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Monday, April 15, 2013

Writing Prompt: Errbody's Getting Tipsy!

By Marilyn Friedman

Thank you to everyone who came out to Writers With Drinks at Tony's Downtown Saloon last Tuesday night! Libations and conversation flowed freely, and it was a smashing success. In fact, today's writing prompt (at the bottom of the post) was inspired by our recent soiree.

If you're looking for more literary inspiration, be sure to check out Writing Pad's short story panel this Thursday, April 18th from 8pm to 9:30 pm, Strange, Comic, Beautiful, and Sad: Reinventing the Short Story with award-winning authors Ben Loory (New Yorker, Best American Short Stories), Mary Otis (Tin House, Best American Short Stories), and Amelia Gray (McSweeney’s, Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Prize). Learn how to create powerful tales that linger in your readers’ mind and get advice on how to publish both short fiction and story collections. Hope you can join us. It's only $5 and includes snacks and sangria!

And we just added a few new classes to kick off your May writing practice. Do you have a great idea for a memoir? Let bestselling author Brett Paesel show you how to transform your real life stories into lively drama in True Tales: Writing A Compelling Past on Sat., May 4th. Or are you dying to get an essay published in a magazine or newspaper? On Sun., May 5th published essayist Annabelle Gurwitch (More, Marie Claire) will help you to push an essay to the finish line in Personal Essay Punch Up. She'll help you uncover opportunities in your writing and reach surprising revelations. Her feedback and editing methods will blow your mind!

Below are the latest class offerings, followed by a free writing prompt!

April/May Events:
Creative Writing/Multi-Genre
Fiction/Memoir
Journalism/Web Writing
Writing For Actors
Screenwriting


Writing Prompt:
Sometimes buzzed turns tipsy turns seriously drunk and that's when all bets are off. Write about the first time you or a character got drunk (or a memorable time you got drunk). Before you set off to write:
1. Write down two details about your experience that will show us that your character is drunk (e.g. the room was spinning, all of a sudden, my cheek was on the cold tile floor).
2. Write down a sensory detail that was part of the experience (e.g. smell, taste, sound, touch)

Now write for 10 minutes about this experience without explicitly telling us that your character is drunk. Show us that he or she is drunk by the things he or she is feeling or seeing. Make sure to include a sensory detail (e.g. smell, taste, sound, touch).  

Tell us about your (or a character's) first experience with inebriation. Don't forget to share the results of your 10 minute write in the comments of this blog to be entered in the contest for a free class!

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