Writing from your childhood experiences

2 Comments »24th December, 2009; Category: Fiction, Short Stories, The Writer's Life, Writing prompts

Last week I enjoyed reading the collection of inter-connected short stories called The Turning written by award winning West Australian author Tim Winton.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it was all I had hoped it to be. I’ll review it on these pages soon.

One of the most obvious strengths of the collection of stories is how Winton has drawn extensively on his childhood experiences growing up in rural Western Australia. This sense of time and place is powerful, and it set me to thinking and reminiscing about my own childhood. I grew up on a farm in the Murray Mallee districts of South Australia. the more I thought about it the more the memories came surging back. Some good, others I’d rather forget.

I was supposed to be on holiday last week, but there are times when the writer in me just cannot switch off. I actually wrote several stories  and made notes for another one, all based on childhood experiences. At this stage I am too close to the stories to know whether they will stand alone as unique stories in their own right, or they will become a part of a much bigger work.

Drawing on childhood experiences is something all writers can do.

‘Flannery O’Connor said that anyone who has survived beyond the age of twelve has enough fictional material for the rest of her life.’ (John Dufresne in The lie that tells the truth)

What I have done with these memories of my childhood is to take a real incident – and fictionalise it. I changed the names – to protect the guilty – and often twisted or totally changed the  events to suit the drama of the story. I distinctly remember a classmate breaking his arm while we were playing football. His reaction astonished me. I changed this incident to a broken arm during a cricket match. That’s the beauty of fiction: you can change or make up whatever you like. The stories read almost like a memoir – but much of the content is fiction. I’ve drawn on just one incident – the broken arm, for example – and let my imagination soar.

Writing activity:

  • Cast your mind back to your primary (elementary)  school days.
  • Think of one incident that sticks vividly in your memory.
  • Write down exactly what happened – or as accurately as you can remember.
  • Now rewrite it in a fiction form, bringing in imaginary characters, new incidents, a different ending – just let your imagination have free rein.

Good writing.


Writing prompts #9

No Comments »16th March, 2009; Category: Short Story Starters, Writer's block, Writing Hints, Writing prompts

Sometimes writers get stuck for ideas. This might just be a temporary blip on the radar screen. If it persists over a long period of time, the dreaded writer’s block might be the cause.

Whatever the situation, writers are left without ideas. This is where my very popular short story starters can help. Then we have this series of writing prompts to get you out of those writing ruts. Today I present the latest list of writing prompts.

Use these as writing warm up activities. Use them as jumping off points for stories, or magazine articles or even blog posts. Use them however you wish.

Twenty Writing Prompts

  1. Write about a career you have always dreamed about.
  2. Write a conversation between a cow and a blade of grass.
  3. What is your favourite household appliance? Write about its life from the point of view of the appliance.
  4. If you had a choice, where would you live and why?
  5. Write a list of ten things you would never write about.
  6. Write a list of menu items you would offer to an enemy who came into your restaurant.
  7. Choose an item in the room. Describe it without saying what it is and from the object’s point of view.
  8. Make a list of the ten greatest inventions ever.
  9. Write five things you would never tell your children – or your parents.
  10. You are alone in the house. Your cat/dog starts talking to you. Record your conversation.
  11. Choose a colour. Write about how it would feel if everything in the world was that colour.
  12. A stranger approaches you in an airport and asks for a thousand dollars. Record your conversation.
  13. Describe boredom. Make your description exciting.
  14. Assume that more ice creams are sold on Tuesdays. Write a short report on why this is so.
  15. Take on the role of your editor. Write the most devastating rejection letter you can imagine.
  16. What would you do if you could live for a thousand years? describe your life.
  17. Make a list of ten things that the world would be better off without. (“Things” – not people!)
  18. Describe the best party ever. Who would you invite? Where would you hold it? What would you have to eat?
  19. Describe what you would do if you found an elephant in your garden.
  20. Write down your thoughts about the most controversial current news item.

Further reading:

Writing prompt #8

No Comments »4th March, 2009; Category: Writing Hints, Writing prompts

It has been quite a few months since I gave my last writing prompt, so it’s time for another one.

This time I thought I’d do something different. Instead of just one idea, I’m going to give a list of writing ideas. Use these ideas however you want. You might get an idea for a story, or a magazine article or a blog post. Or you might just use it as a warmup activity before the main writing project for the day.

