Hurray! Hurray! It’s a Summer Short & Sweet day! 🙂
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First off, help yourself to some of these delicious cookies
and a glass of refreshing iced tea
because we can be more creative after a little snack 🙂
Now then, are you ready for today’s Short & Sweet?
I totally wrestled with this one and I hope it’s going to be fun and also work right… I guess we’ll see 🙂
So we have to go on the honor system again – no peeking! 🙂 – and I need you to get a piece of paper and a writing implement of your choice. Then write down the following things in a list bearing in mind that everything below is supposed to be related so it can hang together:
1. A noun (you know, a good old person place or thing)
2. A color that describes that noun or some part of that noun you’d like to highlight (e.g. red, or, lavender, or, cerulean)
3. A comparison to that color (in the manner of simile or metaphor e.g. summer sunset, or, shadowed snow on a January evening)
4. Something that belongs to your noun written as adjective, adjective noun (e.g. wide, feathered tail, or, slim, brown limbs, or brass ratcheted gears)
5. A verb ending in -ing that is something your noun could do (e.g. soaring, or, stretching, or, grappling)
6. Another verb ending in -ing that is something else your noun could do (e.g. sailing, or, reaching, or, frowning)
7. A place written as: preposition [a/an/the] adjective adjective noun (e.g. over [a] broad green valley, or, across [the] shimmering shining stream)
8. A description of something your noun could do in relation to something else, written as: verb ending in -ing preposition adjective noun (e.g. scouting for silver salmon, or, basking on sun-baked sand, or, digging up acorn jewels) – (yes, I realize “for” is a conjunction, not a preposition, but you can use it if you want. The reason I didn’t put conjunction is because the others – and, or, nor, but, yet – won’t work. But use “for” if you want :))
9. Repeat #8 with another description (e.g. plunging toward immovable earth)
10. Repeat #8 with a final description (e.g. hoping for sweet success, or, diving for delicious dinner)
11. A simile for the action in #10 (e.g. like a rocket ship, or, like a bow drawn across singing strings)
12. Your original noun from #1.
Okay! Got your list? What we are accomplishing here is part Madlib, part poetry, and will hopefully result in lots of descriptive poems (haha – like how I tricked you into writing a poem? :)) that will also serve as story sparkers by giving all the devoted readers specific, detailed, poetic descriptions of characters, settings, or objects that they could use in a story! For those of you who write picture books, there are a lot of similarities between picture books and poetry, so this is good practice 🙂
Wasn’t that totally awesome how I snuck that up on you?
So now, all you have to do is type your poem into the comments using this template and your list:
I am [a/an/the] noun from #1
Color from #2 as [a/an/the] comparison from #3
With [a/an/the] adjective adjective noun from #4
Verb from #5, verb from #6
Prepostition [a/an/the] adjective adjective noun from #7
Description from #8
Description from #9
Description from #10
Like [a/an/the] simile from #11
I am [a/an/the] noun from #1
Here’s my example:
I am a falcon
Gray as a stormy sky
With powerful, peregrine wings
Soaring, sailing
Across the shimmering, shining stream
Scouting for silver salmon
Plummeting toward wavering water
Diving for delicious dinner
Like an arrow sprung from a huntsman’s bow
I am a falcon.
Here’s another one because I think this is fun 🙂
I am a birch
Silver as starlight on snow
With strong, slim limbs
Reaching, stretching
For the faraway, fickle moon
Gazing at kaleidoscope constellations
Soaking in the dewdrop dawn
Standing among my slender sisters
Like a dancer waiting for the music to begin
I am a birch.
And one more:
I am Sarah
Gold and brown like honey on toast
With hidden, heartfelt hopes
Uncurling, unfurling
From their secret silent space
Running with quiet concentration
Leaving behind even the fastest few
Flying on winged feet to finish first
Like fleet Atalanta
I am Sarah.
Ok, I’ll stop now because I’m really not very good at this even though I think it’s tons of fun 🙂
So do you get the idea? You may of course tweak a bit. If you need a different verb form or fewer adjectives or an extra word or one less line or two colors, etc. feel free to change it up. The word prompts and template were just to make the job easier and less intimidating 🙂
I hope you’ll all have fun with this! I can’t wait to see what you write! And after my humble examples, I hope everyone will feel very brave about putting theirs up – I know without a doubt you can all do better than I did! 🙂
Have a great weekend, and please join me Monday to welcome Tiffany Haber as she talks about her debut picture book, The Monster Who Lost His Mean (which I just had the pleasure of reading and it is REALLY TERRIFIC and you should all get a copy for the littles in your life, or for yourself as an example of a well-done picture book in verse!!!)
