“Philosophers call this state of isolation and disconnection “species loneliness”—a deep, unnamed sadness stemming from estrangement from the rest of Creation, from the loss of relationship. As our human dominance of the world has grown, we have become more isolated, more lonely when we can no longer call out to our neighbors. It’s no wonder …
Tag: Writing Exercise
Prompt: The Forest’s Revenge
“Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.”― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants She was …
Prompt: Eyes from the River
“Would it have made a difference?This is the question we always ask after we have given up.”― Thomas King, The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative CW: implied suicide and guilt. Would it have made a difference? She wonders as she walks through the dark woods. She liked her night walks, they were the only way to …
Prompt: The Alien Question
“For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they …
Prompt: Suddenly Super!
"a woman who rented an office/ on the seventh floor of this nondescript building/ on Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles/ where I was meeting with a mitigator/ and the woman I was married to/ for seventeen years, who I had/ two kids with, and who was now divorcing me/ while simultaneously pointing out/ the name …
Prompt: Merfolk with a Twist
"I search for my mom,/ my head pounding,/ blood boiling like molten lava./ As I tread across the wet sand,/ it weighs down my feet,/ sticking to my shell-like glue." --Emerson Davis-Martin, Shrimp Hearts are in Their Heads Write a short story or flash fiction piece about a half-human, half-sea creature. Yes, you can write …
Prompt: Political Positions
"Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is." --Michelle …
Prompt: Superstitions
"You stack seven stones from smallest to largest and it's your wishes, your prayers. They represent the seven loves." --My Strange Neighbor My neighbor may believe a lot of things, like He's Jesus and Blue Jays are evil, but out of all the things he's said to me, this has resonated the most. What superstitions, …
Prompt: Breathing Wall-Paper
“I never saw a worse paper in my life. One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin.”― Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wall-Paper Many stories like House of Leaves and Monster House, depict the home as a living, breathing entity. Imagine your OC in a house with a secret. Pick an aspect of the house, …
Prompt: A Terrible Secret
“That's why crazy people are so dangerous. You think they're nice until they're chaining you up in the garage.”― Michael Buckley, The Sister's Grimm Book 1: The Fairy-Tale Detectives Anyone who watches CSI knows that psychopaths (or people with antisocial personality disorder) blend in easily with society. They could be your next door neighbor. They're the nicest person you …
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