Oct 5, 2014

Writing 101: Third Time’s the Charm

Today, imagine you work in a place where you manage lost or forgotten items. What might you find in the pile? For those participating in our serial challenge, reflect on the theme of “lost and found,” too.

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Imagine you had a job in which you had to sift through forgotten or lost belongings. Describe a day in which you come upon something peculiar, or tell a story about something interesting you find in a pile.

For inspiration, ponder the phrase “lost and found.” What do you think about or visualize when you read this phrase? For an elementary schooler, it might be a box in their classroom, full of forgotten jackets and random toys. For a frequent traveler, it might be a facility in an airport, packed with lost phones, abandoned bags, and misplaced items.

On day four, you wrote about losing something. On day thirteen, you then wrote about finding something. So, today’s twist: If you’d like to continue our serial challenge, also reflect on the theme of “lost and found” more generally in this post.

By the end of Writing 101, you’ll have multiple posts around a theme — material you could thread together in a longform piece.

Questions to think about as you write your post:

  • What have you learned about loss over the years?
  • What does it feel like to find an object that was once important to you?
  • When can reconnecting go horribly wrong?
  • When are things better left buried and forgotten?

In your “lost and found” tale, tell us something larger — a life lesson, perhaps — about finding and losing something.

Need a helping hand? Head to The Commons.

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  7. I have a little Roman oil lamp, which I absolutely treasure, found on a dig in Northern England, given to me by a distant relative. I cherish it, not because who gave it to me, but because it is so precious. I hold this little clay lamp, and imagine the person who used it in their home, how all but turned to the winds of time. But it is also a treasure because if you turn it up-side-down, at the base of the little clay handle, you can see part of the fingerprint of the potter who made it, over 2,000 years ago…
    I am a bit of a dreamer, I admit, but I would love to know who had made it and who had lost it!

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  14. A Note from Brian

    This prompt came out way earlier than usual and I’m not entirely sure it’s actually part of the 101 course. No matter, it was fun to write (kind of). I needed a break from my snarky – and often silly – voice (and topic choice) and shoot for something from a different end of the emotional rainbow. Not sure if it will mean as much to other readers as is does me…but, please…give it a shot. Feedback is welcome.

    http://whisper2scream.wordpress.com/2014/10/05/lost-and-found-challenge-oct-5th-a-note-from-brian/

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