April 21, 2012: Free-Write Challange

[Irene]

This weekends free-write is a bit different. It is related to the season (spring) but not in the typical writing prompt way. You must use the word spring in your free-write ten times, it can be any type of spring (ie, the season, to spring up, the type that bubbles water from the ground). The point of this is to free-write but with a particular purpose, I will look at basic writing elements. Thanks for participating!

[Rikki]

~Rikki

I could hear something in the distance and squinted over the horizon. A boat? It couldn’t be could it? I sprang up from the ground anyway and shouted, waving my hands in the air. Pete must have seen me because he ran over and pulled me out of the water where I’d been fishing. “What’s the matter with you?” Pete asked while I squirmed in his arms, “Spring fever?”
I shook my head, frantic and tried to turn around. “It’s them! It’s them Pete. I know it is.” His grip seemed to spring loose as he looked out over the sea.
“Nothing’s out there, Tara.” He whispered after a while.
“Yes there is. Look.” I squinted out again but whatever I’d seen before was gone. “It was there. You believe me right? I saw it. I did.” I was ready to argue but he just rested his hands on my shoulders and turned me away from the beach. “We’ll get you the spring to cool off. You’ve been under the sun all day. You’re just seeing what you want to see.”
“I’m not sick anymore, Pete. I saw it. You can’t just spring ideas like that on me. I know what I saw!”
“I’m not springing any ideas.” Pete said softly. “Look you’re bleedin’ gin.”
I peered over my side and knew he was talking true. My gash from before had split form all my springing about. Fighting this way was getting nowhere so I gave in and let Pete lead me over the springy, damp weeds. He sat me down by the spring and helped me wash. Then he pulled out a box he must’ve found in the wreckage and turned its key making it spring open. Inside were nuts and bolts, strings, springs and ripped cloth. Pete can fix anything it seems… Even me.

[Irene]

Rikki wrote: "~Rikki

I could hear something in the distance and squinted over the horizon. A boat? It couldn’t be could it? I sprang up from the ground anyway and shouted, waving my hands in the air. Pete mus..."

Well done, just be careful with your wordage and phrasing. Other than that it is a decent piece and I enjoyed reading it.

[Irene]

Lucinda wrote: "Dear Irene,
As i am new to this group and i have just joined, i am not familiar with how your discussions work and how this particular section works. I would really aprectiate it if you might be a..."

Hi Lucinda, great to have you aboard! Go check out the first post on the 'What Is This?" Thread (located in this folder) and it will explain how theses prompts are set up and why.

Now to the second question. A free-write just means you write whatever comes to your mind (in this case you start with the given line) without regard to spelling or punctuation. It helps develop basic, good, writing skills as you aren't focusing so much on the mechanics of the piece as the creativeness.

Hope that answered your questions!

[Irene]

Lucinda wrote: "Dear Irene,
Thank you for answering my questions and i am glad that you look more at creativity, as my spelling and grammar has never been that great!
Lucinda Xx"

Glad to have helped, and that's what these prompts are about (I do put up the occasional one that focus on grammar and such). These prompts are completely optional and you can just do one every few weeks or all of them.