PROMPT: CHANGE IN YOU

The prompt for the weekly meeting began with a reading from The Shape of Water novelization by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus.

When did department stores replace their overhead lights with supernovas? For how long has the binned fruit wept at its own beauty? At what point did baked goods begin sighing sugary sweets into a cloud that beaded upon her face like happy tears? When did shoppers, those disapproving ladies with bulky purses and rude carts, transform into women who smiled at her, insisted she go first, complimented her on her choices? Perhaps they’d seen what Elisa saw reflected in butcher counter glass: not a timid huncher hiding her throat scars, but a woman straight of back pointing out the cuts of fish and meat she wanted. Quite a lot of both, the butcher probably thought, but why not? Surely a woman like this had a hungry man waiting at home. And she did. Elsa laughs. She did.

The point of departure is to write from the idea that the change in you changes how other people interact with you.

PROMPT: WRITE A DESCRIPTION OF A BIRD OR OTHER ANIMAL

A reading from the book “The Anthropology of Turquoise – Reflections on Desert, Sea, Stone and Sky”, by Ellen Meloy, was used to give an example of how the author described an egret.

The egrets of my home desert are as white as snow. The egrets on this island bear the colors of the desert: bodies the slate blue-gray of summer monsoon clouds, shaggy neck plumes in the cinnamon-red of sandstone, pink bills with a black tip, legs of cobalt blue. Unlike many other creatures, birds have color vision. Evolution favors them with the ability to see each other’s vivid and diverse plumage, for communication, camouflage, courtship, perhaps for sheer pleasure. Of what value  would these cobalt legs be if another bird could not see them?

The prompt is to write a description of a bird or other animal. Also take into account the setting in which you describe it.

“INDEPENDENT AUTHORS” – PRESENTED BY BAG&BAGGAGE ARTS AND CULTURE DISCUSSION SERIES – SEPTEMBER 6, 2018.

Bag&Baggage is proud to present a new arts and culture discussion series! B&B A&C will bring together diverse artists from a range of cultural industries to discuss their work, their challenges, and their influences.

B&B A&C is free to the public!

Our first installment is “Independent Authors,” and will feature four local authors who have made a career self-publishing their work. The first event will include short readings from the author’s works followed by a discussion and Q&A session about the independent author and publishing industry. If you’ve ever wondered if you could write and sell your own books, this is a great introduction to the industry with special insights from local writers and editors who are making the magic happen!

Run Time: 90 minutes       Recommended for ages: 16+

B&B/A&C (Arts and Culture Lecture Series)
Independent Authors
September 6th, 2018 at 6:00pm
The Vault Theater & Event Space
350 E Main Street, Hillsboro 97123
(See Event Details and Author Information Here)

 

Prompt-a-Month: Looking Down

Writers in the Grove Prompt-a-Month badge.The September prompt-a-month for our Writers in the Grove members is:

Sitting high in a tree looking down on the world below where machinery threatened his green canopy…

Writers in the Grove members may hand in their submissions during the workshops or use our members only submission form. Check out the guidelines and instructions for submissions in the announcement.

PROMPT: CREATING CHARACTER EMPATHY

This week the group explored the question of how to create empathy for a less than likeable or flawed character in a story.

An excerpt was read from the book titled “Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective”, by Leslie Thomas.

Chapter One:

This is the story of a man who became deeply concerned with the unsolved murder of a young girl, committed twenty-five years before.
He was a drunk, lost, laughed at and frequently baffled; poor attributes for a detective. But he was patient too, and dogged. He was called Dangerous Davies (because he was said to be harmless) and was known in the London police as ‘The Last Detective’ since he was never dispatched on any assignment unless it was very risky or there was no one else to send.

 

For additional reference we discussed a list of suggestions taken from a blog post on the website screencraft.org, titled 7 Ways Screenwriters Can Create Better Character Empathy.

Here is their list of possible ways to accomplish this for a flawed character:

  1. Mourning the loss of a loved one.
  2. Being the underdog.
  3. Being an animal lover or protector of innocence.
  4. Dealing with disease, addiction or other inner (and outer) struggles.
  5. Showcasing loyalty.
  6. Overcoming a fear.
  7. Being treated unjustly.

 

The prompt is to write an opening paragraph for a character who is not necessarily the hero type.