Happy weekend 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
This was a fun one, too! I'm going to go back and do it again with a person rather than an object. It seems like a good way to start working on a character.
I am a kite
Orange as goldfish
With a fluttering, swirling tail
Soaring, floating
In the endless blue sky
Tugging my string
Longing to dive into the blue
Like a koi into it’s pond
I am a kite
“leaning into dawn…breathing in the softness of the day”
Oh my…what amazing poetry…I love it, Sharon…well done. 🙂
Erik…I anyone would love to have this pug. 🙂 Great work!
Hi Tina…thanks for commenting on Diane Kress Hower's blog re the Summer Reading Spotlight Series she did this morning on TV!
Two creative writing exercises…and both wonderful. 🙂 “like an author gone made” love it!
Can I have one of the spider shaped cookies, Donna?
Thanks so much, Tracy!
Thank you so much, Susanna! This creative writing brings me back to college days…but I love it so much now because I truly understand how helpful it can be. 🙂 And yes, Erik's post was fantastic!
Penny, this is great! “searching for the yoda hairdresser”…your mind reaches and stretches to the great wordsmith in the sky. 🙂
And we love you, Susanna. 🙂 Thank you for putting together another winning challenge!
Hope you made lots of that iced tea, Julie…”like rain gushing down the gutter”…love it. 🙂
What a wonderful picture I have in my mind's eye after reading this, Cathy…”waiting for the mouth”…perfect. 🙂
Kathy…I wanted to click on “like” 3x. 🙂 Especially loved the “like a lighthouse shining through the fog of life”…that is a perfect description of what a friend really is…thank you!
This is beautiful, Delores…love the “age speckled, time beaten wall”…I feel like that sometimes. 🙂 🙂 🙂
I'd like to be able to be “dancing on golden sunbeams” also…I could see the dragonfly in your words, Renee. 🙂
Love this, Carrie (that's my daughter's name)…”longing to dive into the blue”…yes, I think that is just what a kite would be thinking. 🙂
Yes, Heather, I think the tree is “waiting for the cool rain as a baby bird waits for it's dinner”…everyone is doing such a fantastic job!
“breathing in rhythm” I can see the butterfly, wings pulsing back and forth…thank you, Rena…this is lovely!
So beautiful, Diane…”anticipating love is in the air…oozing romance from satin petals”…they should use these words on the Bachelor TV show. 😉
What a wonderful tree you pictured for us here…a save haven for all. 🙂
You portrayed the pup to a tee…”diving for a slithering snake, hoping not to find it”…love the humor. 🙂
*giggles*
These are some really great exercises. I'm learning LOTS!
I am a door
Gray as the emotions of ashes
With an boastful, glass knob
Opening, closing on an empty front porch
Beckoning to passersby
Creaking__slamming with abandon
Jerking from the rusty hinges
Like an undisciplined child
I am a door.
Oops, I had both ostentatious & boasful after “an” forgot to delete the “n”
Wow! After reading some of the others' posts, I feel silly posting mine. But, I worked hard on it, so I'm posting it anyway! 🙂
I am a zebra.
Striped like the sun broken by fence posts
With a muscular body
Quivering, grazing
Through lush green meadows
Munching on sweet grass
Wandering in quiet readiness
Listening for hidden dangers
Like a child woken up by a dream
I am a zebra.
Here we go (it took me two weeks!):
I am a giraffe,
as yellow as tanned hide,
With long lanky legs,
Loping, galloping,
Across the grassy veld
Grazing from the leafy green branches
Nudging forward her wobbly calf,
Basking under the African Sun
Like other creatures of the Savanna
I am a giraffe.
That's it!
Lynn, I'm glad you posted yours. I really enjoyed reading it!! How amazing was this activity?!
This is beautiful, Jarm! Thanks for sharing it with us! 🙂
I love this, Lynn! It's beautiful! I can just see that lovely zebra – grazing, but alert – his striped hide blending him into the grass! Thanks for sharing – and you shouldn't feel silly! 🙂
Susanna, your birch poem is just beautiful. I just love “standing among my slender sisters/like a dancer waiting for the music to begin.” Here's mine… about socks!
I am a pair of socks
Turquoise as clear Caribbean waters
With frilly, bunched elastic
Stretching, arching
Into the round, silver tub
Sloshing in soapy suds
Bumping into greasy overalls
Trying for sweet scent
Like a floral shop on Valentine’s Day
I am a pair of socks
I love this, Laura! So different and original. I love the setting you chose, too – not someone's feet, but the washing machine! Very creative! (And thanks for your kind words – I'm glad you enjoyed the birches :))
Wonderful, Pam! I love this! Well done! Thanks for joining in 🙂
This is lovely, Carrie! Thanks for sharing! Feel greet o put up your person one too if you want! 🙂
Oh, I love this, Heather! So beautiful and so evocative! I'm glad you enjoyed the activity, and hope your boys get some fun mileage out of it too! Thanks for joining in!
