Favorite Cafes and Meaningful Words Writing Prompt

By Marilyn Friedman

Sometimes you just need a change of venue to get those creative juices flowing. I love writing in cafes. I escape the distractions of home and indulge in cafe latte's and tasty treats. These LA cafes have plenty of outlets, comfortable seating, and the perfect environment to motivate your fingers to start tapping on on your laptop: Bread Lounge, Bulgarini Gelato, Conservatory of Coffee, Le Pain Quotidien, Sweet Butter.

Speaking of motivation, we have a bunch of classes starting this week that will help you find the best, most productive writer inside of you. Showcase yourself as a writer! Craft an essay that will mystify an audience in Moth Me Baby starting this Sun., Oct. 21 with Pinata curator and Pushcart Prize nominee Christine Schoenwald. Or, launch your acting career with an amazing one-person show with award-winning performer and writer Lauren Weedman in Get Truthy starting this Tues., Oct. 23! Both classes include show bookings.

If screenwriting is more your thing, learn what it takes to craft an irresistible pilot in Writing A Pilot That Can Fly with Emmy-award winning writer Jeff Kahn starting Mon., Oct. 22. Jeff's sold 13 pilots and worked on every major network. He'll read your entire pilot and give you a one-on-one consult at the end of class!

Also, this Sun., Oct. 21, the amazing Annabelle Gurwitch (Huffington Post, More, LA Times) is back with Punch Up Your Prose. Annabelle's class will add TNT to your writing. She'll show you how to blow up small details and flip descriptions in surprising ways to end your stories with a BANG!

A full list of our classes is below. Click on the links to sign up before they are full, my darlings.

Note: classes with an asterix (*) will be held at our new, posh Westside location in Westwood!

Classes Starting This Week
•The Found Story: Finding Your Story In The Street*
•Get Your Book Published Intensive* 
•Punch Up Your Prose: Extracting Story Gold
•It's Playtime: Writing For Kids

•Fist Fights, Car Chases and Shoot Outs: Writing Action Scenes for Fiction*
•Moth Me Baby

Classes Starting Next Week
•Writing A Pilot That Can Fly 
•Get Truthy: A One-Person Show Intensive
•So You Want To Be A Writer?*
•Finishing School*
•Do Re Mi, Baby: Humorous Songwriting Made Easy
•Hanky Panky: Writing The Erotic*

Events
•From Exposés To Epic Tales: A Fireside Chat with Susan Orlean

Retreats
•Writing Pad Fall Break 

Book Publishing

•How To Hook An Agent*

Creative Writing and Multi Genre
•Writing Pad Craft Fest
•Writing Pad Body Shop: Crafting A Classic Creation

Fiction and Memoir
•Fall Break Fiction/Memoir Track
•Get Your Grimm On: Finding Your Inner Fairy Tale*
•True Tales: Writing A Compelling Past

Journalism, Personal Essay and Web Writing

•You've Been Featured: Writing The Magazine or Newspaper Article*
•Fall Break Personal Essay Track
•Query Letter Clinic: Writing The Pitch That Sells Your Story

Writing for Actors
•Stand Out Stand-Up: A Comedy Workshop

Screenwriting

•Fall Break Screenwriting Track
•Business Time: A Screenwriter's Survival Skills Workshop
•Blockbuster Madness: Writing The Studio Script
•Get Real! Writing For Reality TV

Writing Prompt: Meaningful Words
Make a list of your 5 favorite words or words that you mother used when she was angry with you. Pick one. Write down an image that comes to mind when you think of that word. Add a sensory detail (sound, taste, touch or smell) that goes with that word. Now write for 10 minutes and post the results in the comments of this blog to be entered into the contest for a free class!

I am going to write about how my mother used to call me a piggy when she was mad. "Don't be a piggy," she said! It was a catch-all word she used to describe nasty behavior as well as bad table manners.

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).

If you need more inspiration than what I've provided, here's an amazing poem on the word F*ck by Kim Addonizio.

Write about your favorite word or a word that your mother used as a weapon!  Post your 10 minute write in the comments of this blog, and you could win a free class!