Jun 19, 2014

Writing 101, Day Fourteen: To Whom It May Concern

Pick up the nearest book and flip to page 29. What jumps out at you? Start there, and try a twist: write in the form of a letter.

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Pick up the nearest book and flip to page 29. What’s the first word that jumps off the page? Use this word as your springboard for inspiration. If you need a boost, Google the word and see what images appear, and then go from there. 

Today’s twist: write the post in the form of a letter.

You have a number of options: you can write a letter to the word or an image, or an open letter to the world inspired by the word. You could pen a series of imaginary notes between you and a friend, or between two fictional characters, or between old you and young you.

Using a letter format can help you find new ways to build engaging scenes and stories. If your word was “Monday,” you could write:

I have a bad case of the Mondays.

But you could also write:

Dear Monday,

I admit it: I’m never happy to see you. I dread you in the morning, and on the drive to work, and from what I see on my Facebook feed, no one else likes you, either.

Get it together, Monday.

Sincerely,
Me

(Hat tip to Cheri for this brilliant summation of Mondays.)

For more inspiration, check out some of our favorite letters published on WordPress.com. A few recent letters to things, such as one addressed to cancer and another to a pair of boobs, might offer ideas.

Want some constructive critique or camaraderie? Head to The Commons.

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  14. It’s times like this when reading on my Kindle is kind of a drawback….I’ll just flip the pages 29 times and see what I come up with. This prompt and twist are too good to pass up though. Great stuff!

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  19. Care for a Hazel Grace letter eulogy-esque, anyone? I’ve been skipping assignments lately. Fast forward to Day 14. Hope you like it. 🙂

    “Do know that with every sunrise and sunset, I am reminded of you not because of how its majestic colors burst and break into the night sky like arrows shooting off in different directions, but by how the colors paint the whole sky perfectly, as if it were one color palette who had the misfortune of being mixed with all these lovely hues of red, orange, and yellow.”

    http://mmariagano.wordpress.com/2014/06/19/the-candles-wick/

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  24. the first book I got was a fairytale treasury with the word WITCH jumping off the page of the Hansel and Gretel story. I decided to grab a better book…I am sending TRUTH a love letter. Thanks for this prompt. Very helpful for someone who is trying to awaken the sleeping muse in me.

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