Friday Writings #190: Summerween!

 

Hello, word artists and admirers! As a tea person, I've learned to adore all the seasonal changes throughout the year. I'm loving the sound of cicadas as I walk my corgi and the late summer vibes that have settled into my part of the U.S. But I'd also be lying if I didn't say that a part of me isn't dreaming of cooler weather and Halloween in the fall. So why not appreciate both at once?

Say hello to Summerween! It was first mentioned on a cartoon called Gravity Falls, but has started taking off in popularity in recent years. Summerween is all about blending summer things with spooky vibes. You could make an argument that summer camp slasher movies were doing Summerween way before Gravity Falls. But I'd argue that Japan led the pack, celebrating summer spookiness since before the Edo Era (about 400 years ago).

I was unprepared for the amount of horror beach music that exists

--and how much fun they are!

So for today's optional prompt, I am suggesting getting into the Summerween spirit, writing something with both spooky and summery themes. I'm taking fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose. Just be sure to keep your pieces to 369 words or fewer, and one entry per person, please.

Next week, our optional prompt shall ask you to write on something small but beautiful.

 

Friday Writings #189: The Most Important Step

 

“The most important step a man can take. It’s not the first one, is it? It’s the next one. Always the next step…” ~ Brandon Sanderson

Some years ago, when I first read those words, in Branden Sanderson’s Oathbringer, my answer to that question was, “The first step”. But after having to start over again and again and again… I agree with the character in the book. First steps are vital—if we don’t start, nothing ever happens—but what really makes a difference is taking the next step, the one that says, This is me moving foward. 

So, my dear poets and storytellers, for today’s optional prompt, I invite you to write poetry or prose which explores the same question: What’s the most important step a person can take? 

photo by Harris Vo, on Unsplash

Add the direct link to your response to Mister Linky. One post per participant, please. 369 words maximum (excluding title). You may share old or new pieces of poetry or prose, write to the prompt or to a topic of your choosing. Visit other writers, and take the next step: Let your words show them how their words make you feel. 

next week, we’ll invite you to write poetry or prose inspired by Summerween (or scary things that happen in the summer). 

Friday Writings #188: Telling Scars

 

“Scars are stories, written on the body.” 
~ Kathryn Harrison

The other day, while waiting to see one of my doctors, two boys got into an argument over which of them had the most impressive scars. They were both scarred on the face and neck (that I could see) and trying to figure out which would make the best superhero, by reason of scar placement. I had been having a rotten day—my body was in pain—but the scar/superhero debate made it all better. The boys look so animated, so happy, so willing to just be. 

Few things make me happier than seeing people making the best of the bad life has served them. And because I wish to cultivate that feeling, for today’s optional prompt, I invite you to find a scar on your body (or in your mind/heart), and write poetry or prose inspired by it (how it happened, how it makes you feel, what it means to you...). If you don’t have any scars (hey, it could happen!), then find inspiration in the concept of scars. 

Please, add the direct link to your response to Mister Linky. One post per participant. 369 words maximum (excluding title). You may share old or new pieces of poetry or prose, write to the prompt or to a topic of your choosing. Visit other contributors. Comment on their words. 

next week, we will invite you to write poetry or prose which explores the following question: What’s the most important step a person can take?