tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40875398979465610562024-03-14T00:20:30.855-07:00The Mia StoryLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-41739451975383733282011-11-21T14:11:00.001-08:002011-11-21T14:15:10.839-08:00Monday Morning Writing Prompt, November 21<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's Monday. It's cold and cloudy. It's supposed to rain tonight - possibly enough to flood some areas. Sometimes it's good to just go with it. Here is your writing prompt for today:<br />
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<b>Write about your gloomiest day.</b><br />
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Happy Monday? Yes, Happy Monday.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-25035398361333940022011-11-07T08:43:00.000-08:002011-11-07T08:43:16.301-08:00Imagine This: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, Nov. 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, a visual writing prompt. Fun!<br />
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<b>Imagine you are on a cross-country trip to visit a friend.</b></div>
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<b>Your car breaks down here. </b></div>
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<b>Write a short story about what happens next.</b></div>
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Happy Monday!</div>
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<br /></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-84507554708523110952011-10-31T08:10:00.000-07:002011-10-31T08:10:34.403-07:00Boo! Monday Morning Writing Prompt, October 31<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How convenient that today is a holiday of sorts for children (and adults who are kids at heart). Our memories of childhood often center around the excitement and anticipation of a holiday. And what better kid holiday is there than one that requires costuming and consuming sugar? So, here is your writing prompt for today:<br />
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<b>Write about your favorite childhood memory of Halloween. Favorite costume. Favorite candy. Favorite scary moment. </b><br />
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Happy Halloween!<br />
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<br />Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-68111207909056087332011-10-25T08:55:00.000-07:002011-10-31T07:53:09.330-07:00Goodbyes: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, October 25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Keep in mind, we call it the Monday Morning Writing Prompt whenever it's posted.
So it's Tuesday. I spent a long weekend in Phoenix reuniting with old friends that I haven't seen in almost 15 years. It was wonderful, but at the end of my time with them I had to do the same thing I did 15 years ago. I had to tell them goodbye. I don't like telling friends and family goodbye. Never have. Then again, there are some goodbyes that I do like. I like saying goodbye to summer, the flu, long-winded speakers...you get the idea. So here is your writing prompt for today:
<b>Write about saying goodbye to someone you loved, or to something you didn't love.</b>
Happy Tuesday!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-79054220980473593482011-10-10T06:47:00.000-07:002011-10-31T07:53:34.104-07:00Five Words and a Screen: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, October 10I've only recently begun to appreciate this kind of writing prompt. It forces me to move a little out of my writing "comfort zone," which is always a good thing. If you are especially proud of what you produce as a result of this writing prompt, then we will be too. So send it our way. Recently, one of our readers sent in her writing prompt and it is going to be published in the next issue of <i>Mia</i>. You never know...
So here is your prompt for today:
<b>Write a 300-400 word short story in which you use the words: terminal, peso, anthropologist, polyester, exhaust, slipper.</b>
Happy Monday!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-30358256769341096282011-09-14T06:44:00.000-07:002011-10-31T07:54:06.385-07:00A Reader Loved This Book: Wednesday Good Read Recommendation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the week for posting from our readers, which I love. After a while, I tire of hearing my own voice and we always love to hear YOUR voice.
Nancy Simpson recommends <i>Same Kind of Different As Me</i>. Her book club read it and loved it. Her comments: "True story. Wonderful characters. So many details for discussion. Makes you really think." That's a great book review - succinct but enticing!
Per her recommendation, I've already acquired the book and it's on my "to read" stack.
Thanks Nancy. Okay, we would love more book recommendations from you. To get you motivated, here's a prompt: send us your favorite summer read. Surely you've finished it by now, right? lisa@miamagazine.net, or post a comment here.
Happy Reading!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-60522314269045327282011-09-12T13:03:00.000-07:002011-10-31T07:54:21.514-07:00From a Reader: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, September 12I'm posting a wonderful writing prompt that a reader sent a few weeks ago. She loves yoga and says that it sparks her creativity, so she wanted to put this out for our bloggers/writers:
<b>Write about an activity or sport you do that takes your thoughts to new creative levels.</b>
Although hers was yoga, she said she also gets some of her best ideas in the shower! I can relate to that one. My mother used to solve the world's problems when she was ironing.