This is fun! Here's another:
I am a poem
Chartreuse as spring buds birthing
With clipped, free-verse lines
Observing, comparing
Above the austere, practical nest
Snatching up wriggling worms
Swooping after scheming crows
Sitting on robin eggs
Like a Buddhist sand mandala
I am a poem
So glad you're having fun, Laura! And you are some kind of poet! This is beautiful! Thanks for sharing another 🙂
You always sell yourself short, Tracy! Your entries are terrific – always excellent! Keep up the good work and thanks for playing along 🙂
Tracy Campbell wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:
I'm at the bottom of the pile. Better late than never. Here's goes:
I am a gymnast
Brighter than a twinkling, yellow star
With muscular, lean limbs
Leaping, lunging
Before cheering, crazed fans
Striving for the elusive, glimmering gold medal
Tumbling toward the Olympic dream
Nailing tough, bare soles
Like a hammer driving in a stake
I am a gymnast
I'm glad I didn't read the above outstanding entries, I'd never have entered.
Amazing stuff!
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Boy
Red as red roses
With a second-hand bike
Running, jumping
Bouncing a blue-stitched ball
Picking a bunch of flowers
Wrapping a pretty gift
Offering his cheek for a kiss
Like a loving child
Boy
Wonderful, Sue! Thanks for sharing! I love that he has a second-hand bike, and that he plays ball and picks flowers. So glad you joined in 🙂
I am stallion
as golden as a king's crown (ugh, awful I know)
long mane graceful
blowing, flowing
from his little piece of earth
racing for the prize
panting whooshing
pushing past the herd
like a shadow never to be overtaken
I am stallion.
I really don't blame you from blocking me from access to S & S. No really, I don't. I did this in five minutes. Isn't that what we're supposed to do? Or can we plan it out all day long? Mine smells like stinking garbage. *sigh* I told you. I ain't no good at instantaneous stuff. Did I get caught up before being banned?? *deep sigh*
First of all, this is great. Second, I would never ban you 🙂 Third, yes, you are supposed to do it spontaneously, to get those creative juices flowing and not censor yourself. And fourth, yes, you are caught up! 🙂 Now go take your golden boy for a ride 🙂
WOW this was new for me and not easy…Here it is off the top of my head…not too deep…haha…
I am the sun…
red smoldering anger…
with shining firing hot glowing arms…
heating the earth…
burning the sand…
tingling the feet…
like a tinging flame on the skin…
I am the sun…
Beautiful, Karen! Very evocative! I can feel the heat 🙂
WOW this was new for me and not easy…Here it is off the top of my head…not too deep…haha…
I am the sun…
red smoldering anger…
with shining firing hot glowing arms…
heating the earth…
burning the sand…
tingling the feet…
like a tinging flame on the skin…
I am the sun…
I can't believe I skipped this one…it was daunting, but really fun! Here goes…
I am a Kite
Orange as the yolk of a fresh egg
With a shimmering, multicolored tail
Gliding, soaring
Over a vast, flowery meadow
Diving under the creamy, white clouds
Whipping around the darting dragonflies
Careening toward the green grass
Like an absentminded bird
I am a Kite
This is beautiful, Kim, I love it! See what a poet you are? I find this exercise amazing, because I am not a poet and yet, by following the rules here I can pretend I am! 🙂
I didn't think I was a poet either, but it looks like we ALL are thanks to your wonderful prompts. I will do this again and again. I'm seriously saving all of your Short & Sweets prompts for future ideas! Thanks so much!
Now the challenge is on for me to keep it up past summer! It was one thing to come up with 8, but to keep going? I'm going to have to expand my bag of tricks 🙂
Kim Murray wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:
I didn't think I was a poet either, but it looks like we ALL are thanks to your wonderful prompts. I will do this again and again. I'm seriously saving all of your Short & Sweets prompts for future ideas! Thanks so much!
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I am an Javalina
Brown as a dust devil,
With a rough hairy back.
Racing, squealing
over the dry barren desert,
sniffing around prickly pear cactus,
rubbing against a cholla
looking for scratch the itch on my back,
like a scrub brush on a sea urchin.
I am an Javalina.
Beautiful, Robin! Love this! Great descriptions that really bring this to life!