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Writing Workshop: Light

Posted by on Jun 24, 2010 in Writing, Writing Workshop | 16 comments

Welcome back to your Writing Workshop.

At the bottom of this post you’ll find the widget to link up your posts. I hope you found a prompt to inspire you this week and help you create something new, a new piece of you.

I’ve chosen prompts number 5 – light.  There was a reason I chose this word this week, for light has been all around me.

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I am addicted to light.

The heavy, hot kind. The kind that covers you like a blanket. Fire on your limbs and on your eyelids. The burning kind.

I am addicted to that sticky light, that comes just before the sunset. Coating everything in thick, syrupy honey-light. Sticking to leaves and branches as it drips through like liquid gold. I want to drink it, to smother myself in it and glow like it does.

That half-light, that filters through the curtains at sunrise, when I often seem to wake, if only for a moment or two. That light that comes threaded with solitary bird song, and long shadows that make my legs look long. It is the kind of light you would like for looking at someone beautiful, mouth slightly open as they sleep. The light mingling with their breath and kissing their face with soft shafts.

I am addicted to that last light. Hanging in the air like a grapefruit. I want to stretch up and pluck it from the purple clouds and eat it down until there is only darkness and I can sleep.

And I am addicted to moonlight, too. When gold turns to silver and my mind wakes up. When dreams mingle with reality and my thoughts and body are moved by a force that is not my own. It is a light of fantasy, and submission, and deep water that stirs and swirls.

It is like love, light, as a particularly lovely sunbeam said. It IS love. Bringing with it synthesis, a knitting together, recombining of parts of self to create something new. It feeds growth, pulling me in new directions like a climbing rose.

I turn to face it, running towards it arms, open wide, and I breathe it in. I let it fill me up and surrender to it, until it is I and I am it.

I will let it take me to wherever it leads.

Solstice Sunset

Writing Workshop Badge

So now it’s your turn. What prompt did you choose?

1. Tell me about a time you felt sexy, completely comfortable in your own skin. Or if you struggle to feel like that, write a story in which you do. What would make you feel sexy?
- Inspired by Catherine at ‘How to laugh in the face of it all’ and her BRILLIANT short story about a Denise who dared to bare.

2. Many, many people have or do suffer with depression at one point or another, myself including. What does depression feel like to you? Find words, descriptions, poems, stories, to give shape to that dark place that so many of us share.
- Inspired by Holly’s moving post: ‘Anatomy of depression’.

3. Write about a time you put yourself first. How did it feel? Or if you end up feeling an eternal ‘second’, what about yourself and your life would you like to be made more of a priority? Time to be a little selfish!
- Inspired by Sarah at ‘A Life More Lived’ who’s been brave enough to say no.

4. “It’s your fault!”. Time to write about a time when you felt the blame was firmly with another person. Absolve yourself from responsibility!
- Inspired by A Modern Military Mother’s musings about blame and original sin, which made me smile.

And finally, the last prompt is just one word. This should allow you a bit more creative freedom if you feel like taking the safety harness that particular week.

5. Your word for the week is: Light
- Suggested by @amylane from Cooking, Cakes and Children, and in honour of the longest day.

Leave your name and the URL to your post in the MckLinky below (the URL should be to your post not just to your blog) and leave me a comment to let me know you’ve taken part. If you have the time it would be great if you could try and read and comment on at least two other entries. And be kind! It’s supposed to be a bit of fun – we’re not looking for the next Booker Prize winner here.

If you haven’t had chance to respond yet, then you’ve still got till Sunday to enter your link! Or just wait till next week, when there’ll be five brand new prompts to get you thinking.

This Writing Workshop is brought to you in association with Mama Kat’s Losin’ It – who’s lovely author came up with the concept and runs her own workshop over in the U.S.

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  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/jfb57 jfb57

    Once again you stun with your brilliant writing Josie. I think I'll bookmark this post so that I haveit to read in the dark of the winter! Thank you!

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  • http://mummynew.blogspot.com New Mummy

    Love it!! I find it funny that you've written about light and I about Darkness

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  • http://typecast2000.blogspot.com Nickie@Typecast

    I really like this again, Josie – gripped until the end. You run, girl!!

    [Reply]

  • http://www.blipfoto.com/dollhouse MarianneLuluBeanbag

    Stunning, this is you at your best XXX

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  • http://twitter.com/AnotherGoldfish @AnotherGoldfish

    This is my first time participating, hopefully it's not too bad for my first attempt.

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  • http://twitter.com/Lori_RRSAHM @Lori_RRSAHM

    Beautifully written! i have a thing for moonlight too.

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  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/greatttt gaelikaa

    That's poetry in prose. A really beautiful piece. Well done.

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  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/itsasmallworldafterallfamily itsasmallworldafterallfamily

    Just beautiful. That is all.

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  • http://deerbaby.blogspot.com deer baby

    i love the bit about watching someone asleep and the light mingling with their breath. And the grapefruit and purple clouds. You are on such a journey, Josie. It's like watching a transformation take place before your very eyes. I love those photos of you in the grass – I like to call them Splendour In the Grass.

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  • http://intensedebate.com/people/geekymummy geekymummy

    and a brilliant photo too, too much! You should visit California, the light is different here. More. you would love it.

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  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/bubbleboo bubbleboo

    Having ummed and ahhed and put off writing anything for…too long…I think I might join in this week. Or attempt to!

    I love your post, Josie!

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  • http://www.susankmann.co.uk Susan Mann

    Fantastically written post, I love this it is a complete contast to my dark post. I love the sunset photo. x

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  • http://www.wifeoutwest.blogspot.com/ Wifeoutwest

    That is beautiful. It is as if you, yourself, are being illuminated.

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  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/skippedydoodah skippedydoodah

    First time participating and I accidentally wrote two… oops.

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  • http://youfoundkelshidingplace.blogspot.com Kelly

    I missed the linky due to holidays and the rest but I have written my post anyway. I will be cheeky and leave the link here, in case you have time to read.
    http://youfoundkelshidingplace.blogspot.com/2010/…

    I love your post. On the solstice we walked on the beach in golden late evening light, I tried to capture it but I really couldn't in words or pictures. The sun set too late for us, we were so tired we went home while it was still in the sky but we still paddled in the sea and threw long shadows on the beach and it was perfection.

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  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/livileah88 Livi

    Wow, another amazing piece Josie. You have such an incredible way of writing

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