Where I’m From: A Writing Prompt

Yesterday was the second time a group of authors and singer/songwriters gathered together in Nashville to develop a CD and accompanying book. I am a part of that group of talented women. I’m not a songwriter but I have had the opportunity to now contribute to three songs. Today will be the fourth. It’s been a thrilling ride and I look forward to sharing this work with you. But today I’d like to share one of the exercises we are doing to get our creative juices flowing.

The exercise of writing songs would be enough but we have also had the delight of learning how to find our voices, as they say, through writing prompts. If I get a chance, I’ll interview the women behind the prompt exercises. But if you are an aspiring author or writer, these practices might be a useful and helpful way for you to practice writing without editing, under a time constraint, and from whatever is on your heart.

Yesterday, we were given the prompt “I am from…” We had 15 minutes and this is what I wrote:

I am from the imagination of The Spirit. Crafted, knit together, formed, created.

I am from a small village of unseen, disposable, brown-skinned beauties. Loved of God in a land that flourishes even under distress.

I am from the mingling of old souls. Motown-lovin’, jazz playing, fried liver eatin’, poor in paper money, rich in soul, image-bearing, lovers—one gone to the next life.

I am from a perfect God-Man full of life, full of sorrow, gave me his so I could have mine. New creation.

But don’t you think my newness erased that small village, that old souls mingling work. No, it didn’t.

The Spirit’s too kind to make me forget where I’m from.

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