What's the activity that sparks your creativity? Write about it and then send it our way: lisa@miamagazine.net
For our subscribers, you should be getting your copy of the Fall issue in the mail this week! The issue will hit the stands next week. (Hint, hint: if you subscribe, you get your copy first.)Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-21011538483602614492011-08-22T06:37:00.000-07:002011-08-22T07:00:29.516-07:00First Day Jitters: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, August 22She couldn't get out the door fast enough this morning. With a bookbag, an umbrella, and her new school uniform (first year for these and I'm doing a fist pump!), she looked every bit like the confident fifth grader who is ready to start a new school year. Every year is not this way. With each of my three children there have been those years when angst ruled on the first day. They worried about new teachers, math class, the pimple that emerged the morning of, friends who might be - or not be - in class with them. But this morning, my youngest bounded out of the house not worried about anything but getting there early enough to socialize before the bell sounded. It was nice. But next year is sixth grade and there is a good chance that it could be a hand-wringing first day of school. So I'm reveling in the ease of this year's first day.
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<br />As you continue to write YOUR story, here is a writing prompt to take you back a few years:
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What was your most unusual or memorable first day of school? Write about it and describe your feelings, worries, excitement, and of course, what you wore (even if it was a uniform!).</span>
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<br />Happy Monday!
<br />Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-50301787165442765502011-08-16T11:11:00.000-07:002011-08-16T11:20:20.271-07:00Baby It's Cold in Here! Monday Morning Writing Prompt, August 16I'm a stickler for sticking with titles. So even though it's Tuesday, this is still the Monday Morning Writing Prompt. I've been taking my daughter to a variety of doctor appointments before she goes back to college: dermatologist, eye doctor, foot doctor, and now the migraine doctor complete with a flurry of testing. She had an EEG this morning, and I sat with her while all the wires were attached to her head and the lights were blinking at her closed eyelids. For some reason, the room where she had the test was frigid. Why are doctor's offices always this way? Is it germ control? To keep waiting patients awake? To remind us that there is a reason we hate being here?
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<br />I'm cold-natured, so I always carry a sweater in the summer for the purpose of fending off the blasts of air-conditioning that most businesses and offices love. But I forgot my sweater this morning, and so I sat and looked at the bumps on my arm and tried to remember the coldest place I've ever been. It was Chicago. I'm telling the story in my writing prompt journal as I ponder today's writing prompt:
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Where is the coldest place you have ever been, and what were you doing there? How did it feel? How did YOU feel?</span>
<br />If you love the cold, you'll write it one way; if you hate it you'll write it another way. Either way, I'd love to read about your coldest experience. Send it to lisa@miamagazine.net
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<br />Stay warm!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-51133663499717066332011-08-08T14:20:00.000-07:002011-08-09T07:02:10.732-07:00Music and Memory: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, August 8<iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VILWkqlQLWk?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>
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<br />I just returned from our annual family vacation in Colordao last Friday evening. We've been going to various places in Colorodo for about 43 years (since I was about three years old) , and every year I am reminded that memories creep up at the most unusual times. I heard this song on the radio while I was there, and I was instantly transported back across at least three decades to the backseat of our old green Plymouth. I was about seven years old and trying to teach this song to my grandfather. He had only heard it a few times, but it was one of my favorites and I was determined that we would sing it together. It was not to be. He could never get the tune to the chorus right and it drove me mad. I kept asking him to repeat the tune after me, but he had it all wrong every time. "Why don't you sing and I'll listen," he finally said, probably weary of my efforts to teach him a song he didn't really want to learn. He got what he asked for. Many miles down a Colorado highway, Papa listened to me sing this same song over, and over, and over. He must have been a patient man. Or perhaps he was already losing his hearing.
