Monday, August 17, 2009

Writing Prompt: If Summer Was a...

For lack of a better blog post, I'm turning to my writing notebook today.  The following are a couple of exercises I did at my writing group last week using the prompt, "If summer was a _____, it would...." and a couple of random words drawn from a bowl.

If summer was a song, it would play on my stereo more than any other.  It would start out slow, but with a sassy beat--toe-tapping is most definitely required.  It would have a chorus that would get stuck in your head for days, but not in the annoying way; in the way that taps on your shoulder in the grocery store checkout line and reveals itself as a familiar friend.  It would be the most covered song in the world--everyone would have a recording of it, from the Black Eyed Peas to Barbara Streisand.  And no matter the artist, it would shoot straight to number 1 platinum status.  If summer was a song, I would have to become a singer.

If summer was a woman, she would be tall and bronze and merry.  She would be invited to all the parties--all of them--and she would go.  Even to the backyard BBQ of the married first cousins in Arkansas.  If summer was a woman, she wouldn't care; she'd just want a plate of food and a place by the table with the tall pitcher of lemonade.  If summer was a woman, she would kiss everyone on the forehead, the nose, the apples of the cheeks and the tops of the shoulders.  If summer was a woman, she'd find a way to bring everyone out of their houses, calling to them from the street, beckoning them into the lush green outdoors where she entertains them with her enchanting dance.

Feel free to play along!  Choose one or two (or seven) of the words from the list below and fill in the blank:  

If Summer Was a ________, it would...
  • song
  • woman
  • museum
  • car
  • wrestling match
  • legend
  • man
  • child
  • meal
  • drink
  • color
  • disease
  • movie
  • dessert
  • teenager
  • album
  • conversation
  • book
Set your timer for five minutes, write as fast as you can--don't stop to edit or think--and see what you come up with.  (Leave it in a comment, please.  I'd love to read!)

14 comments:

tiburon said...

If summer was a drink it would be scalding hot cocoa. And it would burn my tongue. And leave a blister. And then probably spill down my shirt and leave a stain that I would spend a week trying to stain stick and it still wouldn't come out.

tiburon said...

If summer was a dessert it would me flan. I hate flan.

tiburon said...

If summer was a disease it would be herpes. It may be so mild it could go unnoticed (if you live in Seattle) or it could attack and cause a massive burning sensation.

Guaranteed to keep coming back and flaring up.

tiburon said...

If summer was a teenager it would get a punch in the throat. Mostly because it was all arrogant and cocky and flippant and mouthy and backtalky and I would just need it to shut the hell up.

tiburon said...

There. My 5 minutes are up.

tiburon said...

Aren't I a little ray of sunshine?

Anonymous said...

If summer were a drink, it would definatly have to be a fully leaded can of Coca Cola. The one Grandma would tell you to get out of her refrigerator.The one that went along perfect with Grandma Rees' tuna salad sandwiches and broken Lays potato chips. The one you would place right next to you as you sat on her back porch and slowly sipped on as she would point out all the fascinating shapes and creatures forming in the clouds across the sky. Yes if summer were a drink it would be one of those priceless Cokes!

heidi b

kami @ nobiggie.net said...

whoa! I think Tiburon loves summer. No?!

If summer was a teenager, he would want to play night games every night and then make out later.

How'd I do? I need to stop reading/commenting at midnight.

Kellybee said...

I wish you lived around here so I could join your writing group!!!

Mindi said...

BRAIN. NOT. FUNCTIONING.

are we gonna be graded on this?

i just nabbed something for a post and totally thought of you--it's a exercise where you describe you and your whole life in SIX WORDS.

you would RULE at that.

tiburon said...

I feel like I pretty much killed this post.

And that makes me feel bad.

Because I can tell that you put a lot of thought into it.

To be fair, I put a lot of thought into my answers - they were just super honest. And negative.

And sucked all the good out of this blog.

Sorry poodle. I hope that isn't a deal breaker :(

Travelin'Oma said...

If summer was an album it would be the Beach Boys blasting from the radio in a red Mustang convertible. Two couples in the backseat, singing "til her daddy takes the t-bird away" would wave obnoxiously to all the old fogies. The driver (wearing a madras plaid shirt, khaki pants and loafers with white socks) would reach over and take his girlfriend's hand, and she'd use it to brush her blond hair out of her eyes.

JaNae said...

If summer were a dessert it would be warm and chocolate and gooey. You would be able to smell it well before the waiter brings it out. When it finally arrives at your table you would shed your cardigan and say "finally" out loud with a sigh (of course you've waited until your waiter is out of ear shot) Everyone at your table nods & "hmmmm's" in agreement. Well everyone except tiburon she's turned her nose up at the whole event and much prefers her gazpacho. But that's alright not everyone enjoys the way summer warms you from the inside out as you spoon it over your tongue. Then you pass it around your table it has to be shared to truly enjoy it. Everyone at your table shifts their summer to the right so you can taste theirs; a warm peach cobbler, fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies and lemon bars- the kind that reminds you of your piano teacher & how much you'd rather be outside with your friends than in her home playing "alouette" But thats what summer does, as you take each bite it reminds you of all the summers you've had before & somehow forgotten. After a few more tastes of different summers you return to yours. You and your friends all agree- summer would go well with lots of things: an outdoor wedding, a family barbecue, a picnic with your neighbors- what does summer not sound good with? after sitting and enjoying summer a while longer you take the last few bites and you are feeling overly full. Summer no longer tastes as good as those first few bites. In fact now you are pretty much sick of it. You can't wait for the waiter to take it away and bring your check so you can get home & sit in your backyard, wrap yourself in a warm blanket & watch the sun set while drinking a tall glass of autumn.

Angie said...

If summer were a woman, she'd be a bitch.

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