Write On #7 | Air & Unraveling
Today’s prompt explores the element of air and the concept of unraveling.
A writing prompt to start your day. Today’s prompt explores the element of air and the concept of unraveling. Embrace the wilderness in your imagination and write on.
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Dear Writers,
Below the paywall is the seventh prompt in this series. Continue reading this prompt in its entirety, and gain access to all of our prompts by becoming a paid subscriber. These prompts are meant to be used in any way you wish, but please do not share them with anyone. Some will one day be published or these are currently being used in workshops.
—Sherisa
I love writing about the elements (air/fire/earth/water) and how they are reflected in myself but also in my memories. I have a history with windy towns and cities. In El Paso, there were months where the city looked like Mars, or at least in my imagination as a kid, we were on Mars. The wind makes messes. It’s disruptive. It howls through cracks in doors and windows. There is a sort of madness that happens when you are out in the wind too long. You can’t hear anything, your senses are disrupted, you’re in the hands of the weather. I’m in Oklahoma now and weather is a big deal. A tornado test siren goes off every Saturday at noon. It howls and fades into the background once you get used to it. The wind is a constant companion in Oklahoma. This is what comes to my mind when I think about the element of AIR.
Unraveling can look like dancing as though no one is watching. It can be howling in the forest on the night of a full moon because you’ve been holding something in and you’re ready to let it go. I like to think of unraveling as a way to fall apart into another version of who I am supposed to be. As a mother. As a writer. As a creative.
What happens when we become less afraid to be messy in our writing? Less focused on creating a perfect plot or sentence? What happens when you let a story unravel in front of you? What does that look like for you? Where does it come from in your body?
For this prompt, be playful and let words flow out of you. It’s okay if you write something messy. Sometimes, messy is more fun. Create a space of 20 minutes for yourself to write and explore your imagination through your memories.
Rios de la Luz is the author of the novella, Itzá, and the short story collection, An Altar of Stories to Liminal Saints (Broken River Books). She offers generative writing workshops throughout the year which focus on body stories, lived histories, and magic. She currently lives in Oklahoma with her son and partner.
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