The English word "mirror" comes from the Latin mirari, to wonder or marvel at. We see our reflection, and this prompt is an opportunity to write from that gaze. We spend time combing, powdering and plucking in an attempt to control our image. The mirror can be a tool with which we work to tune our reflection before stepping out of the house. It takes very little imagination to consider a woman's makeup to be her, "warpaint." There are large changes in culture right now - a second look at the presentations of the past, a pull to reconfigure our lens of the present, demands for new … [Read more...]
Write the Change Challenge: Prompt #2 RELATIONSHIPS
How have you decided who to socialize with this summer? Whether you are deciding who is in your bubble, or figuring out how to see aging or immunocompromised relatives, has Covid changed who you trust? Some examples I have heard from friends is the couple who decided not to attend a family reunion because they could not come up with a set of health guidelines that everyone would agree to enact. There have been numerous times where my relationship with my 75 year old mother has reversed and I have been the "gatekeeper" and had to voice my concern about some of her decisions to see her … [Read more...]
Write the Change Challenge: Prompt #1 AMBITION
It is truly amazing to me that the changes we have been experiencing this summer have been slow to sink in. The gentle creep of time where suddenly I notice it is time to trim back the hedges again. To reshape what is overgrown. To take a look at the roots and decide what needs a touch-up, what is still relevant, and what can be discarded. In this series I am going to be focused on writing prompts that are rooted in the here and now, but that also allow us to consider the past and dream into the future. The first writing prompt is AMBITION. Our desire and determination to … [Read more...]
Writing Prompt: The Spirit
The word spirit comes from "spiritus" meaning breath (vs. latin "anima" which means the soul). There could be as many definitions of spirit as there are people to write them - but this writing prompt is about focusing on your own history. What were you taught about your spirit? Was it religious? Was it a quality like being a free spirit? Was there something sacred inside you? Some external examples of spirit are ghosts, fairies or angels. Writing prompt: Can you remember any fairy/ghost or angel stories from your childhood? What beliefs did you grow up with and were they … [Read more...]
Writing Prompt: Wearing Masks
The first masks were probably painted directly onto the face, and over time became reusable pieces of art to entertain with different personas and characters. Now that we all must wear masks in public it is interesting to think about the multiple layers we have on. Perhaps before it was lipstick or a clean shave and now wearing personal protective masks give us more anonymity, or less? Some masks reveal, some conceal. “Masks portray the human “life drama” in all its manifold aspects, especially the compelling, ambiguous, sometimes revelatory, and often treacherous search for the … [Read more...]
A Story About Seeing
I can remember the first time I realized I could not see – I was on a family drive rolling around in the backseat of my parent’s station wagon and they were talking about a billboard sign. I said I couldn’t read it – and then I had my eyes tested. The truth is if you don’t know you can’t see you just bumble around. That is just the way you see the world and until someone tells you otherwise, you think everything is normal and everyone sees the world the same way, with the same acuity. I had contact lenses when I was a teenager and was constantly losing them. They were expensive. When I … [Read more...]
Dharmalebrity: Celebrity and the Dharma
This is a short story called "Dharmalebrity" I wrote in 2017 and performed last year at Sacred Storytelling here in Los Angeles. The story centers around a Buddhist drug and alcohol recovery program and the intersection between celebrity (a religion in Los Angeles without tax-exempt status) and the dharma (the teachings of the Buddha). Listen to the audio recording on Soundcloud here, or below. … [Read more...]
Writing With Dreams
Our bodies create stories. Give yourself a minute to take that in. While we are unconscious, we weave narratives. One-third of our lives are spent sleeping. On average, we can dream anywhere from one to two hours every night. Moreover, we can have four to seven dreams in one night. Five minutes after the end of the dream, half the content is forgotten. After ten minutes, 90% is lost. How can we get to know ourselves in a new way by investigating our dreams? I've been keeping track of my dreams since I was a teenager, and even before then I had dreams that were recurring as a child. As … [Read more...]
Getting Back into Your Writing Practice
It is time to flip the switch to "ON" and get started. Here are my ideas on what works for finally making the decision to begin. Schedule a life-saver. Many people tell me that it is easier to get up earlier than to carve time out of their already existing schedules. Set an alarm for your appointment with yourself and your creative process. The time you choose should be when you are the most active mentally. Schedule your date and pretend it is your dialysis – your hookup to a life-saving process. Consider your writing time sacred but also realize that non-writing time is creative … [Read more...]
Revising Your Story from Concept to Stage
I have been trying to perform at more storytelling venues and I was lucky enough to be booked at the Sacred Storytelling show here in Los Angeles. The reason why I mention this is because I had a set deadline, and a set topic – surrender. All I had to do was write the piece. Going through that process, I am not ashamed to admit, took me seven drafts (!!!) not including my initial notes. In the process of honing my story, I realized how each phase of rewrites brought the topic to where I wanted it to be. Since it was a personal story, and one that is still emotional for me, I wanted to make … [Read more...]
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