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<br />Here is your writing prompt for today:
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What song instantly takes you back to a vivid moment in time, or a poignant memory. Write about it.</span>
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<br />Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-33313629345501127282011-08-03T21:30:00.000-07:002011-10-31T07:55:34.822-07:00Your Turn: Wednesday's Good Read RecommendationIt's time for our YOU, <span style="font-style:italic;">Mia</span> reader, to weigh in:<br />What is a book you would recommend without hesitation? Can you tell us about it? You don't need to write a book review, just give us the name of the book, the author, and what you loved about it. You can even give us the blurb from the dust jacket! We want your Wednesday Good Read Recommendations and we need your voice. Send your recommendation to lisa@miamagazine.net. We want to start posting our readers' favorite books each Wednesday. So...are you in?Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-72976420148774053172011-07-31T20:59:00.000-07:002011-08-01T07:19:07.727-07:00Collecting: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, August 1Last week, a friend sent me the link to a wonderful blog belonging to a photographer. Among her many photos are a set of images reflecting her love of collections. It made me stop and think about what I collect. Everyone really should have a collection of <span style="font-style:italic;">something</span>. It's fun, and it is a way to tell a story about what is meaningful to you. I've never been a big collector, but in looking at this blog I realized that collections don't have to fall into the category of figurines, stamps, coins, antique dolls. I'm not going to go any further with that, because the writing prompt for today will get you thinking creatively about what you collect. Don't limit it to stuff. Here you go:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">What do you collect? Write about the things that you have more than two or three of, why you have them, and what they mean to you (think out of the box here: maybe you are a collector and you don't even realize it!) </span><br /><br />This one might take some time for you to think about it, but after you have written about your collection, we would love to hear about it. We're compiling reader responses on this one for a future <span style="font-style:italic;">Mia</span> issue! <br /><br />Happy Monday!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-25340036291207182992011-07-27T15:49:00.000-07:002011-07-27T16:05:32.454-07:00A Heavy Read: Wednesday's Good Read Recommendation is "Pillars of the Earth"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKo1E89s960ULkm5FsKJaCJgZOe7QrtZJCHUnkQ2DvEAmVhjW_9wN2Z_ixZa27MIsUf58awLm5sbdZBl2F61Y1aWIjpzkFuNkYQbAJscua6iF3CjZzziWafdjMPt_7zJDXcHkxeH1wzo/s1600/book-cover-pillars-of-the-earth-193x300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 193px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKo1E89s960ULkm5FsKJaCJgZOe7QrtZJCHUnkQ2DvEAmVhjW_9wN2Z_ixZa27MIsUf58awLm5sbdZBl2F61Y1aWIjpzkFuNkYQbAJscua6iF3CjZzziWafdjMPt_7zJDXcHkxeH1wzo/s400/book-cover-pillars-of-the-earth-193x300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634171512865402562" /></a><br /><br />What am I reading on vacation? <span style="font-style:italic;"> The Pillars of the Earth</span>, by Ken Follett. It’s just under 1,000 pages, so I’ve been trying to wade through this one for about six months. I never could get past the first three chapters because it was just so intimidating. But once I got to Chapter Four, I was hooked. Do I care about the building of cathedrals in medieval England? No, not really. Am I a sucker for love stories? Actually, I’m not. So what is it about this heavy book that keeps me reading? Follett is a great writer, and so he makes me care about the building of cathedrals in medieval England and about the star-crossed lovers. We have nine days left and I’m on page 709. Will I finish? Yes I will. However, before heading back home, I may donate my softback copy to the local library here in Pagosa Springs so I don’t have to haul it back home. So that’s our Wednesday Good Read Recommendation this week. Pick it up...if you can carry it!