Today, write about a loss. The twist: make this the first post in a three-post series.
By Write about a loss: something (or someone) that was part of your life, and isn’t any more.
This doesn’t need to be a depressing exercise; you can write about that time you lost the three-legged race at a picnic. What’s important is reflecting on this experience and what it meant for you — how it felt, why it happened, and what changed because of it.
Today’s twist: Make today’s post the first in a three-post series.
Our blogs are often made of standalone posts, but using them to take readers on longer journeys is an immersive experience for them — and you. It allows you to think bigger and go deeper into an idea, while using a hook that keeps readers coming back.
A series can take many forms:
- Recurring features of the same type of post, like The Stakes’ Game of Thrones recaps or Chronicles of an Anglo-Swiss’ responses to daily prompts.
- Posts on the same topic, where each builds on the last, like Literature and Libations’ multi-part posts on becoming a beer writer.
- Fiction, where each post gives readers the next chapter or a new story, like the work at Flashes in the Pan and 300 Stories.
We also have advice that might help. If you decide to go serial, we’ve got days scheduled later in Writing 101 for parts two and three, so don’t worry about writing everything now or having to shoehorn the other posts in.
You only need to write the first post in the series today — we’ll let you know when it’s time for the next installment.
Looking for feedback on your new trilogy? Head to The Commons.
The Daily Post 
This will be interesting! I started a story on the Day 2 assignment titled “Miss Simone’s Salon”, so I might continue that theme and create a short story. Oh the options!
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Lost – Part #1 – http://whisper2scream.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/loss/
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I liked it! You might want to break up your paragraphs into smaller ones. Even though they’re not long, you provide a lot of imagery, and for me, the entire paragraph was almost too much to take in at once.
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Thank you for the feedback…it’s very much appreciated. I’ll give that a try on a future revision. I think you might be right. Time to experiment a bit.
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Im new on here and i was wondering if yall could check out my posts i would really appreciate it 🙂
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Can you add a link to your comment? That would make it easier for us to click over and read! Thanks!
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Just click on her name above and it will take you to her blog. She just wants feed back on the posts in general, I believe.
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I’ve just left you a comment 🙂
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Reply to Writing 101: Serially Lost Part One: H1 http://impossiblebebong.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/h1/
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This took more time and effort than expected. http://eadamsgrace.wordpress.com/2014/09/17/writing-101-serially-lost/
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I could see the fictional approach that you have taken to be more exhaustive. Having said that, I struggled with mine a bit but for the opposite reason 🙂
http://sugarcoatingsince91.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/day-4-in-loving-memory/
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Does losing your identity ever get easier? Life is a wild ride I think that we can all agree. Imagine waking up one day and never being yourself again. This happens to people all the time. It does not matter if your fat, thin, pretty, short or tall. Loss of identity does not discriminate. Who is this thief that has the capabilities to sneak in and take away someone’s identity? The thief wears several disguises. Missing myself, more information to come on later blog posts.
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I was scrolling through the comments and my eye caught this one- I can really relate! I just spent a semester abroad and figured a lot of things out about myself, but also lost a lot of who I thought I was as well, so this short piece really spoke to me =)
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If this is your response to today’s exercise, make sure you publish if on your own blog 🙂
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Hi everyone, this is mine for today’s assignment, http://dx0330.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/serially-lost-the-light-goes-out/
Yes, it is part one of a trilogy, (I just haven’t mentioned it very clearly) … Please feel free to leave a comment telling me if the flow was okay (I think I ended it too suddenly, but I didn’t want to have it too long and bore some) and if the ending was too abrupt for your tastes or not,
Cheers,
~ dx0330
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I’ve got so many questions. I want to know where this is headed. More! More! More! I enjoyed reading. Simple and sweet. I have to agree, it felt a little rushed at the end. I struggle with endings myself. Watch your verb tense agreement: ” … that if I got off the train, I won’t be allowed back on.” Change won’t to wouldn’t. Thanks for sharing. I’m ready for more:)
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http://rabianajmkhan.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/guilt/
Here goes.
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Hi!
