Yoko Ono. my hero. kinda.
it's a good book, some of these writing prompts are a little too wacky, but some of them are actually very good. Never got to use them in workshops but there's a copy at the Brown library, check it out.
Grapefruit: A Book of Instructions and Drawings by Yoko Ono
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
writing prompts
I don't know how many people are still reading this that participate in SPACE, but I found these writing exercises to be interesting.
http://www.spinelessbooks.com/mayer/index.html
two of my favorites:
>>Write a work gazing into a mirror without using the pronoun I. (can prisoners have mirrors?)
>>If you have an answering machine, record all messages received for one month, then turn them into a best-selling novella.
(answering machine messages as writing prompt, i really like)
If anyone knows anything about prison work in New Orleans contact me... of course living here I should be the first to start researching but unfortunately work has been overwhelming...
my current email: chengu08@gmail.com
http://www.spinelessbooks.com/mayer/index.html
two of my favorites:
>>Write a work gazing into a mirror without using the pronoun I. (can prisoners have mirrors?)
>>If you have an answering machine, record all messages received for one month, then turn them into a best-selling novella.
(answering machine messages as writing prompt, i really like)
If anyone knows anything about prison work in New Orleans contact me... of course living here I should be the first to start researching but unfortunately work has been overwhelming...
my current email: chengu08@gmail.com
Arts by offenders
Arts by Offenders is a UK-based organization. Check out their website, and here's a link to some award-winning poetry:
http://www.koestlertrust.org.uk/downloads/Poems.pdf
http://www.koestlertrust.org.uk/downloads/Poems.pdf
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Week of April 7
Mariya and Chen - Minimum
-very visual workshop
-started with blind contour drawings, then moved onto non-blind contour drawings, then they passed out contour drawings done previously by other women in SPACE
-they discussed what it means to portray a person with different lines
-they passed out magazines, and the prompt was to find a picture to re-draw with the materials available (charcoal, pastels, etc.)
-went well, small group
Ariel and Becky - Medium
-another largely attended workshop (24 women), so in the interest of minimizing discipline issues and creating an atmosphere conducive to free, uninterrupted creative expression, we created a prompt that forces each person to work independently and create a piece of introspective work.
-prompt: write a stream-of-consciousness piece on any of the following prompts, never lifting your pen: describe a time when you felt aware of a higher power, describe an out-of-body experience, what do you feel like when you're naked, when do you feel most powerful, do you live up to your parents' expectations, and how do you see the world?
-some women started talking after a bit, but everyone wrote, and most women shared. The workshop went really well, especially compared to past weeks of disrespectful atmospheres (1. monologues expressing something you're passionate about and 2. creating and discussing our ideal government)
-very visual workshop
-started with blind contour drawings, then moved onto non-blind contour drawings, then they passed out contour drawings done previously by other women in SPACE
-they discussed what it means to portray a person with different lines
-they passed out magazines, and the prompt was to find a picture to re-draw with the materials available (charcoal, pastels, etc.)
-went well, small group
Ariel and Becky - Medium
-another largely attended workshop (24 women), so in the interest of minimizing discipline issues and creating an atmosphere conducive to free, uninterrupted creative expression, we created a prompt that forces each person to work independently and create a piece of introspective work.
-prompt: write a stream-of-consciousness piece on any of the following prompts, never lifting your pen: describe a time when you felt aware of a higher power, describe an out-of-body experience, what do you feel like when you're naked, when do you feel most powerful, do you live up to your parents' expectations, and how do you see the world?
-some women started talking after a bit, but everyone wrote, and most women shared. The workshop went really well, especially compared to past weeks of disrespectful atmospheres (1. monologues expressing something you're passionate about and 2. creating and discussing our ideal government)
Week of April 7, 2008
Britt and Katie - Medium
-workshop went really well, but it was shorter than usual because Katie's picture had to be taken (the shorter workshop created a get-down-to-business attitude).
-handed out worksheets helping people to create fictitious characters: at the top of the page, Britt and Katie typed an emotion. The prompt was to write a story about a fictitious character in the specific emotional state so that by the end, the character experienced the opposite emotion.
-When the group shared, all the women included the height, age, weight, and eye color in their character descriptions--clearly linked to the information to which their identities are minimized in the prison system.
Anna and Molly - Medium
-short workshop, about 25 minutes, because they were stuck outside by the officers for whatever reason
-they told the women to start thinking about a prompt as Homework for next week: create a story about the beginning of the world and the end of the world
-the women were really excited, and some of them said they needed the extra week's time to address the question fully
Courtney and Nina - Minimum
-they started by playing a piece of spoken word poetry
-prompt: write (in any form) about a political or social issue that is important to you
-one woman wrote about abortion from a pro-choice stance, which another woman disagreed with, and the two engaged in a mini-debate
-Nina considered this the best workshop yet
-Courtney noticed that there were a bunch of new faces at the workshop, entirely white women
-workshop went really well, but it was shorter than usual because Katie's picture had to be taken (the shorter workshop created a get-down-to-business attitude).
-handed out worksheets helping people to create fictitious characters: at the top of the page, Britt and Katie typed an emotion. The prompt was to write a story about a fictitious character in the specific emotional state so that by the end, the character experienced the opposite emotion.
