Author: Charlottesville Writing Center

Charlottesville and central Virginia's most celebrated writing resource center. Founded in 1996, the CWC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that continually raises the bar for community stewardship in art and education every day.

Writing Prompt September 7, 2010

Mash Up

Take the first two songs you can think of and then start interweaving their lyrics to make a new song or poem.For example, the two songs I thought of immediately were “This One Goes out to the One I Love” by REM, and “Train Wreck” by Sarah McLachlin. I went to the liner notes (internet, really) and have started to mix them up. Mixing the music is not the point (unless you can).

Here’s my example. Not great. Not bad, but serviceable to give the idea.
“This one goes out to the one I love, cause I’m a train wreck waiting to happen.
Waiting for someone to come pick me up off the tracks, a simple prop to occupy my time…”

REM “This One goes out to the One I Love”

This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I’ve left behind
A simple prop to occupy my time
This one goes out to the one I love

Sarah McLachlin “Train Wreck”

Your love in all its finery
Tear up the darkness all around me
Until I can breathe again
Until I believe again

© CWC

Writing Prompt September 6, 2010

Is this story true or false? Pick one or the other and defend your position in five paragraphs or stanzas.

She had seen the penny there in the grass at the edge of the dirt track and had bent over to pick it up, when the dog flopped down in front of her thinking that she was going to rub his belly. No, it wasn’t a game. It was money. She got him up and then was browsing her fingers through the grass and could not find the penny. A couple of laps later when she finished her run she stopped at the site and thought to herself once more, “Maybe I can find that penny.” She bent down again and the her fingers caught the penny which had turned into a dime.

© CWC

Founder of CWC looks forward to chapbook pub in March 2011

http://sevenkitchenspress.wordpress.com/forthcoming-titles/heather-burns/

Between Careen and Caution. Number 12 in the Seven Kitchens Press Editor’s Series, selected by Ron Mohring and scheduled for publication in March 2011.

© CWC

Writing Prompt September 5, 2010

Change only one word in this famous phrase.
Keep riffing, changing only one word of the original phrase.

“Be still and know that I am God”

(source: Psalms 46:10)

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(PS: We are figuring out a way to post a private page in which you may post your works. It would be password protected. Interested? Next question– would you be willing to pay a small subscription fee for access to publish your work on this page? Like $5.00 once a quarter or something like that? Get in touch directly cvillewriter@mac.com)

Writing Prompt September 3, 2010

Use the following sentences, in this order, as the start of your 2, 3, & 4th paragraphs or stanzas:

— You’d think that if you were driving one of those practically invisible “smart cars,” that you would at least use your blinkers regularly to indicate you are turning.

— All three dogs flopped onto the floor and panted after their long walk around the neighborhood.

— “Better get some club soda at the store this afternoon.”

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Writing Prompt September 2, 2010

Here are a few things that happened on this day in history.

What will happen on September 2 in the year…….2015 or 2020 or 2100?

1666 The Great Fire of London broke out. It destroyed nearly 400 acres, including some 13,000 houses and the old St. Paul’s Cathedral.
1789 The U.S. Treasury Department was established.
1864 Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s forces occupied Atlanta during the Civil War.
1901 Vice President Theodore Roosevelt offered the advice, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair.

© CWC