Here’s the link to the first part of my story in accordance with the prompt:
http://towardaforestofeucalyptus.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/stray-voltage-i/
Do let me know your thoughts on the same.
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No one of perfect person. We all have done some mistake at one point of our lives at least. I lost a friend because of my own wrong doing.
He’s one of my dream reader, and my biggest mistake of my school life.
http://wp.me/p4QnIR-m
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http://thabori.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/the-beauty-of-sunsets-lies-in-the-hope-of-sunrise/
>>> please read my story if you have the time
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I wrote my post before I read the challenge this morning. I actually wrote this post with the thought that I would add to it tomorrow based on responses I received today. It was written for the express purpose of generating conversation from those who read my blog. Take a look and help get the conversation started! Thanks in advance!
Link: http://leadersintraining.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/what-if-you-had-a-poor-performer/
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Here is the link to part 2 of my serial post: http://leadersintraining.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/how-long-do-you-carry-a-poor-performer/
Would love some feedback! Thanks! Have a great weekend everybody!
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Loss: A letter to you (part 1).
http://tealighttaylor.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/letter-to-me/
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I’ve lost more than a stone this year – hurrah! Makes me feel great!
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This is a fun one tell me what you think, thanks!
http://diariesofthenight.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/writing-101-serially-lost-pt-1/
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Successfully completed my writing and its a homage to all best fiction authors of all time…from classic to day now…
http://singh03poornima.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/from-there-to-ashes-chapter-1-writing-101-serially-lost/
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Done with the fourth assignment. Turned out to be a memoir for me.
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Hello. Would I be able to get access to writing101 commons so late???
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Since registration is now closed, we’ve also closed access to the Commons. We have an active commenting community here too, though, and open a post called the “Community Pool” each Monday for folks seeking feedback, so you still have opportunities to connect.
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My series will be focused on how my personal definition of loss has changed as I’ve grown older. http://mewhoami.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/hard-lessons/
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Part one of my three part series on loss has now been published. You can read it here: http://mindfuldigressions.com/2014/09/18/loss-of-innocence-part-one/. I do hope the topic is not inappropriate for this exercise.
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Fun, fun, fun times!!!!! 🙂
Daughter of the Prince of Peace
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‘Dolly’: http://dreamsbrightascitylights.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/dolly/
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Here is my post for Serially Lost https://livingwithlesslookingformore.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=235&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2
It was good to express my thoughts and feelings in the written word.
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Assignment IV done!
I’m nervous about this one.
http://iamathinker19.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/serially-lost-chapter-i/
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For this assignment, I chose to write a poem, written from the heart. Raw. Lost…
http://drieskewrites.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/lost/
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I warn you guys mine will probably be depressing and nonsensical because today’s just been a bad day and I don’t think I can cheer up enough right now.
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Go for it! Let it out and move it out of your way!
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I’ve recently posted a story of kids dealing with death at my blog “Save Folder”. The story is called The Bird in the Bard . Check it out. http://savefolder.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/meat-from-a-carcass-the-bird-in-the-barn/
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I have suffered many losses in my life, and this assignment is the sad tale of losing just one of them. I do warn you though, it may be a bit too sad for some of you. Read if you dare: http://wp.me/p4P21q-1Q
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Ah, this one is right up my alley! Laptop open….and Go!
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So how did you with it? 🙂
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We’ll see! I post to my blog 2 times a week. I have it cued up for Sunday. I personally like it…that’s the part that counts right 🙂 I write a blog for genealogists and storytellers who want to learn how to write the oral history of family to go along with all the paper and documents research. To me it’s always fun (or agonizing) to watch the likes and comments when I present a new post. These challenges are fun because they give my creative juices a good workout without my followers saying…”hey–what the heck is she writing about ‘that’ for? We’re here for our usual!”
…
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I wrote about a loss “of sorts” now I ‘ll see if I can be creative enough to turn it into a 3-part series. Glad to be stretched 🙂
http://convome.com/the-loss-of-a-dream/
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1. I like that you have ZERO cats!
2. There’s got to be something deeper to that dream…what are you ignoring? What do you keep ignoring? WHY?
3. Great set up for a part ll and lll — Very clever!
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