Jump to the Heart of the Story

This week we are diving into those fork in the road moments in our own story where our life was going along on a particular trajectory, and then something happens, and there is a decisive turn. Maybe it's the date of significant achievement, or when we had a particularly unfortunate setback, meeting a special person, the birth of a child, the end of a relationship, or the death of a loved one.

We are practicing diving right into the action of the story without a whole lot of narrative build up.

Example: "The phone rang. I picked it up and it was my mom crying..."

Instructions

Each day has a writing prompt. Respond to each prompt and try to include a turning point moment. Set your timer for 6 minutes and start writing.
Read back through your story and underline any words or phrases that stand out or feel particularly honest. These could be song titles, or verse subjects.

Monday

Write to a mentor or hero in your life to say thank you.

Tuesday

Tell something about the stuff in your life and what it reveals about you, a favorite appliance, a toy as a child, a keepsake, clothing or furniture.

Wednesday

Tell a story about the body; a scar or injury, a family trait, your grandma’s hands?

Thursday

Tell the story of a “first” – first day on a job, first kiss, first time trying something really difficult, the first time you heard a favorite song, etc.

Friday

Tell the story of a time when “it just didn’t work” – a point, at your job or at some other event or activity, when you would’ve been typically competent or successful, and how that all changed when everything fell apart before your eyes.

Saturday

Tell me a time when you were embarrassed.

Sunday

Make a list of things you absolutely cannot stand, and things you feel you cannot live without, choose one from each column and make a story that connects them

What to Post

Feel free to post the whole story in the main feed, or some words/phrases that stand out to you. If it's too personal, don't feel like you have to post it, although I do everything in my power to make this community safe.

Questions and Feedback

Is there any part of the lesson that could be more clear? What would make your experience better? Are there any benefits to this exercise that I am missing? Please leave feedback in the comments below. For more immediate assistance shoot me an email at rigel@100daysofsongwriting.com

Week 8: Jump to the Heart of the Story