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-21987566224726792462011-07-24T14:32:00.000-07:002011-07-25T07:46:17.768-07:00Chance Encounters: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, July 25In one of our early issues of <span style="font-style:italic;">Mia</span>, contributing editor Sheilah Bright wrote about several people with whom she had a chance encounter, and how those moments affected her then, and now. You can read her story, "The Power of Strangers," on page 16 of our Fall 2009 issue <a href="http://www.miamagazine.net/readmia/fall2009">here</a>.<br /><br />Here is your writing prompt for today:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Remember a time when a brief, chance encounter with someone made a difference in your life. </span><br /><br />Happy Monday!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-1976718473828049912011-07-22T17:45:00.001-07:002011-07-22T17:50:38.839-07:00100 Good Wishes Quilt: Storytelling Tip #3I posted this to <span style="font-style:italic;">One Good Story</span> the other day, and then realized that this would make a great storytelling tip. Who would have thought a quilt could tell a story? So head on over to my <a href="http://onegoodstory.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/found-100-good-wishes-quilt-squares/">blog</a> to read about my daughter's 100 Good Wishes Quilt!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-65454624055365100522011-07-20T05:31:00.000-07:002011-07-20T05:37:46.558-07:00Cutting for Stone: Wednesday’s Good Read Recommendation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMmGsboEJROAvYJ4NSDAkgYliWTBUZseoeZhT6DW7IVKYcolOxd6bhh_EG2UG9DzvJbV_F16J_4pQGgPGj_A7DOyM4foagGWAiHPY-PFHnFHAt6E87IcY0r1Sa5nGK5J3M_X3tCTbFyM/s1600/cutting+for+stone.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMmGsboEJROAvYJ4NSDAkgYliWTBUZseoeZhT6DW7IVKYcolOxd6bhh_EG2UG9DzvJbV_F16J_4pQGgPGj_A7DOyM4foagGWAiHPY-PFHnFHAt6E87IcY0r1Sa5nGK5J3M_X3tCTbFyM/s400/cutting+for+stone.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631411780754483666" /></a><br /><br /><br />The video trailer for this novel calls it “an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home.” I loved it. It’s the story of twin boys born to an Indian nun in Ethiopia. That should get you curious. The novelist, Abraham Verghese, is a physician who teaches at the Stanford University School of Medicine, but he is also a gentle and masterful storyteller. I agree with the reviewer who said that it is actually possible to live within it for the brief time one spends with this book. He adds, “You may never leave the chair.” I did stay up very late one night to finish it and I was not disappointed. This is a perfect novel for summer. It’s our Good Read Recommendation for today. <br /><br />We would love to have your Good Read Recommendations to post! Email lisa@miamagazine.net with a paragraph about a great book you would recommend. If you need some ideas for great books to read, check out the <a href="http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com">New York Journal of Books</a> website.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-25707125366184726722011-07-18T05:16:00.000-07:002011-07-18T05:20:11.068-07:00A Place to Write: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, July 18<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC535AwoUtU-7TqFkJqMDfxeYbnM0_RkzET4fPRmncikyllzz2JRPGthLdzg03L70NhujYtFUNsf7pX80yHV705GBwy6V1AnEdBHBLu3am7xrhjPQeKbcsipVeuZjvzLpAnJO1112Tyt4/s1600/cabin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC535AwoUtU-7TqFkJqMDfxeYbnM0_RkzET4fPRmncikyllzz2JRPGthLdzg03L70NhujYtFUNsf7pX80yHV705GBwy6V1AnEdBHBLu3am7xrhjPQeKbcsipVeuZjvzLpAnJO1112Tyt4/s400/cabin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630665359312484098" /></a><br /><br />The Monday Morning Writing Prompt is back after a long hiatus. I have no good excuse except life got far too busy and writing got pushed into “I’ll do that later” column. I keep thinking of good and worthy things to write, but then find twenty things that need to be done first before I can sit down and not feel guilty. And then, I’m reminded that I should never feel guilty for taking the time to write. After all, it’s writing that makes me feel complete and at peace. After I have collected my thoughts, reflected on a moment or experience, and then crafted it into sentences and paragraphs, I can take a deep breath and feel like my life is in order. I have no idea why it works this way for me, but it does. If I don’t write, life just feels jumbled, cluttered…messy. So together, let’s commit to not feel guilty when we take time for ourselves to sit down and write. <br /><br />With that in mind, here is