Free Fall Friday – Contest

What a fun picture for the challenge this week! Thank you, Kathy, for finding this. There is much happening in this illustration to use for a fabulous story beginning. As for me, I am drawn to the frog in the basket and the stork. Which animal speaks to you and why?

This is a challenge you can have fun with, so let loose and go wild. Laugh. Be silly. Stretch your imagination. Now is the time. But before you begin to write that first line or beginning paragraph or even a first page, study every detail in the picture. To help you in this process, I suggest you do a writing exercise I refer to as In The Moment. When I am stuck with my writing, I slow down my thoughts and fears to focus on one thing: what is happening in the moment. I write a list in present tense, only listing exactly what I see. Do not put in thoughts or adverbs or possible motivations for the actions you see occurring. Save that for when you do your written response. For example, if I were to use the illustration for this week’s challenge, I would begin my In The Moment exercise like this:

In the moment, a bluebird sits on a loaf of French bread, while a brown bear blows bubbles in the bird’s direction. In the moment, a frog clings to the edge of a bicycle basket filled with loafs of bread: three loaves of French bread, and rolls, both white and pumpernickel. In the moment . . .

So now that you see what I mean, make your own list of what is happening, spend time savoring the image, and then free fall into your story.

I would really love to see your responses for this week. I know you can do this! As for me, I am once again in North Carolina, handling, among a number of challenges, a Skittle crisis. For this story, and why rejection has taken on new meaning for me, follow this link: http://betsydevany.wordpress.com/2011/03/18/the-rejections-that-truly-matter/

Have a great week, everyone! Betsy

Thanks Betsy – Talk tomorrow,

Kathy