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.

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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.

His Entire World by Beverly Lussier

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.

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Don’t forget to comment on this post with the direct link and title of each piece you create. Happy Writing!