your writing prompt for today:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">If you could write anywhere in the world, what setting would you choose and why? Would it be a beach cottage with a rustic desk and a view of the ocean; a cabin deep in the woods with no desk – only a pad of paper, a pen and a rocking chair; or somewhere exotic, mysterious, lonely? Describe your perfect writing location in detail and write about how it makes you feel when you walk into it and sit down to work. </span><br /><br />Now, look the real-life location where you write and think of one thing you can place in it to remind you of your dream setting (I have a framed photo of a river in Colorado to represent my dream of a solitary cabin where I can hear the water and smell the pine trees).Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-34065325506852284342011-05-16T05:16:00.000-07:002011-05-16T14:00:34.736-07:00Your Life as a Great Story: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, May 16<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrIYGOEm0vAKECaFtKxQ4rumufVmO3FSZNZgtjEXZyS3pWwaaMmGXFtlgIoIl3UkRaINBYDy9CznSK9wcQgV36ZTNxAKwjhE9Nc4uVwNEiWT23jvCGNvwu6XNwORc8HzHxFwpoHFoJ-I/s1600/b%253Aw+writing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrIYGOEm0vAKECaFtKxQ4rumufVmO3FSZNZgtjEXZyS3pWwaaMmGXFtlgIoIl3UkRaINBYDy9CznSK9wcQgV36ZTNxAKwjhE9Nc4uVwNEiWT23jvCGNvwu6XNwORc8HzHxFwpoHFoJ-I/s400/b%253Aw+writing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607291902968467666" /></a><br /><br />Yesterday I had a discussion with some friends about "writing your life story." Sometimes this is a literal process and we sit down with pen and paper or at the keyboard and we begin to write. For some, however, they write this story in their head and save it up for that "someday" when they will have time to sit down and do the actual writing. Not everyone wants to write their life story, or even a snippet of it. But there are those of us who feel a need to get it all down even if no one else reads it. <br /><br />Let's imagine for a moment that you want to write your life story, or a portion of it, and you want others to read it. Since we publish a magazine of storytelling, of course we would want you to imagine this scenario, right? Every great story needs to have a great first line. So here is your writing prompt for today:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pretend that you are sitting down to begin your autobiography, memoir, or novel loosely based on your own life. Write a first line that will "hook" the reader into not wanting to put down the book.</span><br /><br /><br />Happy Monday!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-16444563219564104082011-05-09T14:42:00.000-07:002011-10-31T07:55:19.831-07:00Your Moment in History: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, May 9<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIUf6eS5yCLCJg65Rne7QjvT0Eqa_C-Lsj8dEGlnijcMWWJfAyVpCSzdL2vOspQufrKASvW_x7-kcjspgEdDSVtxd654Au9sBUFAmj9rxdBeNFE5sePIcincoYjE7tKbm8nIUXUpEsYQ/s1600/flappers520.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIUf6eS5yCLCJg65Rne7QjvT0Eqa_C-Lsj8dEGlnijcMWWJfAyVpCSzdL2vOspQufrKASvW_x7-kcjspgEdDSVtxd654Au9sBUFAmj9rxdBeNFE5sePIcincoYjE7tKbm8nIUXUpEsYQ/s400/flappers520.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604846536324608674" /></a><br /><br />School is almost out! My two oldest children had college finals that began today. My son wrote 13 pages for his final in Western Civilization. Ugh. In honor of his heroic effort, here is your writing prompt for today:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What is the period of history that you identify with the most? The flappers of the 1920s? The royal family during the War of the Roses? Choose one and write a day in the life for yourself during that time.</span><br /><br />Happy Writing and Happy Monday!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-57944217870544681982011-05-03T19:41:00.000-07:002011-05-03T19:41:09.158-07:00Coming Home to Lindsey House Video<iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dhGQsIUorxs?