February Project
In the Northern Hemisphere, February is the month of hearts and flowers, groundhogs, candles, and hope for the coming spring. In other parts of the world, of course, it comes with different meanings and traditions. Rather than making the theme for this month specific to Valentine’s Day, then, it will be a celebration of love, with a bit of hope for spring tossed into the mix.
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.
Also, if this is your first time here, please be aware that comments from first-time posters are held in queue until they’re approved by a live person.
Option One: Timed Writing
When love is not madness, it is not love.
~Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Take nine minutes (you have to use all nine, you can’t go over), and write about Love and/or Madness.
Any format (fiction, essay, verse) is acceptable; and it’s expected that your writing will be raw, so don’t stress about editing.
Option Two: Seven Things
Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.
~William Shakespeare
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.
Give me seven things that make you sigh. You are not required to provide any explanations, but it’s more interesting for readers if you do.
Option Three: Pick Three
Dreaming time has reversed, I watch drowned snow
Appear to lift up from the lake;
Reshaping magnified, each risen flake
Looms in the air, deliberate and slow,
Allowing me to let your picture form and wake
Astonished that you have returned to go
To watch me watch drowned snow lift from the lake.
Dreaming time has reversed—and you,
Your red cheeks radiant against the wind,
Are gliding toward me on the ice into
A frame of glided twilight—I
Again awaken from your being gone to find
Your gloved hands covering your lips’ good-bye
So you can watch me watch uplifted snow
As if your absence now concluded long ago.
- Robert Pack, Snow Rise
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 want to, but please bold the words you choose.
astonished, conclusion, drown, gilded, hands, magnify, snow, time,
Option Four: 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.
If you respond to this prompt, please copy the image to your own server, and credit the photographer Beverly Lussier. Her artist page is here: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=profile&l=beverlytaz.
Option Five: Poetry
From December to March, there are for many of
us three gardens:
the garden outdoors,
the garden of pots and bowls in the house,
and the garden of the mind’s eye.
- Katherine S. White
Using the quotation above as your inspiration, write a poem (any form is fine) about gardens.
Option Six: Fiction
You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover’s arms can only come later when you’re sure they won’t laugh if you trip.
~Jonathan Carroll, Outside the Dog Museum
Write a short story, scene, or piece of flash-fiction about the beginning of love.
Don’t forget to comment on this post with the direct link and title of each piece you create. Happy Writing!
February 1st, 2008 at 5:15 pm
[...] February Project is open for submission at Cafe Writing. Follow this link to play [...]
February 1st, 2008 at 9:57 pm
As always, a beautiful range of choices MissMeliss!
Here is my posting for Option#4.
http://greyscaleterritory.blogspot.com/2008/02/can-you-picture-that-option-4-cafe.html
February 1st, 2008 at 10:00 pm
OOps! Meant to include the title for #Option 4.
It is called “I Walk in Your Footprints”
Smiles and Light
February 1st, 2008 at 10:21 pm
My response for Option Three is here:
http://beccasbyline.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/progression-for-cafe-writing/
February 1st, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Here is my response to #Option 3.
Title: Gilded Conclusion
http://greyscaleterritory.blogspot.com/2008/02/gilded-conclusion-response-to-option-3.html
Smiles and Light
February 2nd, 2008 at 8:29 pm
[...] From Miss Meliss: [...]
February 2nd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Love that picture! My Option Two: Seven Things is up!
February 3rd, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Here’s my response to Option One.
Title: Love, or Madness?
http://melody-writes.blogspot.com/2008/02/love-or-madness.html
February 4th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
For Option 3:
Fractal Arms
http://knockingfrominside.blogspot.com/2008/02/fractal-arms.html
February 4th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Option #4 The dog
February 4th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Option #4 The dog
O.K listen here , there is this very cute girl who comes down this street every day at this time, so we have to make this thing work . I know that I promised you with the last one that would be it, but how was I to know that her breath was worse than yours . So when she comes past us do the old leash rap around . I tell you OL buddy this could be the best Valentine’s Day ever.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:13 am
here’s my entry for option #3:
<a href=”http://www.rebeccarites.blogspot.com/2008/02/wi-visitors.html”<The Visitors
February 5th, 2008 at 9:14 am
i don’t know what happened. let’s try again. option #3:
The Visitors
February 6th, 2008 at 4:29 am
Hello everyone, this is Rose and this is my first time here. I chose option #1, the timed prompt about madness and love.