20 Writing Prompts:

  1. Write about the Teddy Bears’ Picnic from the ant’s point of view.
  2. Write a list of things that are white.
  3. Explain why your character is afraid to go into the shadows.
  4. Write about a librarian who discourages people from borrowing books.
  5. Describe the most vivid dream you ever had.
  6. Make a list of things that make you laugh.
  7. Describe the last time you had a really good cry.
  8. Write about the joys of moving house.
  9. Write a conversation between a tree and a bird.
  10. Describe the most exotic place you’ve ever visited.
  11. Write the transcript of an interview you did with the character of a book.
  12. Make a list of the ten major events in your life.
  13. Write about the worst smell you have ever experienced.
  14. List the attributes of the most evil character you can imagine.
  15. Tell your life story in 50 words or less.
  16. Write a story about a cat in exactly 50 words. It must have a beginning, middle and end.
  17. What would you most like to change about your life – either in the past or the present.
  18. Imagine what it would be like living in a palace and write about it.
  19. Write a list of the ten things you would never do.
  20. Imagine being in your mother’s womb. Write about your feelings.

Related articles:

What I learned from mowing grass

No Comments »18th February, 2009; Category: The Writer's Life, Writer's block, Writing Hints, Writing prompts

My home is situated on five acres (2 hectares) on the outskirts of a country town in South Australia. We have a small orchard, about two acres of bushland scrub and the remainder is open grassland. Many years ago it was used for grazing sheep.

We used to have five sheep, but they had an accident and ended up in the freezer. The sheep did a good job in keeping the grass down and mowing was unnecessary. It’s a different story now. In spring and early summer the grass and weeds grow quickly, sometimes up to waist high, depending on the winter rains. Of necessity I bought a ride-on mower a few years ago. It was a good move.

What has this to do with writing?

Plenty.

I learned a great deal about writing from mowing the grass.

Get a  spark of an idea

Last spring the grass needed mowing. It was becoming a fire hazard as it dried in the warm sun. I went to start the mower – nothing.

Not a spark. The battery was flat. It wasn’t going anywhere.

Our writing can be like that. It seems to be going nowhere; in fact, some days it just won’t even start. Sometimes it needs a jump start to get it going. Take a break. Make a cup of tea or coffee. Go for a walk.  Read a book for ten minutes. Then come back refreshed and ready to get it going again.

Get some outside help

Even though I charged the battery of my ride on mower, it still wouldn’t start. I tried everything I know about mowers and motors and batteries (which isn’t much – more of a short, short story actually). It needed professional help. I loaded it up on the trailer and took it to the dealer, a specialist in mower maintenance. That did the trick. He knew exactly how to solve the problem, giving me a few maintenance hints as well. Get some professional help with your writing. This is where networking and writers’ groups can be so beneficial. If necessary you may even need to pay to have your manuscript professionally assessed.

Eliminate the rubbish

When the mower was home again I got busy. There was plenty of grass that needed mowing before the summer fire danger season. Round and round I went mowing happily until… until the mower stopped mowing efficiently. What the… ? I stopped and looked down: the cutting area was clogged up with matted dry grass. The blades couldn’t do their job properly.

Is your writing clogged with rubbish? Words that don’t fit, or redundant sentences. Paragraphs that are really run-on sentences going nowhere. Wordy descriptions that “tell and don’t show.” Spelling and grammatical errors that readers – not to mention editors – will trip over and curse you for their sore knees.

Shed some light on your work

Sometimes I was enjoying the mowing so much the sun set on me and it started getting dark. The mower has two headlights but they don’t shed much light on the path ahead. I had to shut down, put the mower away and start again the next day.

Sometimes with our writing we get eyes that are dimmed through tiredness or trying too hard for too long. Put it away over night, or for a few days, and come back in the light of a new day. Instantly you will see where you were having troubles with a piece of writing and be able to correct it and move on.

Be sure to top up the fuel tank

My mower sometimes runs out of fuel. The gauge is on the side of the tank where I can’t see it from where I sit. It leaves me in no doubt about what is happening. It splutters to a stop with no warning. Sometimes it is a long walk back to the shed to get fuel.

Has your writing ever sputtered to a sudden stop, going nowhere? It is then time to refuel. Take a short holiday completely away from the work that is bogging you down. Go for a long walk every day. Set aside a day or two just for reading a novel. Stop and refuel by listening to music. Walk on the beach. Let the wind blow through your hair. See a movie or  two or three. Visit a friend and have a good yarn about anything except your writing. Then come back fully refueled and ready to go on with your writing.

Good writing.