(Image from Google Maps 2019)
For those of you new to these writing prompt blogs, for the next couple months, I will be posting blogs that are class assignments for my college course: Creative Writing Nonfiction. We are going through the book Writing True by Perl and Schwartz, and if you’ve been along for the ride, I highly recommend picking up this book if you haven’t already.
This week’s prompt is all about Places. The title is: “Writing about Place-In Four Parts”. In order to make sure I’m not just giving out all the prompts for free so you don’t need to purchase the book for yourself, I’ll only be listing two of the four parts.
Place
“A. Think of a place that interests you and write about it -first from memory, focusing on what makes this place vivid for you. Take 3-4 minutes max” (Pg. 16). (This place could be generic or personal: like a subway or your favorite toy store).
My Place: The Old Blue House (a house I used to live in during my childhood)
“It was always called ‘the old blue house’. I’m not sure why, but I’ve always called it that. I don’t remember where it started, but I just always called that house “the old blue house”. That is the place I first gained consciousness and was able to remember things for a longer period of time. It’s where I was introduced to my favorite video game series: The Legend of Zelda. It was the true first start of my life. Of course, I have some memories prior to the house, but the majority of my earliest memories come from this house and it’s the furthest I can recall back to and definitely say I remember certain things.”
(Just so you have a ‘B’ and ‘C’, I’ll make up my own prompts in between for you guys to respond to. I will not be responding to my own prompts though).
“B. If you have a connection to this place, write down everything you can remember about that connection. If you do not have a connection, make a list of every connection you wish you could have with this place.”
“C. Go somewhere and find out what people are saying about this place. Whether you scourge the internet or ask your friends and family, gather as many quotes and thoughts as you can and write them down below”
“D. Finally, start again, using at least one line, image, or phrase from A, B, and C and add a title” (Pg. 16).
“As I sit out on 8th avenue, across the street is the old blue house. It was always called “the old blue house”. I’m not sure why, but I’ve always called it that. Unfortunately, as we both grow up, we wear down. The house is greyish-green in color. Much like I soon will be with the fleetingness of life. It’s like looking at an old friend you used to know. An old blue friend. One who used to let you race your toy cars on the porch window sills. One who let you open it’s windows and throw food out the second story. One that you look back at through old VHS video cameras as a portal to the past. Now, I’m standing across the street. A stranger to this old house who is unable to enter without a fine for breaking and entering. I could had sworn I still could see some seeds I threw out into the street when I was 5 years old. I’m 22 now, and the house is 115. And as another car passes by, so does another memory.”
MayHeim 