The poem is called…
“bodies lay still upon the bed”
http://dewyknickers.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/love/
Rose
xo
February 6th, 2008 at 11:37 am
And here’s one for option 5:
Already Beside Me
http://knockingfrominside.blogspot.com/2008/02/already-beside-me.html
February 6th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
option three
title: Unlucky
link: http://www.justwritingwords.com/2008/02/unlucky.html
February 8th, 2008 at 1:08 am
Option 5: Poetry
Poem Title: “Beating Around the Bush”
URL: http://ambiguitylotus.livejournal.com/2008/02/08/
February 8th, 2008 at 5:07 am
I did Option 3: Pick three
10 to 10
February 8th, 2008 at 11:05 am
I picked option number 6, the fiction prompt. My title is called “Gourmet Love”.
http://hummingbunny.wordpress.com/2008/02/08/love-in-a-re-fri-ger-a-tor/
February 8th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
for Option 3 - I found two poems
The Merger and Oh!
they are both in one post:
http://havingwrit.blogspot.com/2008/02/merger.html
sister AE
February 9th, 2008 at 12:18 am
for Option 5 - Poetry
My Winter Gardens
http://havingwrit.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-winter-gardens.html
sister AE
February 9th, 2008 at 11:17 am
[...] The Dog, by Greg [...]
February 11th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Succumb
Option One: Timed Writing
February 11th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Here I did the option One.
I forgot to give the link before this. Mine is a slant to this.
http://firmlyrooted.blogspot.com/2008/02/endless-possibilities.html
February 11th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Option 0ne: Timed Writing
http://rainbowsreflectraysofthesun.blogspot.com/2008/02/special-kind-of-love.html
February 12th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I would like to participate please.
I hope I have understood the rules correctly:
J.C. Montgomery
February Project - Option One: Timed Writing
Freewrite: Lucidity In Love
February 13th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Poetry
I wonder what happened, I posted yesterday, and it seems to have fallen off the map? I’ll try again:
GOD’S BEAUTIFUL RAIN BODY
February 14th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Option three: Pick Three. Flash fiction.
A Lesson in Vulnerability
February 16th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Option 4: Can You Picture That?
Poem Title: “Puppy Love Stories”
URL: http://ambiguitylotus.livejournal.com/2008/02/16/
February 16th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
J.C. Montgomery
Option 5: Poetry
Poem Title: Delilah’s Garden
February 17th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Option two : seven things
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
URL : http://www.medhini.blogspot.com
February 17th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Here’s my post for option two: http://beccasbyline.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/sighing-times-seven-cafe-writing/
February 17th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
J.C. Montgomery
Option Three: Pick Three
Link: Caught In The Current
February 19th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Hello again, I chose option #5, poetry about gardens. The title of the poem is “Dirty Hands”. It’s about all those seed catalogs in the mail.
http://hummingbunny.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/seed-porn/
February 20th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
http://firmlyrooted.blogspot.com/2008/02/submerge.html
February 20th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Melissa, the above link is mine. Steve posted it for me.
February 23rd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Here’s my Timed Writing response on Hamlet:
http://thefountainpen.net/2008/02/23/love-andor-madness-in-hamlet/
February 23rd, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Here’s my response to Option Three.
http://thefountainpen.net/2008/02/23/the-dukes-wife/
February 23rd, 2008 at 10:53 pm
[...] Cafewriting February 2008 [...]
February 23rd, 2008 at 10:54 pm
For February 2008 I went with Option 3 and used all eight words…if that’s okay.
conclusions, drowned, astonishing, magnified, hand, gilded, snow, time
http://virginiathequeen.com/?p=134