF is Howling
Submitted Item:"What's Behind Me?" [13+] by BIG BAD WOLF is Howling
Try dealing with the saying "The creature's right behind me, isn't it?"
I can't begin to imagine, let alone deal with "a creature behind me."
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Reading Recommendation: A book with drama
If you have a recommendation, a few words on a book or a product review, send it to me or to this newsletter. I'll highlight it here.
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