Write for You: Without

by Nancy Casey

Today, write down a list of sentences or ideas that all begin with the word “without.”

Take a look around you. Do you see things that you couldn’t do without? You could write a sentence about what your life would be like without them.

Maybe you can see things that you wish you didn’t have in your life, and you could write and idea about what you it would mean if they weren’t there.

Let your imagination run to think about all the animals, vegetables and minerals that have no part in your life. What is it like to be without them?

Sometimes “being without” is difficult. Sometimes it is good to be without certain things: a sprained ankle, a boulder falling on your house, enemies.

You don’t have to limit yourself to ideas about your own life. You can think about strangers, your pets, or the plant on the windowsill. What would they be like without chocolate? Without water? Without gravity?

You can write about the planet we live on or the whole universe. What would they be without mosunderstandings? Without stars? Without dust?

At first “without” seems like it is a negative word, indicating that something is lacking. The more you write sentences that begin, “Without…” you’ll find that there’s always some kind of “with” hidden inside each one.

When you have filled a page (or more) give your work a title. Make sure the date is on it somewhere, too. Add decoration and color to the page as needed. Here is an example of what a person could write.

You can share what you have written by posting it as a comment below. You can type in your work. Or post a picture of it.

Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. Sometimes she teaches writing classes at the Recovery Center. You can find more of her work here. She offers (free!) writing help to anyone in recovery. This can be for any kind of writing project—resumes, letters, stories novels—email latahrecoverycenter@gmail.com for more information.