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-46784245982258196092011-05-02T05:10:00.000-07:002011-05-09T14:53:33.722-07:00Rediscovering Roller Skates: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, May 2My youngest daughter discovered roller skates this weekend after a birthday party at the skating rink on Saturday night. Watching the car hops at Sonic drive-in was her only experience with roller skates and so she was understandably nervous. "What if I'm the only one who can't skate?" she asked, which of course made me feel like a slacker mom - one who should have bought her a pair of cute pink or purple skates long before she was ten years old. As expected, she fell in love with skating during the party, so on Sunday she begged for a pair of skates and the guilty mom gave in. The fact that it was raining and cold didn't bother her a bit. She skated around the garage, which reminded me of the hours I spent in my childhood garage skating in circles and singing John Denver songs (yes, John Denver songs). <br /><br />It amazes me how easy it is to forget the things we loved as children. I owned at least three pairs of roller skates as I grew out of one pair and had to replace them. I spent hours skating in the garage, with friends up and down the driveway and through our small town neighborhood, and of course, at the rink. How could that escape my memory? So now that I have rediscovered skating through my daughter, we've planned a trip to the rink to skate together. <br /><br />Here is your writing prompt for today:<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Go back in time and remember something you loved doing as a child. Describe it in detail and how it made you feel.</span><br /><br />Here's an additional challenge: Chances are good that if you enjoyed that activity as a child, you would still enjoy it as an adult. Plan an afternoon to rediscover it and then write about it. <br /><br />Happy Monday!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-90125511781337218562011-04-26T19:03:00.001-07:002011-07-29T16:45:41.644-07:00What To Get the Graduate Who Has Everything: Tuesday's Good Read Recommendation: A Short Guide to a Happy Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGKCCOOw1y1xdY4LxLKxkTQoeMdl_UgSXaT8bTlezmRZImUOkhX3TSaIwk4Q-g2auywI_soNxHrff3-ljQkZt_56dbOV8NCJwMR9xZFijcunObcB5qFuCurnHrWTwa-XdJjnBcISLedU/s1600/13700597.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGKCCOOw1y1xdY4LxLKxkTQoeMdl_UgSXaT8bTlezmRZImUOkhX3TSaIwk4Q-g2auywI_soNxHrff3-ljQkZt_56dbOV8NCJwMR9xZFijcunObcB5qFuCurnHrWTwa-XdJjnBcISLedU/s400/13700597.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600101996717900194" /></a><br /><br /><br />Spoiler alert: If you're graduating from college this year and you sent me an announcement, you will receive this book from me. It's a quick read. It takes me about one evening to read it, which is about every six months. This book is literally ON my shelf as a display because I love the cover, the title, the author, and of course, the content. So here is my pitch for the book, an excerpt straight from the dust jacket:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Life is made of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement. It would be wonderful if they came of us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won't happen. We have to teach ourselves how to live, really live...to love the journey, not the destination.</span><br /><br />So, here is the most prominent book on my personal bookshelf. And there you have your Tuesday Good Read Recommendation. <br /><br />And by the way, Happy Graduation to our intern Nicole Pride. She's been a huge help to us this semester, and I hope we've been the same for her. No surprises on the gift though.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-63414336550249357322011-04-25T05:17:00.000-07:002011-05-02T05:17:35.064-07:00Moody Weather: Monday Morning Writing Prompt, April 25It's been raining for two days here in Tulsa, and the week I was in New York City it rained four of the six days we were there. I don't mind rain, but I'm missing the sunshine. There are other ways to get Vitamin D, but that's my favorite.<br /><br />Here is your writing prompt for today:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Write about a time when you were caught in a storm - either figuratively, or literally. </span><br /><br />If you've missed some writing prompts, you can access all the back writing prompt posts on the right column under <span style="font-weight:bold;">Blog Feature</span>. <br /><br />Happy Monday!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-79623547243147038112011-04-21T05:37:00.000-07:002011-07-29T16:43:42.235-07:00Write It Short and Sweet: Storytelling Tip #2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAqSyIrdkhK3IC7b_XpbMxYu3KhmRo1oFg-n9lxY3yPHbDyPvZI-pbxz6cnTLN82F15vFWXyJTkvpuPWVsYFlwSHQQc5tKNgX0U4B7FSgEhBSIfO082q_Swd2yoeqdEJDlfwptNIOqZY/s1600/Library+-+04230.