Prologue:
Over a month ago I posted Prompt #69: They Shouldn't Have. None of us posted.
I wondered, is it the holidays? I did post it right before Thanksgiving. Is it how busy we are with work and everything else going on in our lives? I suppose it could be. I revisited the blog thinking maybe it's the prompt? Yeah, for me at least, I think that's it...
The prompt has a negative feel to it. A literary fuck you to the people who haven't treated you the way you deserve to be treated. It sounded like a good idea at the time. It was inspired after all by a talented satirist. But the more I thought about it, the more uninviting it was to me as a writer. It's not usually where I want to spend my writing time and space. If I did, it's not likely I's want to publish it publicly. So I unpublished the prompt. I'm giving us a reboot, and letting that one sit there in our draft pile.
Introduction:
It's December 29th, which means there are two more days left in the year. Time for resolutions and goal setting? Maybe, but not here. No cliche writing prompts about our wishes, dreams, and goals for the upcoming year. 2021 lists might be fun, but we''ll leave that to individuals as they see fit. This morning I did do something end-of-yearish. I looked back at this blog, back to the very beginning for inspiration and reflection. Five and half years ago, five writing friends, we started this blog in sisterhood to collect, share, document, and celebrate writing. We had no real plans; we weren't trying to get published or build and count readership. We just wanted a place to put our writing together, to create space for our voices and our writing practice. 69 prompts (including this one), over 300 pieces of writing, and now three of us remain. The other two remain in our lives and write on their own, but stepped away from the blog to tend to other commitments. So here we are.
Prompt:
We've done this before in various forms, but it seems like a great time to do it again. Perhaps it's selfish on my part, because I know I need it. But often our vibes are intertwined, and maybe we can all use it. So, with a suggested form, our prompt is to revisit why we write. We'll do it collaboratively, as this has been a powerful vehicle for us in the past. We can complete it right here, jump in where and when you feel inspired... and if changing to the frame suits you, have at it! Write however you are inspired!
Why We Write
a poem by the trailbrazins
I write for so many reasons; some noble, many of them base.
I write to feel, to express my truest self
I write to create my life...then revise, revise, revise
I write to exorcise demons,
past, present, and future.
I write to have my voice be heard,
even when the audience is small.
I write to entertain,
hoping my self-deprecation resonates.
I write to provoke thought,
sometimes a hit, often a miss.
I write to reflect,
often confused when I look back later.
I write to remember,
in case one day I forget.
I write to be heard,
by others and more importantly to listen to myself.
I write to express thoughts and feelings,
sometimes words on paper flow easier than words out loud.
I write to document,
so dreams and wishes, experiences and events- people, are not all forgotten.
I write to create,
productivity isn't all it's cracked up to be, creativity is everything.
I write to share,
friends in writing are one of life's great treasures.
I write because the pen and paper are my friend.
I write to save my own life.
I write to keep confidences and make connections.
I write to reach what the voice inside is trying to tell me.
I write to scold myself for wrong directions and ill-advised actions.
But mostly I write to continually map my life through the hills and valleys,
through the deserts and oceans and rainstorms of life.
Droughts may occur, but eventually writing is the divining rod to guide me back
to a healing, healthy place.
*Photo Attribution: Creative Commons (attribution non-commercial share alike)
Date / time: circa 1910s
