Author: ralphcuellar

Ralph Cuellar lives in Oregon, and loves nature and politics, and is usually in conflict over both. He is a writer and has played around with software and hardware a little too much in his life, so he left that world behind after a little dance.

PROMPT: ‘A SPOOL OF BLACK THREAD’ –OR– ‘I HATE TO TELL THE TRUTH WHEN I KNOW IT WILL CAUSE PAIN, BUT…’

May 6,2019.  Two prompt options for our Monday meeting:

  • A spool of black thread
  • I hate to tell the truth when I know it will cause pain, but ….

 

Lend an Ear 2019 on July 20, 2019

Lend an Ear 2015 - Audience listens to MaryJane Nordgren read,The 10th Annual Lend an Ear, Come and Hear reading event is July 20, 2019, at Plum Hill Winery in Gaston, Oregon.

It begins at 10:30AM and goes to approximately 1:00PM, and is produced by Writers in the Grove.

July 20, 2019
Saturday 10:30am-1pmLendAnEar-2018
Plum Hill Vineyards
6505 SW Old Highway 47
Gaston OR 97119

The event is free and open to the public.

For ten years, writers from around Forest Grove and Washington County have submitted and read their work to dozens. Last year we had nearly a hundred attendees. This free event is held in a beautiful winery in the foothills near Hagg Lake overlooking the Tualitin Valley. Enjoy some wine from Plum Hill Winery, our fabulous hosts, and afterwards have a picnic with views of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams from the covered picnic area.

Come laugh, cry, and sigh as you listen to our marvelous readers sharing their creative writing and storytelling skills at this fun family event at Plum Hill Winery.

Entry form and submission guidelines here: (more…)

PROMPT: WELL KNOWN PROVERBS

April 15, 2019.  The prompt is to complete a well known proverb in your own voice.

A first grade teacher collected well known proverbs. She gave each child in her class the first half of a proverb and asked them to complete the remainder of the proverb as they thought it should go.

Here are some samples of their work:

Better to be safe than ……………  punch a 5th grader
It’s always darkest before ………….  Daylight Saving Timed
Never underestimate the power of ……………  termites
You can’t teach an old dog new …………… math
A penny saved is ………………  not much

Write your own ending to the first half of these or other well know proverbs.

 

PROMPT: A POEM BY PAULANN PETERSEN

March 25, 2019:  The prompt for Monday’s meeting was a poem titled, Yin, by Paulann Petersen. It was just published by the Carolina Quarterly on their website.

Yin
by Paulann Petersen

You’d think water’s female aspect
would be a pond, a lake — deep,
reflective, still, taking
the sun and moon and clouds
onto its slick-shimmered skin.
Wrong. You would be
dead wrong. Being a woman, I know
at least that much about water.

One high-summer day, I stood
behind a waterfall, in a shallow cave
scooped out of the cliff’s base.
Through the cascade, I looked out and down
at the rolling pool where the water’s
falling came to its end.

Din pummeled my ears. Mist weighted
my hair. The air — smelling of
skunk cabbage, willow and mullien —
tasted fecund and wet. Deafened, mute,
I gazed through that plummet joining
a world on high to the one below,
and I knew.

The man is rock —
still, ever still, afraid to give up
his hard-won place far above the rest.
The woman sweeps right over
his prominence. In sheer free-fall,
she heads down to earth,
hellbent to reach the sea.

 

There are strong images and ideas here. Use whatever direction it takes you as your prompt.

 

Good old’ Days

The following was submitted by Writers in the Grove member, Patti Bond.

Good old’ Days
by Patti Bond

Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s was so wonderful for many
different reasons.
Being able to play with neighbors- playing tether ball, tag in the
front yard yelling “you’re it”. Neighborhood kids talking to you
through the window screen while you are cleaning your room.
Going over to girlfriend’s house to talk, while they are busy
cleaning the house.

Getting up early to pick strawberries to
earn money for school clothes.

Then after cleaning up, hopping on my
bike and going to the craft house
and then swimming.
Going to grandma and grandpa’s in Baker
to stay and have fun Oh yea
my brother came along.
The sixties and seventies were so special.
My family and I had so much fun- sure there were
hard times but we all had a great time too.

.