-When the group shared, all the women included the height, age, weight, and eye color in their character descriptions--clearly linked to the information to which their identities are minimized in the prison system.
Anna and Molly - Medium
-short workshop, about 25 minutes, because they were stuck outside by the officers for whatever reason
-they told the women to start thinking about a prompt as Homework for next week: create a story about the beginning of the world and the end of the world
-the women were really excited, and some of them said they needed the extra week's time to address the question fully
Courtney and Nina - Minimum
-they started by playing a piece of spoken word poetry
-prompt: write (in any form) about a political or social issue that is important to you
-one woman wrote about abortion from a pro-choice stance, which another woman disagreed with, and the two engaged in a mini-debate
-Nina considered this the best workshop yet
-Courtney noticed that there were a bunch of new faces at the workshop, entirely white women
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Week of March 3rd
Britt and Katie - Medium
-The two got a late start, but were able to start off the workshop well
-Started with a conversation, which took up half the workshop, answering the question: If you could turn the prison into anything else, what would it be? How would you change it? Describe.
-K + B prefaced the convo by recognizing that individuals may not want to write about prison.
-Then, everyone individually wrote their ideas and presented them.
-Was a really cool workshop, good ideas came up, generally went well
-Some ideas included: place for children, interior redesign, mini-town with a theater, spa, and storefronts, animal zoo, hotel with gourmet food
Mariya and Chen - Minimum
-The two handed out a passage from Jane Eyre which described a red room.
-Then, they looked at writing by Gaston Bachelard who discusses the difference between spaces in a house in terms of their associated emotional experience.
-Instructions: write through a house, describing it room by room (break down the space). Then, pick an object in a room, take it out of the house, and write from the object's perspective from the outside.
Anna and Molly - Medium
-The two gave out a list of words, and instructed everyone to pick a few words.
-Then, they broke into 2 groups, and each group had to write a myth collaboratively using the words, then perform the myth
-The workshop was incredible, and Molly's favorite this year
Nina and Courtney - Minimum
-Theme of mirrors, beginning with a free-write asking "What do you see in the mirror?"
-Then, they all played the mirror game, wherein you mirror a partner's every motion and expression to the extent that others can't guess who the leader is
-Then, they wrote plays in groups of 3, focusing on dialogue. Then, the groups performed the dialogue.
-The workshop went really well, with great dialogue.
Becky - Medium
-Ariel was at a conference, so I went in alone. There was a different CO, and for whatever reason only one wing came down - only four women came.
-Collective poetry, circa last semester with Britt. Everyone has a page numbered 1-6, with line 1 "Underneath it all". Then, the paper is passed from person to person, with each writing every other line of the poem.
-After the first poem, we discussed our thoughts about each, including favorites, improvements to make...etc.
-Then, we did another poem with 10 lines, and the first line read "Set in Motion".
-The workshop was fantastic, and everyone participated and offered comments.
An example poem:
-The two got a late start, but were able to start off the workshop well
-Started with a conversation, which took up half the workshop, answering the question: If you could turn the prison into anything else, what would it be? How would you change it? Describe.
-K + B prefaced the convo by recognizing that individuals may not want to write about prison.
-Then, everyone individually wrote their ideas and presented them.
-Was a really cool workshop, good ideas came up, generally went well
-Some ideas included: place for children, interior redesign, mini-town with a theater, spa, and storefronts, animal zoo, hotel with gourmet food
Mariya and Chen - Minimum
-The two handed out a passage from Jane Eyre which described a red room.
-Then, they looked at writing by Gaston Bachelard who discusses the difference between spaces in a house in terms of their associated emotional experience.
-Instructions: write through a house, describing it room by room (break down the space). Then, pick an object in a room, take it out of the house, and write from the object's perspective from the outside.
Anna and Molly - Medium
-The two gave out a list of words, and instructed everyone to pick a few words.
-Then, they broke into 2 groups, and each group had to write a myth collaboratively using the words, then perform the myth
-The workshop was incredible, and Molly's favorite this year
Nina and Courtney - Minimum
-Theme of mirrors, beginning with a free-write asking "What do you see in the mirror?"
-Then, they all played the mirror game, wherein you mirror a partner's every motion and expression to the extent that others can't guess who the leader is
-Then, they wrote plays in groups of 3, focusing on dialogue. Then, the groups performed the dialogue.
-The workshop went really well, with great dialogue.
Becky - Medium
-Ariel was at a conference, so I went in alone. There was a different CO, and for whatever reason only one wing came down - only four women came.
-Collective poetry, circa last semester with Britt. Everyone has a page numbered 1-6, with line 1 "Underneath it all". Then, the paper is passed from person to person, with each writing every other line of the poem.
-After the first poem, we discussed our thoughts about each, including favorites, improvements to make...etc.
-Then, we did another poem with 10 lines, and the first line read "Set in Motion".
-The workshop was fantastic, and everyone participated and offered comments.
An example poem:
Underneath it all
Became the moon & earth
Through the leaves and dirt
With the wind blowing on my shirt
Away from the mess of nature and into the sun
I turn and look up, put my shades on and Run. Run. Run.
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