Being part of the 100 Word group has helped me focus lately on words – I LOVE words – love how some of them roll off the tongue while others seem to get stuck in the back of the throat and refuse to be uttered. But, I go through phases where I don’t really WANT to write – generally because I have to do so much writing as part of my J.O.B. Not alone there, I’m sure.

So, it’s fun to sit and exercise my brain pan a bit by thinking of ways to express emotions through a one or two word prompt – spewing it onto paper and then hewing it down to size. (You may have noticed I have a difficult time in keeping my words to a minimum – thus the challenge of writing only 100 words).

Part of the fun of the challenge is reading the take others have on the same prompt. I’ve discovered a number of kindred spirits by checking out the weekly posts.

One such is Dxpepper’s blog and especially this post. In commenting on it I wrote: we write about ourselves wearing other people’s skin and I was struck by my own words: it’s not that I am overly excited about my own words, but . . . isn’t that what writers do best?

I am an introvert. I used to describe myself as shy, but that word does not fit me at all, at all. I can talk with anyone about just about anything. Once nephew and I were stuck at the Seattle airport (due to Mt. Redoubt erupting) for three days. When his mom joined us on the third day he said, Mom! Aunt B can talk to anyone about anything! (underlying that comment was the unstated HELP ME!!!)
🙂

The introverted part of me comes into play when I write – rather than talk about myself (although you couldn’t prove it by THIS post) I write about other people – unknown or made up people. Writers wear other people’s skin. We tell stories about ourselves and other people using a LOT of poetic license by changing places, names, etc. We put our thoughts into other people’s minds and let them slip out of other people’s mouths. We live vicariously through every John or Betty or Max or Morningstar we write about.

And, sometimes we enter writing contests.

I did that this week. Our local Writers Group holds a “Writers Night” each year. The entry deadline is in early February. I’ve entered two non-fiction prose pieces (writing about real people using real names) and two poems originally written to answer 100 Word prompts.

Thanks VV for allowing me an avenue of opening up my brain and watching what spills out.