Monday, May 10, 2010

WordPlay! WriteNet Week 17

Lena Horne, at the age of 92, has made her transition to join the great cast 0f musicians and actors in Heaven. A woman who was not afraid to challenge the limitations and stereotypes that confronted her during her career, she was a brilliant singer and actress whose brilliance was known by multiple generations. I especially remember her in the role of Glinda, the Good Witch, in "The Wiz." The loving generosity of the character in that film was a mirror image of the person who portrayed her.

Like Dorothy Dandridge before her and many others after her, including Halle Berry, Lena Horne had a physical beauty that transcended definitions of race. Although she experienced the humiliation of segregation, her pride and courage sustained her. "Believe in Yourself," as her character sang in "The Wiz," is valuable advice for each of us. I am emboldened to do so in the real world because of the presence of role models like Lena Horne in my lifetime.

Writing Exercises

External Exercises
(see previous posts for detailed instructions)

1. Observations Exercise
2. Reading Report
3. Writing Journal
4. Sensory Details Exercise
5.The Assumptions Exercise

· Start with a triggering assumption (any statement that could be true). Derive 10 new secondary assumptions (statements that also could be true if triggering assumption is true). For each of the derived assumptions, develop 10 additional tertiary assumptions. · Now you can use any of the assumptions as writing prompts or to develop a scene.

Weekly Exercises: May 10, 2010

1. What advice do you need to hear from a "fairy godmother" or "good witch?"

2. Write about a time when you were lost.

3. Start with the words, "if you only believe in yourself...," and keep writing.

4. If you were given an all-expenses-paid vacation to any destination you chose, where would you go and how would you spend your time there?


There is no WRONG WAY to do it: JUST WRITE!

1 comment:

Samedi-Lacroix said...

TheVoodoo DruidPriestess is me... please add me back, Ayofemi. ;-) You'll know who it is. Hugs.