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAqSyIrdkhK3IC7b_XpbMxYu3KhmRo1oFg-n9lxY3yPHbDyPvZI-pbxz6cnTLN82F15vFWXyJTkvpuPWVsYFlwSHQQc5tKNgX0U4B7FSgEhBSIfO082q_Swd2yoeqdEJDlfwptNIOqZY/s400/Library+-+04230.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598024142806944338" /></a><br /><br />Thursday seems like a good day for Storytelling Tips. I posted the <a href="http://themiastory.blogspot.com/2011/04/want-to-tell-great-story-using-home.html">first one</a> two weeks ago, so here is Tip #2.<br /><br />Confession: I read blogs every morning. It's a kind of happy wake-up routine for me (and coffee, of course). When I read this from Gretchen Rubin's <a href="http://www.happiness-project.com/">Happiness Project</a> blog, I let out a deep breath of relief: <br /><br />"The idea of keeping a proper journal was far too daunting, so I decided instead to keep a “one-sentence journal.” <br /><br />Release! I am also a hit-and-miss-stop-and-start-love-it-and-hate-it kind of journaler. If I sit down at night, in the morning, or during the day to journal, I feel a need to write more than one or two sentences. After all, will I really want to go back and read a collection of one-sentence entries? Actually, when you are forced to hone your writing down to one sentence (or two, or three since cheating IS allowed), your writing can often become more focused, clear, and yes, creative. Facebook status posts are an interesting study in one-sentence journaling. The best "posters" are those who can say it quickly, but they say something that is worth remembering: funny, provocative, enlightening, but it doesn't keep me reading for TOO long. The rambling posts drive me mad. So in a one-sentence journal, I am able to hone my storytelling skills by force. I better think carefully about that sentence, because it's my story for the day. I have just begun my own one-sentence journal. I didn't go out and buy a fancy Moleskin notebook, however. That's too much pressure. I have a free app on my IPad called My Writing Spot where I dash off my one (or two, or three) sentences after dinner or right before bed. Of course, a notebook journal works fine too; just don't make an investment that doesn't seem worthy of only one sentence per page! If you need more inspiration for this, check out Gretchen's post about her <a href="http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2007/08/why-i-started-k.html">journal</a>.<br /><br />If you want to slash that sentence even more, Smith Magazine is the home of the <a href="http://www.smithmag.net/">six-word memoir</a>. Now there's a challenge! This website is also a bit addictive, and I've been known to spend way too long reading the six-word stories of other memoir writers. So lose the intimidation and try writing your story short and sweet!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087539897946561056.post-46118894875306147122011-04-19T20:27:00.000-07:002011-07-29T16:46:05.501-07:00The "miserable Irish Catholic childhood" is the subject of Tuesday's Good Read Recommendation: Angela's Ashes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbP0bG0WpvAuo5QGEP-iCDcMeMJLjU92LlfrXAXZKDMYNKfoRF6-URi6gBeDyeZWWyOvXglxfswoiJrpR-XHZp8Z2_ZflTcH7FZoFg6Pt093LrdaMvpGwIzgAAJErZ0nclTfMVmJuyIkg/s1600/cover.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 123px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbP0bG0WpvAuo5QGEP-iCDcMeMJLjU92LlfrXAXZKDMYNKfoRF6-URi6gBeDyeZWWyOvXglxfswoiJrpR-XHZp8Z2_ZflTcH7FZoFg6Pt093LrdaMvpGwIzgAAJErZ0nclTfMVmJuyIkg/s400/cover.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597502347632330578" /></a><br /><br />Today's book recommendation is one of my favorite books and one that is worthy of reading over and over again (three times for me). From the dustjacket:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." So begins the luminous memoir of Frank McCourt, born in Depression-era Brooklyn to recent Irish immigrants and raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland, Frank's mother, Angela, has no money to feed the children since Frank's father, Malachy, rarely works, and when he does he drinks his wages. Yet Malachy - exasperating, irresponsible, and beguiling - does nurture Frank in the one thing he can provide: a story.</span><br /><br />This is an oldie, but a great memoir worth reading if you haven't already. <br /><br />Tuesday's Good Read Recommendation!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15457075273242951126noreply@blogger.com0