Hi folks
(1 of 2)
Again, sending you two prompts from the future again today, so you can work ahead for the holiday weekend if you wish.
This prompt is the one you would be writing Saturday to be turned in on Sunday by noon Central Time, but just label your email for prompt 26 and you can turn it early and I’ll credit it ahead.
And of course, you can always use the mini-play at the bottom of the email and blog post as an escape hatch for the day’s writing.
Let’s get you that writing prompt…
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Challenge #26 - Visual Writing Prompt
Due: Sunday, November 27th, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)
Today I’m going to get a little help from my friend, actor/musician/artist Will Phelps.
In addition to being an actor I think about and write for, he also creates really fun visual art. I bought some for my walls, and I put in the winning bid in our recent Threshold Theater fundraiser to nab the brand new art piece he created just for us. Note to self, I need to get a frame and get that one up on the wall with the rest of them.
I realized this is also kind of a two-fer, because you can either take the visual as your inspiration to write, or you can take the title of the piece and run with that instead, so it’s still also word-based.
(Click on the pictures to make them bigger)
There’s a pink tinted collage work of a man with funny ears playing a saxophone sliding down the stairs riding atop and enormous ice cream sandwich, with road signs nearby declaring:
“Be F**king Silly - At Least Once A Day”
There’s a stick figure holding onto a group of balloons carrying them aloft, trailed by the words:
“Good News Is Coming”
There’s a blue and green mottled field of color with the title:
“in his morning coffee he saw the face of God”
There’s another stick figure hanging on what seems like a tire swing, with the motto:
“What The F**k Am I Doing?”
And finally there’s the newest piece in the collection, a mottled field of color with tans and reds predominant with the title:
“don’t let the bitter man determine your worth”
Definitely check out Will’s website
There’s a fun new print on his front page right now with the title:
“After 2,730 missions, she decided this was the place.”
And it’s an astronaut just chilling out on top of what appears to be a giant Belgian waffle, complete with fruit topping, floating in the vastness of space.
I like a guy with a sense of whimsy, can you tell?
Check out his portfolio, if you like, for other random inspiration (or just better shots than I take with my camera in variable lighting situations :)
Or, as usual, just write whatever you like and turn it in by the deadline. Up to you.
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If you’re not interested in this prompt, you can try 2021’s challenge #26:
Random Phrase Generator part 4
Or, you know, just ignore the prompts altogether and write whatever you want - as long as you’re writing and turning it in by the deadline, that’s all that matters for the challenge :)
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Friendly Reminders - Answers To Common Questions:
(Follow the links to read me expounding on these items :)
Don’t Stress About Writing A Full Play
Don’t Stress About Sticking To The Writing Prompt
No. Really. I Mean It. Don’t Stress About Sticking To The Writing Prompt
Don’t Stress About Finishing An Idea (You Can Add Later)
Don’t Stress About Thanksgiving
Don’t Stress About “Succeeding” or “Failing”
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How to submit your work for Challenge #26
You have options. They are:
Save your script as a PDF or Word Doc and send as an attachment to an email sent to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
OR
Copy and paste your script in the body of an email and send it to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
OR
Post your script online (as a Google doc, or in a blog post, on your own personal website, etc.) - email a link to this script to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
(If you’re going to Google doc route, just make sure to have the document public, or give permissions to our email address to open it)
When emailing us, make the subject line of your email - Challenge #26
(That just helps us sort through the email more quickly)
(Or, you know, just reply to this email if you want :)
OR
Post the link for the online document option above in the comments
section on this very blog post for this very challenge on the writing
challenge blog below
Again, this is: Due: Sunday, November 27th, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)
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And, just to reassure you, no, we are not going to be sticklers about you following these directions down to the minutest detail - the important thing is that you write, and then that you share it with us, so we can keep track of who’s writing every day.
Also, no, there is no penalty for finishing and submitting early - but it also isn’t a race, so give yourself all the time up til 12 noon Central Time on Sunday to write if you need it. When you’re done, you’re done.
Again, remember, it doesn’t need to be great, it doesn’t even need to be responding to this prompt (the prompt is just there so you’re not staring at a blank screen to start with no idea what to write about :)
Doesn't even need to be complete - you could have the beginning or the middle or the end of an idea, maybe two out of three but not all, that's still fine. This is all about getting things started, you can write more later. You have 4 more days to build on whatever you come up with today, if you want. Just get anything on the page, even if won't make sense to anyone else, as long as it make sense to you.
It just needs to be something.
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And that something can be:
Lights up.
A squash runs for its life across the stage.
Lights down.
The End
That’s always your escape hatch, every day.
That’s your base line.
Build on it.
Have fun.
Don’t stress.
Make an impulsive decision and run with it.
Breathe.
You’ve got the day.
Just write.
Matthew A. Everett
Literary Director
Threshold Theater
(he/him/his)
Now Playing:
Our video recording of our third live play reading in the New Play Reading series, Sam Walsh's "The Visible," is up on our YouTube channel (available to stream through the end of November)
Coming Soon:
The
video recording of our fourth live play reading in the New Play Reading
series, Bethany Dickens Assaf’s “Leviathan,” will be swapping places
with “The Visible” on our YouTube channel in late November, early December
Coming Up:
Threshold Theater’s New Play Reading Series
A reading of “Zero State” by Allison Moon
Monday, March 13, 2023 - 7pm
The Black Hart of Saint Paul - 1415 University Avenue West in St. Paul
"Write. Find a way to keep alive and write. There is nothing else to say."
- James Baldwin
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