I enjoy blogging but I enjoy writing more. While I love looking at beautiful photos, I’m much more interested in what the blogger has to say than the pictures that they share. We communicate through pictures, yes, the explosion of Pinterest is a perfect example of that, but with pictures, the viewer gets to interpret the subject any way they choose. When the writer writes, they’re sharing their true feelings, exposing their talents or their frailties, and we don’t usually have to guess what they’re trying to convey.
Welcome to my reading and writing corner.
Over the last year or so, I’ve participated in a weekly writing exercise called Five Minute Friday at The Gypsy Mama, where Lisa-Jo extends a standing invitation every Friday to write with “no extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation. Unscripted. Unedited. Real.”
You’re given a one word-prompt and then you write for five minutes, your first impressions on the word, what the word means to you or what the word makes you think of or feel in the moment. You write quickly, without thinking too long or too hard. You can then share your blog post with other participants if you wish. It’s amazing how different the interpretation of the same word can be between writers and how touching and inspiring it is to read other members submissions.
After so many weeks, I had compiled quite a collection of writings, so rather than store them all on my computer, I made them into a book that I called simply “Five Minutes”, Volume 1. As I look back on it now, some of the writings were most definitely a reflection of what I was going through at the time. They make me remember and think. They make me smile and they make me cry.
I dedicated the book to both my children as the inspiration for all that I do and all that I write. I had a book made for each of them as well.
While I don’t participate as much at Five Minute Friday as I used to, I do credit the exercise for getting me writing again. I’m writing and submitting short stories for publication and working on my second book of Five Minute Writings as we speak. If you have some time, I highly recommend joining Lisa-Jo one of these weeks and taking a whack at Five Minute Friday. You just might surprise yourself at what comes out. I know sometimes I was.
Write it down, I tell you. Even if it’s only for you, take time to collect your thoughts once in a while and put them down on paper. Feel it, share it, preserve it. It’s worth every (five) minutes.
Have a great week, everyone!
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That is something I will definitely look into. Thanks for sharing about it! I also love that you created your own book - what a treasure! Your photos are beautiful, as is your reading/writing corner! :)
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