A Friday Folly—Get Prompted!

When the first round of covid hit a couple of years ago, it seemed like everything stopped. And in that stoppage was the monthly critique group I’d been part of since 2001. During that hiatus I thought if I can just keep myself motivated—keep that little spark of inspiration which was usually fueled by the critique group—that would be wonderful. So, the Friday Follies were born.

What it is

It’s quick. It’s simple. We meet online for no more than 30 to 45 minutes. I give the group a writing prompt and we all write for 7 to 10 minutes. If anyone wants to share, they may. No pressure. No critiquing. (After all, this is automatic writing. We don’t expect polish.) But a participant may comment on somebody’s piece if they want to. It’s all very laid-back.

It’s easy. Part of the problem of planning any meeting is settling on dates. We made the Friday Follies a standing date and time. No need to email back and forth. No need to RSVP. Whoever shows up, shows up.

What can happen

While it’s fun, what happens can, also, be fruitful! For example, take a look at this quickie dialogue written by Doug Kasischke to this prompt:

PROMPT:

Comedian Tim Hawkins compares the flavor and taste of a Krispy Kreme donut to “eating a baby angel.”

So, think about one of your favorite foods. Write a scene in which a character is trying to describe that taste to someone who’s never eaten that food. Use as many metaphors or similes as you need to.

OR:

Write a scene in which one character argues with another about how a favorite food tastes. The two characters have widely differing opinions.

RESPONSE:

Doug’s Campfire Enchilada Dialogue response (with some punctuation added later):

“It’s an enchilada.”

“I know. I ordered it.”

“You know it’s just a slice of cheese inside a corn tortilla.”

“With sauce.”

“Sure, but…”

“It’s warm.”

“I hope so.”

“No, the taste, it’s like riding up to a campfire.”

“You ride horses?”

“No, but if I did… Let’s say it’s night, with a blizzard—the snow pelting your face like a million little icicles; and up ahead you see a campfire, and as you near, you feel the warmth. The snow feels it, too, and softens. The wind itself grows warmer, and the fire—it’s warmth—melts the snow, even dries it, and leaves a warm breeze; and your hands thaw, and your face, and you can feel again. That’s what an enchilada, at Compadre’s in Napa, California tastes like.”

Wow! That last paragraph! It’s so difficult to describe tastes and smells, but Doug really delivers. Now, granted, the results are not always this great. But I’ve heard numerous workable and imaginative ideas, lines, paragraphs, scenes, poems read by the Friday Folly writers.

The prompts

For me, coming up with prompts keeps me on my toes—thinking and reading about writing. I try not to use common kinds of prompts which are mostly subject oriented and can be found all over the internet. Prompts such as “Write about a time you…” Or, prompts that begin “Start with this sentence…” Or, “Use this word…” The prompts I use are directed at writing techniques; structure, setting, dialogue, characterization, plot, lateral/metaphorical thinking, etc. All the nitty gritty. And when we meet I write to the prompts, as well.

You can do it, too

Many writers fight sitting down and writing. However, this is a way to reinforce good writing habits in a fun and stress-free way. Try it with a group of your writing colleagues. Make your get-togethers quick, simple, easy, and useful.

And here’s one of my prompts for you to try. This one works on the internal structure of a poem or scene.

Imagine your poem/scene shaped like a spiral. You are traveling through that spiral. You can start at the outer bounds and move inward toward the heart/hurt/point of the piece, or you can start at the center where the heart/hurt/main point exists and move outward. Try it both ways. Which works the best? Enjoy!

Some resources

• https://www.pw.org/writing-prompts-exercises
• https://www.writersdigest.com/prompts
• https://poetrysociety.org.uk/competitions/national-poetry-competition/resources/poetry-writing-prompts/