Weekend Writing Prompt – Smuggle

Published December 12, 2021 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s comment section. Thanks for the challenge, Sammi!

Original Artwork © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
One of my therapists suggested I illustrate my feelings during this particularly ugly and potentially lethal time in my life.

CIRCLES IN THE SPIRAL

Denise and I used aspirin to punish our hungry stomachs. Did you know you can get high on mega doses of plain old Bayer? Or that you could be addicted to them?

Once when she was in treatment, I smuggled the contraband in a baggie in my large Diet Coke.

Oh, we had lots of tricks up our sleeves next to our boney arms.

Killer ideas.

**Not one of my prouder moments. Denise wasn’t her name and I’m not sure if she’s still alive. 😦

Weekend Writing Prompt – Portmanteau

Published September 26, 2021 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s Comment Section.

I’ll admit to being on the grammar police squad. My mother instilled it in me early in life.

“Ain’t isn’t proper English.”

It’s “they were” NOT “they was.” And “was you?” No way. No how.

“I seen it” makes me cringe.

I beg you on bended knees, for the sake of my bleeding ears, refrain from committing such grammatacide.

***

Dictionary.com defines a portmanteau word as one that combines the form and meaning of two other words. Hence “grammatacide” is mine. 😉

Weekend Writing Prompt – Oasis

Published August 1, 2021 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s Comment Section.

I’ve been MIA re the Weekend Writing Prompt for the past couple of weeks. Between art shows, extreme heat, it’s been an insane roller coaster ride.

ON THE ALTAR

The promising manuscript

Hailed by beta readers

As my opus

Has been spurned by the major and minor leagues.

Dreams laid aside

For the moment

I sequester in my oasis

With watercolors and an antique photograph

Comforted by my grandmothers.

The photo was taken around the end of the 19th century in Eastern Europe. I used the photo as a model for my first novel’s book cover. Now I’m painting the “real thing.” The ladies are my grandmother Nettie and great grandmother Edith.

WEEKEND WRITING PROMPT – SOLITUDINARIAN

Published May 9, 2021 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s comment section.

Over the past year and a half I’ve carefully avoided the C word or any issues surrounding it. There are plenty of rants, whines and opinions raging without adding my own. However this week’s word (after looking it up) elicited my unavoidable response. Seriously I do enjoy social interaction to a degree, but find a lot of it exhausting. Thanks for adding to my vocabulary, Sammi. It actually does describe me to a degree.

WHAT’S A FOURTEEN-LETTER WORD FOR INTROVERT?

When asked in a Zoom interview if quarantine had adversely affected me, I carefully considered my reply.

“In all honesty, my life hasn’t changed much.” I grinned at the young man on my screen. “I paint. I write.”

“Is there any social activity denied you that you really miss?”

I thought about my morning walk to the shut-down fitness center to gaze longingly at the empty pool. “Now that you mention it—swimming laps. Not very social, huh?”

“Do you consider yourself antisocial?”

“I prefer to call myself a solitudinarian.”

CLICK to see the interview. My part begins about 11:55

Disclaimer: The preceding conversation doesn’t actually appear in the video. 😉

WEEKEND WRITING PROMPT – WAYWARD

Published May 2, 2021 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s Comment Section.

FUTURE AUTHOR

Mrs. Ervine’s glaring stare bores through me. “What is the capital of Texas?”

My nine-year-old heart crashes against my ribcage. “T?”

“Not funny.” The teacher leans into my face. “If you’d been paying attention, you’d know it’s Austin. How many times do I have to tell…?

I knew it would one day catch up with me. Daydreaming. Wayward thoughts cavorting in space, ever colliding…

“Miss Wisoff, what did I just say?”

“Could you repeat it, Mrs. Ervine?”

WEEKEND WRITING PROMPT – RESTLESS

Published April 24, 2021 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it Sammi’s Comment Section.

Click to hear the author read. Download

It’s zero-dark-thirty in the blessed AM

She’s awake and restless,

Her mind ablaze with random ideas.

Nightlife?

Fuhgettaboutit!

So I’m trying Block Editor this morning. Some things don’t work the way I want them to. I’ve tried aligning things to the center and they don’t. Happy early morning to y’all. Shalom, Rochelle

So I’m trying this with Block Editor. There are some features I like and some I really DON’T! At any rate, I’ve a lot to learn. So having said that, I’ll say Shalom and Good morning! Rochelle

Weekend Writing Prompt – Absurd

Published April 4, 2021 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s Comment Section.

INNER CHILD

Blind contour drawing. How absurd does that sound? I never cared for the exercise in school and I’m not sure how I feel about it now. The drawing is done in one continuous line without looking.

Recently I did one at a workshop. The instructor asked how I felt about it.

“Vulnerable,” I said. “Like a child.”

“Mission accomplished,” she replied.

Here’s the one I did in the workshop this past Wednesday.

Below is what I did this morning. The instructor suggested I try more contour drawings and add watercolors to them. It is kind of a fun exercise…not sure how I feel about it as an artform. 😉

Weekend Writing Prompt – Crucible

Published January 9, 2021 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s Comment Section

As I’d hoped, this week’s word is perfect for the sequel to my last week’s kvetch and moan piece. 😉 Thanks, Sammi.

Genre: Just the facts, Ma’am.

OLD BOUCHERVILLE

“This photo’s amazing, Dale. I’m tempted to paint it.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not sure I can pull it off.”

Dale’s photo with its stellar composition and unique lighting rented space in my head, refusing to leave.

The preliminary sketch took days. And, oh those many trees.

What am I thinking?

My trial by fire didn’t end with the watercolor. The paper, nothing I’d used before, was a cotton rag with its own personality—my crucible, challenging every stroke.

When all is said and done, I’ll never ever be a fan of that paper, but I am pleased with the outcome.

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Weekend Writing Prompt – Languid

Published December 20, 2020 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s Comment Section.

Once more the word sent me down Memory Lane. 😉

MATHEMATICAL STATEMENT

My mind often wandered to fantasy worlds while my languid eyelids drooped during Science or Math classes.

However, my ninth-grade Algebra teacher, Mrs. Bredehoft, with her southern charm did her best to make her classes interesting.

No one could top her when she burst through the door with, “Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! We’re having a pop quiz today!”

*You just can’t make some things up.*

Weekend Writing Prompt – Bequeath

Published November 8, 2020 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s Comment Section.