Do you believe in your characters? OK, but do you have faith in your characters to live beyond the time you put them on paper? Is there a difference? Listen and engage in the writing prompts.

Featured Quote:

Faith is not belief. Belief is passive. Faith is active.

Edith Hamilton

Inspiration for this week’s conversation:

Six Characters in Search of an Author is the most famous and celebrated play by the Italian writer Luigi Pirandello

Featured Poem: The Computation

By: John Donne

FOR my first twenty years, since yesterday,
I scarce believed thou couldst be gone away ;
For forty more I fed on favours past,
And forty on hopes that thou wouldst they might last ;
Tears drown`d one hundred, and sighs blew out two ;
A thousand, I did neither think nor do,
Or not divide, all being one thought of you ;
Or in a thousand more, forgot that too.
Yet call not this long life ; but think that I
Am, by being dead, immortal ; can ghosts die ?

Poetry Writing Prompt:

Write a Dialogue Poem between yourself, a modern day reader, and John Donne, the writer. How would you address his words in The Computation? If you need help with understanding a dialogue poem, check out this article:

How to Write a Dialogue Poem – By Jacqueline Thomas, eHow Contributing Writer

http://www.ehow.com/how_5089536_write-dialogue-poem.html

Additional Poem for creative inspiration:

Eternity

By: William Blake

He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sun rise.

Short Story Topics – Pet Turtles Are Funny

Pets are wonderful for teaching children responsibility. What better way to teach a boy the responsibility of a pet than with a turtle. That is what the eight-year old boy thought. That is until he met the turtle. The creature disappears inside its shell every time the boy gets near. The boy’s sister sits and stares at the reptile for what seems like hours as it appears to dance, bob its head in and out to the rhythm of music, and go for a swim at random moments. When the boy passes, the turtle freezes and collapses inside its shell.

Describe the boy’s feelings. Describe the steps the boy would take to literally pull the creature out of its shell. Describe how the sister acts. Describe the turtle. What makes it special? Why does it stay in its shell? Is it just an ordinary turtle? Or, is there something a little more exciting, more imaginative? Decide on the path. Decide on the story, and write. Post it at Story Institute, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…

Short Story Topics – Flower Power

Picking the right flower can make or break a relationship. Do you go with the red ones? The pink ones? The white ones? The roses? The tulips? The brightly-colored, always in bloom ones? Wait, those might be plastic. They might be, but as you pass the store, you are drawn in by the beauty, fragrance, and allure of the rather unique petal filled vase. Something about these flowers says look at me, smell me, buy me.

What happens after you go into the store? What happens if you bring the flowers home to your significant other? What happens as you share in the moment together? Decide on the interaction between people and the flower. Decide on the interaction between the people and each other after interacting with the budding entity. Decide on the happenstance that erupts in the life of the first person to see the flower. Decide on the path. Decide on the story, and write. Post it at Story Institute, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…

Running Time: 14 minutes 38 seconds

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Tags: Author conversations, belief, characters, Faith, healines, inner voice, John Donne, poetry, short story, writing, writing methods, writing podcast, writing tips

Time Back from Beyond…New focus and new writing prompts…

Quote of the week: “I write about myself with the same pencil and in the same exercise book as about him. It is no longer I, but another whose life is just beginning.”

~ Samuel Beckett

Short Story Focus and Topic: “The Open Boat” ~ Stephen Crane

Read the entire short story here: Stephen Crane – Open Boat

Write a modern version of the “Open Boat”. What changes? Is there technology? Is the boat bigger or smaller?

Poem and Poetry Topic: “The Flea” ~ John Donne

The Flea

by John Donne

MARK but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is ;
It suck’d me first, and now sucks thee,
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.
Thou know’st that this cannot be said
A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead ;
Yet this enjoys before it woo,
And pamper’d swells with one blood made of two ;
And this, alas ! is more than we would do.

O stay, three lives in one flea spare,
Where we almost, yea, more than married are.
This flea is you and I, and this
Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is.
Though parents grudge, and you, we’re met,
And cloister’d in these living walls of jet.
Though use make you apt to kill me,
Let not to that self-murder added be,
And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.

Cruel and sudden, hast thou since
Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence?
Wherein could this flea guilty be,
Except in that drop which it suck’d from thee?
Yet thou triumph’st, and say’st that thou
Find’st not thyself nor me the weaker now.
‘Tis true ; then learn how false fears be ;
Just so much honour, when thou yield’st to me,
Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee.

Write a poem connecting your inspiration to something in nature.

This episode’s alternative writing prompt:

Story Idea - Romance by Chance or Circumstance

Valentine’s Day is a romantic day for most. Fred, however, has tried to be romantic. He has set blind dates. He has written poems, bought flowers, and arranged numerous carriage rides…all for other people. Fred always seemed to be there to help most of his friends connect with their romantic counterpart. He has decided to ignore the topic all together for himself. That is until his close friend, Sadie, comes to him for help. She asks Fred to arrange a carriage ride where her date does not show up. She asks for dinner to be arranged using some of Fred’s contact and friends in the restaurant business. However, her date doesn’t show up again. Then, Valentine’s Day arrives…

Decide if Sadie had a bad series of romantic opportunities or has other intentions. Decide how Fred feels about these instances. Decide if Fred understands the situation or simply goes with the flow as usual. Decide if relationships develop due to much effort or through random circumstance. Decide on the story and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…

If you are an author in search of readers or have comments about our show, contact us:

ramblingverser@storyinstitute.com

615-431-WRIT (9748)

Remember to Imagine, Enhance, and Grow your stories @ www.storyinstitute.com

Running Time: 10 minutes 55 seconds

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Tags: Author conversations, Inspiration, John Donne, poetry, short story, Stephen Crane, writing, writing methods, writing podcast, writing tips