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Saturday, July 28, 2012

Literary Vacations and Writing Prompt: What's In The Refrigerator?

By Marilyn Friedman

August is vacation time for a lot of you. Last August, I went to Russia and the Ukraine had my own, self-designed Russian literary vacation. Visiting Tolstoy's estate, Chekhov's Dacha, and Dostoevsky's apartment was so inspiring. For instance, I learned that Dostoevsky's daily writing routine included drinking tea that he insisted upon making himself because he believed that no one else, not even his wife, could make it strong enough. He kept his samovar hot all day long. I saw his special samovar at the Dostoevsky museum in his modest but charming St. Petersburg apartment. Just like Dostoevsky, I must drink tea when I write. Perhaps I will write a "The Brothers Karamazov" one of these days!

LA has plenty of literary destinations for you to visit if you aren't going away this summer, for instance, you could design your own "Less Than Zero" tour if you want to pay homage to favorite author Brett Easton Ellis.

Also, speaking of literary vacations, Writing Pad has several excursions for you this August that won't empty your wallet. For instance, come to our Summer Camp on Sat., Aug. 18 with award-winning novelist and short story writer Maureen McHugh, famous memoirist and personal essayist Annabelle Gurwitch, and "Mad Men" screenwriters Victor Levin and Michael Saltzman! It will be a day of life-changing classes with master writers, arts and crafts, lounging by the pool, a delicious BBQ, s'mores, and ghost stories. You can sign up for the whole day or individual classes, but there are only 2 spots left, so hurry!

To sign up for a class, click on the links below or email marilyn@writingpad.com or call 323-333-2954. I hope to see you soon.


AUGUST/SEPTEMBER CLASSES
*Classes with an asterix will be held at our Westside location in Culver City.

Classes Starting Aug. 12 - Aug. 19
Writing The Market Friendly Masterpiece
Writing Pad Summer Camp


Writing Prompt:
It's hot outside today in LA, so you may be tempted to stand in front of the refrigerator to cool off. Opening the refrigerator is actually a wonderful writing prompt. The contents of a character's refrigerator can tell us a lot about who he is and his lifestyle!

For this week's writing prompt, make a list of 5 items you have (or your fictional character has) in the refrigerator (e.g. 10 six packs of beer, condiments and nothing else, the unidentified molding thing in the back, congealing pizza from that rager you had last week, those horrible pickles that your mom made). Pick one. Now add a sensory detail to it (smell, taste, sound, touch). Now write for 10 minutes about this refrigerator item and include the sensory detail. Then, post the results in the comments of this blog!

Write about the contents of your fridge (or your character's fridge). If you post your 10 minute write in the comments of this blog, you could win a free class!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Writing Prompt: Best Thing About Childhood

By Marilyn Friedman and Kelly Smith

This weekend at the Pad, we're getting down to business! Literary agents Elise Capron of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and Jennifer Rofe of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency will be teaching How To Hook An Agent. If you have a novel, collection of short stories, memoir, children's book, middle grade, or YA book that you are dreaming of getting published, you should sign up. You'll get feedback on your pages, find out how to avoid the slush pile, and build a relationship with an agent who could end up representing you!

Also on Sunday, publicist Jenna Britton will show us how to take our blogs to the next level and draw customers or agents to our doorsteps in IAMAWESOME.WORDPRESS.COM. This class will include workshopping of a blog post or concept so take advantage of Jenna's expertise while you can.

Click on the links below to sign up or email marilyn@writingpad.com or call 323-333-2954. And check out the last writing prompt for the June/July contest down below. We hope to see you soon!

*Note: classes with an asterix will be held at our Westside location in Culver City.

Classes Starting This Week/Next Week

Journalism, Personal Essay and Web Writing
Screenwriting


Writing Prompt:
Make a list of 5 things that made childhood bearable for you (or your fictional character).  For instance, remember how fun it was to be the first to claim the loose change under your grandfather's chair, the tasty sugary cereal that your aunt fed you (Apple Jacks, anyone?) or the time you soaked your little brother with that water ballon? Pick one. Now add a sensory detail to it (smell, taste, sound, touch, sight). Now write for 10 minutes about this thing that made being a kid awesome, including the sensory detail, and post the results in the comments of this blog!

For instance, Kelly is going to write about that time she went into the living room, flipped on the record player and had a dance party with her Strawberry Shortcake album.  She thought that she was so cool. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!


Write about something that made you love being a kid! If you post your 10 minute write in the comments of this blog, you could win a free class!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Writing Prompt: Things I Regret

By Marilyn Friedman

Sorry that I have been remiss with the writing prompts for a couple of weeks! I went on vacation to the deep South and had the privilege of touring Savannah and the Mercer-Williams House (subject of the fantastic book and movie, "Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil"). But now that I'm back, I've crafted a prompt that will encourage you to dig deep from the well of personal experience and come up with an entertaining story!

Speaking of using your personal life to fuel your writing projects, if you have always wanted to write a gripping memoir, we have a new Memoir Bootcamp class with accomplished author and journalist, Richard Rushfield starting this Monday! If you're the type that prefers to hide behind your imagination, we have two classes this weekend that will help you with that. Learn how to turn your big ideas into the next Hunger Games in Writing The Market Friendly Masterpiece with Harper Collins Author Derek Taylor Kent and create fantastical but realistic worlds in our Paranormal Fiction class with RITA-award nominated author Zoe Archer! I hope to see you soon, and I hope that you are enjoying your summer so far.

Classes Starting This Week
Fiction and Memoir

Journalism, Personal Essay and Web Writing

Screenwriting

*Classes with an asterix will be held at our Westside location in Culver City!



Writing Prompt:
Make a list of 5 times you (or your fictional character) did something that you wish you could take back (e.g. put your foot in your mouth, slept with someone you shouldn’t have, drank too much, jumped out of a plane). Pick one. Now add a sensory detail to it (smell, taste, sound, touch, sight). Now write for 10 minutes about this thing that you wish you could take back including the sensory detail and post the results in the comments of this blog!

If it makes you feel better, I’m going to write about that time that I drank too much and yelled at a bartender because he didn’t say hello to me, and I had a crush on him. I can’t wait to see what you come up with (feel free to email me if you want to remain anonymous but still enter the comment contest).

Write about something that you regret! If you post your 10 minute write in the comments of this blog, you could win a free class!