December Project
Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, Yule or Kwanza, sing in the Solstice or feel more like a Festivus kind of person, chances are that there is some kind annual holiday, event, or observation that you participate in at this time of year. Even those of us who don’t, because our major seasonal celebrations (think Diwali or Ramadan) were earlier in the calendar, probably have personal traditions or rituals that they observe, even if it’s something as small as lighting a candle and soaking in a bathtub full of bubbles once a week. It is in honor of all of these things, large and small, spiritual and secular, that the theme for December is Tradition and Ritual.
As part of this, I’m also inaugurating our first Picture That image that isn’t from a stock site. Please thank Carmi Levy of Written, Inc. for the use of his image.
For guidelines, please see The Rules. Remember that you should comment on this post with your links, including the title of the piece that you wrote. Also, I would encourage everyone to visit the blogs of CW participants - most of our Regulars have amazing writing on their sites throughout the month.
Option One: Pick Three
Pick at least three of the following eight words, and write a paragraph, scene, flash-fic, essay, blog entry or poem using them. It’s fine to change tenses, or pluralize if you have to, but please bold the words you choose.
kindle, memory, spark, shattered, effulgent, joyful, softly, glistening
Option Two: Can You Picture That?
Use the following photo to inspire an entry in any form - fiction, essay, poetry. Please copy the photo to your own server if you want to include it in your post, but please credit Carmi Levy of Written, Inc. if you use it. (You might want to visit his blog and drop a line as well.)
Option Three: Poetry
We seek to find peace of mind in the word, the formula, the ritual. The hope is illusion. — Benjamin Cardozo
Using the quotation above as your inspiration, write a poem (any form is fine) about peace, hope, and ritual.
Option Four: Fiction
It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky… a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe. — Victor Hugo
Write a short story, scene, or piece of flash-fiction that somehow involves a “necessary ritual.”
Option Five: Timed Writing
Tradition is a guide and not a jailer. — William Somerset Maugham
Take nine minutes (you have to use all nine, you can’t go over), write about Tradition. Any format (fiction, essay, verse) is acceptable; and it’s expected that your writing will be raw, so don’t stress about editing.
Option Six: Seven Things
In improvisation, one of our exercises is a game called “Seven Things,” in which we go around in a circle giving each other the challenge, “Give me seven things that [whatever].” We are not going to go around in a circle here, but if you’re drawn to lists, this prompt is for you.
List seven traditions - big or small - that you and your family observe. You don’t have to explain them, but it’s more fun for readers if you do.
Don’t forget to comment on this post with the direct link and title of each piece you create. Happy Writing!
December 1st, 2007 at 2:05 am
[...] the Cafe Writing December Project: List seven traditions - big or small - that you and your family observe. You don’t have to [...]
December 1st, 2007 at 2:13 am
[...] Cafe Writing « December Project [...]
December 1st, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Option 1: Pick Three
Poem Title: “joy & love of living”
http://ambiguitylotus.livejournal.com/64855.html
December 2nd, 2007 at 9:53 am
Option 1: Pick Three
Short story title: “A moment that could have been
http://anura.blogspot.com/2007/12/moment-that-could-have-been.html
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:17 am
My pick option one.
Please find the link to the post here
http://raysofthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/12/you.html
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:23 am
[...] * * Written for the December Project at CafeWriting, Option Two: Can You Picture [...]
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:50 am
Option 2 : Can you picture that?
Poem title : Not to be ignored
http://anura.blogspot.com/2007/12/my-contribution-to-cafe-writing.html
December 3rd, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Hello everyone, this is my first time here. I choose option #3 and wrote a sestina poem called “Tis The Season”.
Thanks
http://hummingbunny.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/cafe-writing/
December 4th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Option 3: Poetry
Poem title: A new beginning
http://anura.blogspot.com/2007/12/new-beginning.html
December 5th, 2007 at 1:09 am
Option 2: Can you picture that?
December 5th, 2007 at 1:10 am
Oops…let me try again.
Option 2: Can You picture that?
http://melody-writes.blogspot.com/2007/12/can-you-picture-that.html
December 5th, 2007 at 7:18 am
Option 4 : Fiction
Story Title : Necessary ritual
http://anura.blogspot.com/2007/12/necessary-ritual.html
December 5th, 2007 at 8:34 am
[...] Till death… December 5, 2007 Filed under: Uncategorized — vijaygandhi @ 2:34 pm Inspired by Anu’s series of poems written recently, I came up with this one. This is a contribution towards Cafe Writing - December Project. [...]
December 5th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Option 2: Poetry
Title: Till death…
http://vijaygandhi.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/till-death/
December 6th, 2007 at 6:14 am
My first!
Option 5: Timed Writing
Title: Let It Be So…
http://abhinavtheauthor.blogspot.com/2007/12/let-it-be-so.html
December 6th, 2007 at 6:31 am
Option 5: Timed writing
Title : Tradition
http://anura.blogspot.com/2007/12/tradition.html
December 7th, 2007 at 6:08 am
Option 6 : Seven things
Title : Seven traditions
http://anura.blogspot.com/2007/12/seven-traditions.html
December 9th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Please accept my submission for Option 2 - can you picture that:
Museum Marble
http://havingwrit.blogspot.com/2007/12/museum-marble.html
- sister AE
December 10th, 2007 at 8:24 am
I have a 7 things for Option 6:
7 Traditions
http://havingwrit.blogspot.com/2007/12/7-traditions-for-cafe-writing-december.html
- sister AE
December 10th, 2007 at 8:31 am
this is my first time here… i explored option number one this time around…
“senescence”
December 11th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
[...] * * * * Written for the December Project at Cafe [...]
December 14th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Option 4:
A Ritual of Necessity
December 14th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
- Name / Nickname: Virginia
- Prompt: Pick Three
- Post title: Hereditary Markings
- Direct link: http://virginiathequeen.com/?p=126
December 18th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Option 1: Pick three
Poem title: Hope
Here’s the link:
http://www.justwritingwords.com/2007/12/hope.html
December 19th, 2007 at 10:41 am
THis time I am very late!
I chose Option One: Pick three. I picked all!
http://firmlyrooted.blogspot.com/2007/12/amnesia-3wwcafe-writing.html
December 20th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Wow. We have more participants now! Awesome!
I’m currently working on a 7-part poem for Option 6. It’s a double challenge for me! :) I’ll post it soon. Hopefully, I can finish it at the end of the month!
December 23rd, 2007 at 11:04 am
Hello again, I’ve posted for option #7, the timed writing exercise.
http://hummingbunny.wordpress.com/2007/12/23/our-home/
December 28th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
I picked option 3:
http://knockingfrominside.blogspot.com/2007/12/hopscotch-girl.html
December 28th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
I forgot to give out this link.
Option Five:
http://firmlyrooted.blogspot.com/2007/12/continuing-traditions-sunday.html
December 30th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Forgot to give the title for my Option 3 piece, it’s:
Hopscotch Girl
http://knockingfrominside.blogspot.com/2007/12/hopscotch-girl.html
January 2nd, 2008 at 1:06 pm
This goes through Jan 15, right? This piece is for Option 2:
The Black and White War
http://knockingfrominside.blogspot.com/2008/01/black-and-white-war.html