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Playing Around with a Story Line in Different Literary Genres and Categories
Hi Writers and Readers Out There,
Writing Leap # 16 Stories People Tell You. (Or if you are snoopy, like all writers must be, Stories You Have Overheard)
You never know when a passing comment or an amazing story whispered to you in confidence will send up firecrackers in your writing imagination. Writers are always tuned in.
The Story Line is “Moments“
Find a moment in a story you were told and write about it. This could lead to—anywhere!
Here’s mine.
“I have a little story to tell you about my granddaughter,” my friend Nancy said leaning towards me.
We were in the middle of tea at our favorite cafe where the tables were small and round. Just right for lovely conversations.
“You know Mae has just turned three and her brother Grant is now five. Well, they go to the same school now.”
Her grin signaled something either funny or endearing. I was in.
“It seems that Mae took it upon herself to leave her classroom and walk down the school hallway to the bathroom. She passed the open door to the director’s office who happened to notice her. Mae stopped in front of her brother Grant’s cubby, put both her arms around his coat, nestled inside and gave it a long hug. She then trotted on to the bathroom.”
Nancy shook her head. “She is something.”
My mouth dropped open. “How adorable is that?” We both leaned back in our chairs and took in the sweet baby love of that moment in front of Grant’s cubby.
Sharing stories brings us together, captures worlds and moments face to face. Unless we are yawning. And those stories won’t feed our imagination anyway. So make a date with a friend and see what comes up. Get there early and eavesdrop–be very cool–on other people’s conversations for bits and pieces of stories to store away for future story ideas. Eavesdropping is your privilege writers!
Warmly,
LINKING THE ARTS
A Good Word
flow As in the flowing connection that happens between two people when one is telling a story and the other is drawn into it.
Terrace of Cafe Weplar Paris by Francois Henri Morisset
This would have been A PERFECT PLACE for keeping your ears and eyes open for little inspirational writing gems. You never leave home without your notebook and/or phone (full of notes) right?
Cynthia, I always love your posts! It’s so interesting to see when people watching, the stories that people tell just by their actions. You can make interesting characters out of people like that.