Tag Archives: feedback

A Short-Lived Passion

Cafe-Writing January (Fresh!): Timed Writing

Take nine minutes (use all nine, but don’t go over), and write on the subject of short-lived passions. This is a timed exercise and it’s expected that it won’t be perfect. Any format – fiction, essay, verse – is welcome.

I chose to write a story in only 140 characters, including spaces (in the tradition of Twitter).

I licked my lips and considered: a double-layer 9-inch chocolate-on-chocolate cake, all mine. And then my son tugged my arm and we moved on.

Does this interest you at all as a piece of writing? As a story? I am interested in feedback as to how I can improve capturing a scene.

Please note that I didn’t edit it at all once the nine minutes was over.

(Inspired by my chocolate-on-chocolate birthday cake.)

Writer’s Block

I wrote something dumb recently. When I reread it and noticed how ridiculous it was, I threw it out in shame. Now, I’ve been having a hard time writing anything. I just can’t approach writing this week.

I think I’m afraid that whatever I create will be mediocre — a problem I’m sure will be true. This blog wasn’t intended to be for polished writing. I’m so out of practice, anything I write will be mediocre.

I realize that I am an amateur writer. As a child I was full of creativity. I wrote stories, I wrote in a journal, I wrote plays, and I generally remained creative. I haven’t had any forums for my creativity lately. I desire some of those “creative juices” so I can be the writer I want to be.

I started this blog to force myself to be accountable — to have a forum where I felt I must answer the internal call to write. I thought I’d respond to the online writing prompts and that would help me become better. In some respects, it’s been good to respond. In others, I don’t see it helping. I don’t want people telling me “Well done!” or “I understand” all the time because that won’t help me. At the same time, I’m terrified of being told that I’m a lousy writer and that my images are ridiculous or silly.

I realize that I need an audience in mind when I write: I need a purpose to what I’m writing. Writing “for the world” via a blog is not necessarily working for me.

I’ll be back on this blog. But first I need to figure out why I’ve started it, and I need to get past this week of writer’s block.