In the Zoom-based generative writing workshops I teach, I give the students a short piece of writing— usually a flash memoir piece, a segment of a longer essay, or a poem— and after a bit of discussion of the writing, I’ll provide a timed writing exercise, we’ll all turn off our cameras, and we’ll WRITE. (Though if I’m honest, I can’t usually write from my own prompts anymore. It’s like tickling yourself. I usually just sit there narrowing down the possible readings and prompts I’ve thought of for the day. It’s part of my process.) I really enjoyed the most recent generative workshop I taught this past Saturday. A more congenial group I couldn’t hope to find!
So, I’ve decided it would be fun to offer a short piece of writing on Fridays (by me or by someone else) and a writing prompt. Paid subscribers can also feel free to post what they wrote in response to the prompt in the comments! [FYI, paid subscribers also receive a 10% discount on my 2023 Drop-In Generative Writing Workshops, or a 30% discount if you’re a founding member. There are four remaining workshops in that series.]
Below is the first piece and prompt. This piece first appeared in my collection The Itinerant Girl’s Guide to Self-Hypnosis (Brooklyn Arts Press, 2014), and it was reproduced in my chapbook Wild Apples, along with the prompt.
Bauhaus
When I was a teenager, I knew a thing or two. I stayed in my room being skinny and having bangs, listening to Bauhaus and lifting 3 lb. weights. I drew pretty good portraits of my own face. I learned to drive stick, and I would drive farther out into the suburbs to go to the mall and walk around drinking Dr. Pepper and chewing candy and being mildly disgusted with all the people, who seemed to be sinking of their own accord. On the way there I’d look for the Eagles on the radio, in order to demonstrate that the Eagles are always on the radio, and to further demonstrate that—for good or bad—my vocal range exactly matched that of one Don Henley. On the way back, I would listen to Heart or Fleetwood Mac, which reminded me of my childhood in the ‘70s, a time of honest belting and bad vibes. Boys at school would talk to me in class, and I guess I would just look at them or say something weird about The Sorrows of Young Werther or something, because after a while they’d get nervous and blurt out, “I guess that’s how people dress in Europe.” Then we’d both turn around, and class would start.
Prompt:
Write a piece about adolescence. Describe the character of you-as-teenager. Possible moments to capture: You hanging out in your room; you out in the world; you at school. Make some notes about scenes, habits, thoughts, or conversations that come to mind, and then build a piece around one or more of those. If it helps, after taking notes, set a timer for ten minutes and then start with “When I was a teenager …” Keep writing until the timer goes off!
Happy writing!
A note about spring classes at Muse:
Two online asynchronous courses are starting on March 13th:
Memoir in Collage// Instructor: Megan Baxter
This class will guide you through crafting a memoir from life’s twists and turns. A collaged approach to memoir composes a narrative through fragments and found items, building a story from many smaller pieces. March 13-April 17, $300 (Five spots left!)
Stringing the Beads: Writing Your Personal Essay// Instructor: Joanna Penn Cooper
This guided four-week online course is for intermediate to experienced writers of nonfiction who are interested in workshopping an ongoing or new essay project in an online group setting. March 13-April 9, $240 (Three spots left!)
And two other courses are starting in April:
Shapes of Stories// Instructor: Nancy McCabe
This course will help you expand your writer’s tool kit by experimenting with a variety of structures—everything from straightforward, traditional presentations to offshoots of the lyric essay, such as braids, collages, and “hermit crab” essays. April 17-June 25, early bird price of $475 through March 20th!
The Thirty-Minute Memoir// Instructor: Joelle Fraser
In this eight-week course, manageable daily writing assignments will help you break down the task of writing a memoir. April 17-June 11, $475
Read up on these three new instructors joining me via Creative Nonfiction. They are dazzling!