Welcome to the May-June project for CafeWriting. Submissions for this project will be accepted until June 30th..

Because this is so late, I’ve provided double quotations to help inspire you, and two pictures that can be taken singly or together. In the United States, May finds us celebrating Mothers’ Day, and June brings Fathers’ Day, while the weather eases from the changing, often flirty weather of Spring, to the steady heat of Summer, so it seemed to be a good time to explore men and women, mothers and fathers.

For guidelines, please see The Rules. Remember that you should leave a comment with your link, including the title of the piece that you wrote, and the appropriate option number. 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. Please make sure you’re contributing original (new) pieces, not old stuff from your archives, though if one piece fits many memes you’re writing for, that’s fine.

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: Seven Things

There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women.
~Madeleine K. Albright

No man stands so straight as when he stoops to help a boy.
~Knights of Pythagoras

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.

Tell me about seven ways you’ve helped someone else.

OR

Tell me about seven people who have helped you.

You are not required to provide any explanations, but it’s more interesting for readers if you do.

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Option Two: Pick Three

Men wake up aroused in the morning. We can’t help it. We just wake up and we want you. And the women are thinking, “How can he want me the way I look in the morning?” It’s because we can’t see you. We have no blood anywhere near our optic nerve.
~Andy Rooney

When you see a woman who can go nowhere without a staff of admirers, it is not so much because they think she is beautiful, it is because she has told them they are handsome.
~Jean Giraudoux

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.

arouse, morning, nerve, women, men, beauty, admire, nowhere

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Option Three: Can You Picture That?

Use one of the following photos 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.

BONUS: Because this is a double project, use both photos as inspiration, and link them.

If you respond to this prompt, please copy the image to your own server, and credit the photographers. “Morning Smiles” is by Yvonne Chamberlain, and “Computing in a Coffee Shop” is by Quavondo Nguyen. Both are provided by iStockphoto.

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Option Four: Poetry

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.
~Ruth E. Renkel

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.
~Honoré de Balzac

Using the quotations above as your inspiration, write a poem (any form is fine) about mothers and fathers.

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Option Five: Fiction

Single men and women who go home to an empty apartment or a dog or cat or child need adult conversation in their lives.
~ Dennis Franck

Write a flash-fic, scene, or short story about an adult conversation.
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Option Six: Timed Writing

Life is one of those precious fleeting gifts, and everything can change in a heartbeat.
–Author Unknown

Take seven minutes (use all seven, but don’t go over), and write on the subject of men and women. This is a timed exercise and it’s expected that it won’t be perfect. Any format – fiction, essay, verse – is acceptable.

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Don’t forget to comment with the direct link, title, and selected option for each piece you create. Happy Writing!