Trifecta
Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 9:26PM A blogger I admire who writes with a beauty I envy started a weekly writing challenge a few months back. Every week, she and her friend issue a one-word prompt to participants who must use its third definition to make magic with no fewer than 33 words but no more than 333.
I've been terrible at joining in, but I read the posts religiously and look forward to the big reveal each week, wondering if this will be the week I'm compelled to write.
It should come as no surprise that I've been in a bit of a creative hole lately. Surely you've noticed the scant posts. I stared out the window today at the giant sugar maple that towers over our back yard and thought, there will be leaves soon. This malaise will lift.
Lisa reminded me again today that there's a new prompt to tackle and still two days left to do it. "There's still time, Dana. Sway. C'mon," she wrote on my Facebook wall.
I'm going to sleep on it and think of it fresh when I wake. But, in the meantime, Trifecta also created a meme this week to help the writers get to know one another. Ten questions to share with others. Surely, I can at least do that.
1. What is your name (real or otherwise)
Dana Damico. My father will remind you of my middle name, though; he insists on calling me Dana Ann. My husband prefers "Dana Bird" while my dearest friend settled on Mrs. Ramirez for reasons unknown to everyone but her.
2. Describe your writing style in three words.
Concise and unadorned. I hope it manages to be poignant at least some of the time.
3. How long have you been writing online?
I started Feast After Famine in August 2009, but I started work as a newspaper reporter in 1997 and my stories went online as soon as the newspaper created its web site. When was that? I'm postmenopausal and old and can't possibly be expected to remember such things.
4. Which, if any, other writing challenges do you participate in?
I gave NaNoWriMo a solid effort this past November but insecurity and shame got the better of me and I flamed out just shy of 20,000 words.
5. Describe one way in which you could improve your writing.
Ignore my nasty inner critic and write with abandon.
6. What is the best writing advice you've ever been given.
"Quit yer whining and just write." It's not an actual quote (despite the quotation marks), but it seems to be the one thing every writer I've ever met can agree on.
7. Who is your favorite author?
Annie Dillard wows me, Tom Junod makes me envious, John Irving makes me cry with laughter, and John Steinbeck was the first writer who smashed my heart to bits and made me weep. Favorite? I don't have one.
8. How do you make time to write?
This is the problem: I don't actually have a consistent writing schedule. I have four kids (7, 5, 5, 3) who obviously require lots of attention so I write when I can, usually in my head first. I write notes on scrap paper and tell the kids to shush so I can hear the words clamoring for my attention. If my thoughts wake me, I root for my iPhone in the dark and tap away in the 'Notes' file. I have no shame about parking the kids in front of the television with a movie if there are words that I need to get out. Generally, I can't write at night because my head turns off the instant the kids go to bed (if not a few hours earlier).
9. Give us one word we should consider using as a prompt.
Poop. I'm sorry, like I said, I'm surrounded by kids and scatalogical humor makes them howl with laughter.
10. Direct us to one blog post of yours that we shouldn't miss reading.
I couldn't find one. So, I'm directing you to a post that I wrote about writing, how it makes me feel, why I keep at it. It's called 10,535, and I wrote it during the first week of NaNo when I was still high on the adrenaline of creating something from nothing. Before all the magic went poof.
If you're interested in experimenting with the Trifecta Writing Challenge, they're always looking for new writers. Head on over to the site now. Give it a whirl. This week's prompt is "Sway." Remember to use the third definition (go to the site for details). Your deadline: Tuesday at 8 a.m. EST.
Reader Comments (9)
Thanks for joining in, Dana. Poop. Well. I'll look into it. :-)
Your scrambling for the phone in the middle of the night and the pieces of paper scattered around the house are very familiar images. I, too, have no shame about the TV when the words are coming. I do find, though, that the words are far more likely to be cohesive when the kids are safely tucked into their beds, passed out cold. That's when I gather up the scraps and try to make the quilt, you know? (I just wrote guilt instead of quilt. Ah, Freud.)
I hope you do take up the challenge of SWAY. Thanks for sharing the meme. :)
I'm glad you visited me and it allowed me to discover you. Four kids under the age of 7? wow...I have 3 girls, 16, , 8, and 7.
I like your blog. You have alot of talent. Good luck with nanorimo in the future.
Lance
Well poop.
I can't think of anything to follow that up with, but it may make your kids laugh ;P
Sadly, I cannot find a third definition of poop. Too bad, because I'm easily amused, tooHave you ever read Anne Lammott's Bird by Bird? Its philosophy might help :)
10,000 words in 6 days is pretty freaking amazeballs. And I think I could really knock a poop post out of the park too.
Nice meeting you, Dana. As I'm a huge x-files fan I have a bit of a thing for that name. :) Wouldn't call my daughter Dana though because it would only get mispronounced in German. Thank you for teaching me a new word (scatological humour), too.
"scatalogical" is an awesome word. Who knew poop could sound smart?!
Glad you will be joining us for the challenge! That group is very supportive and gives amazing feedback, I have only done it one week and it was great.
LOL!
Scatalogical humor makes me roar, too, and anything farty is right up there. This is a quirky fact, because I'm actually kinda uptight! :-)
Yours is definitely one of my favorite "interviews" in this meme, thus far. Glad to meet you!