3 Assignments in one - Creative Writing - Somenting You Did Today 10 Minute Timed Writing

 Written 10 Mar 21 - Transcribed 14 Mar 21


Assignment:  Timed writing - 10 Minutes Timed:  Write About Something You Did Today.  

*****************************************************


Normal people, if they woke up at 3:00 AM, would consider it the middle of the night. They'd want to get back to sleep for another four or five hours.


I got up at 3:00 AM today.  My normal is between 3:00 and 4:00.   Let's just say in the course of a year I probably average around 3:30. 


No alarm. Not intended nor intentional. It's just when I wake up. I always have.


I'm a morning person.   So was my mom.


I remember sitting on the floor in my family's dining room. It wasn't a fancy, formal dining room. It was just where our big round Maple family gathering and dining table was.  There were five of us.  My mom, dad, big sister, and little brother.  And me.  The table could easily accommodate eight.  Without the three additional leaves that were stored in the front hall closet.  They usually only made appearances around Thanksgiving and Christmas.   


A huge round Lazy Susan sat in the middle of the table.  The chairs were matching maple. Rounded backs with spindles connecting the backs to the seats. Thank God for the gingham seat cushions Grandma made for us. 


Every morning I sat on the hardwood floor. Mom sat in the light gray easy chair in the corner. The curtains on both big bay windows were always open. Mom and I liked to welcome the dawn each morning.


We met out there around 5:30 or 6:00. Every morning. Including the weekends.  Not scheduled.  Not planned. Not intended necessarily. We just did it. We were both morning people.  It was our time alone together.  Special time.  My dad, brother, and sister wouldn’t be up for another hour or more. 


I remember Mom sipping her coffee and drilling me on my spelling words. Relentlessly. Tirelessly. Patiently. Lovingly. 


I think, during my entire grammar school through high school years, that I never missed even one single spelling word.


I was thinking about Mom and our mornings today as I got my first coffee and settled in to start writing. I was at work long before most of my family and friends or more “normal” folks would even be conscious.


Thinking about Mom today. And our mornings. And excited to welcome the dawn.

*******************************************


2.  Additional Assignment - 3 Minute Timed Writing.  Write a version in the 2nd Person.  “You.”

******************************************8


You were always an early riser. Around 3:30 was your normal.


You'd always been that way. Even as a kid in third grade.  You'd be up and about before the crack of dawn. Way ahead of the rest of the family.


Except for your mom. You and your mom would meet in the family dining room. Your mom would sit in the big cushy "easy chair" in the corner. You'd sit on the dark hardwood floor. 


Your mom would quiz you on your homework. She’d give you your spelling words. Or, sometimes, the two of you would just chat about who knows what?  Or sit still. Comfortable together in the silence.  Awaiting the dawn. 


******************************************


#3 - Another 3 Minute Timed Writing - Using all dialogue.


*******************************************


"Hi, Mom," Dexter said.


"Good morning, Dexie,” Vivian, his mother said. "How'd you sleep?"


“Great."


"Whatcha got to work on this morning? I bet a new spelling word list. Right?"


"Yep. Right here waiting for you."


"Hold on a sec till I get my coffee. I'm really glad at least one of my kids is an early bird, too. Don't get me wrong. I love your brother and sister.  And, I also love my quiet, alone time.  But the early mornings are better when you're here."


"Me, too, Mom. And, look! The sun’s sneaking up over the mountain. I love you."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Creative Writing - History of hands4 - Hands Part 4 - 3 Quick Memories - Highlights - As Part of Project -

  Written 12 Mar 21 - Transcribed 15 Mar 21 This part 3 of History of Hands - This assignment is to write 3 more 1 Paragraph pieces in a total of 15 minutes.   - The assignment here is the Same Theme (hands) - but different episodes/events/circumstances. ************************************************* #1.  Robin Ray Uncharacteristically, my hands weren't sweaty.  Weren’t shaking. My knees were stable. My stomach was peaceful, too.  I didn’t understand it.  I was about to walk on Center Court at the beautiful Palisades Tennis Club in Newport Beach, California.  And, play my first round tennis match against Robin Ray. I remember it was the Pacific Southwest Tennis Tournament. A big, major tournament by anyone's standards. It featured some of the best players in the world. Robin Ray included. Robin had played professionally on the ATP Tour. In his playing days, Robin had been ranked inside the top 20 in the world. I was about to play an honest to god bi...
Read more

Creative Writing - Describe Object - Tennis Racket - 20 Min Timed - Like Strawberry Exercise

   Written 11 Mar 21 - Transcribed 15 Mar 21 This exercise is to choose an object that may find it’s way into my final project and do an in-depth look at the fine details of that object like we did with the strawberry exercise. This is a 20-minute X writing. ***************************************************** My tennis racket. My weapon of choice. I sometimes think of my tennis racket as the sword of an ancient Warrior, Gladiator, or Viking.  I think of King Arthur, one of my childhood heroes.  His famous sword with special powers was called, "Excalibur.”  After recently watching "Vikings” on Netflix, I'm pretty sure I remember that Ragnar, or one of his descendants, had a famous sword with a famous name and near-magical powers and reputation.  An angel gave Charlemagne his famous and mystical sword, “Durandal.”  It’s was considered the sharpest sword in all existence.  Charlemagne later gave Durandal to his Paladin, Roland.  You may have h...
Read more

Creative Writing - History of Hands - Part 2 - As Part of Project -

  Written 12 Mar 21 - Transcribed 15 Mar 21 This part 2 of History of Hands - 10 Minutes Timed - The assignment here is to do 3 or 4 Memories of the same thing (hands) - but different episodes or circumstances ***************************************************** # 1 I remember my first tennis tournament. I remember my sweaty right palm and the fear my racket might fly out of my hand and crack someone's head open. My family, that is to say, my wife, Stephanie, my daughter Vanessa, and I had recently moved to a beautiful spot. An island in the Newport Bay. In Newport Beach California. Stephanie was pregnant with our second kid. Soon-to-be Chelsea. Chelsea was born a few months after the move. Lido Isle has three tennis courts. They were not the reason we had moved there. Neither Stephanie nor I played tennis. Vanessa was only three. She didn't play either. Yet. I'd had a few weeks of tennis at La Canada Junior High School when I was in seventh grade. It was part of a Lazy Su...
Read more