What comes to mind when you hear the word fire? Someone striking a match? Losing a job? Discharging a weapon?
When you plug in a coffee maker, what kind of fire heats the water? Where’s the fire that can make your phone hot to the touch? What kind of fire burns the back of your legs when you hop into a hot car on a summer day?
What do people mean when they talk about the fire in somebody’s eyes? Is there a flame somewhere if a person is burning up with fever? What is someone like when they are all fired up?
How many songs can you think of that have the word fire in the lyrics?
Fire makes its way into many metaphors and images that we use to describe other things. A firey personality, for example. Or when someone complains of spending the whole day putting out fires. What kind of burn might you get if someone accuses you of playing with fire?
Write a page today that begins with the notion of fire.
You can consider the literal ones, such as campfires, forest fires, candles, or the flame that comes out of the back end of a rocket.
You might consider the techno-fires that provide the energy for powering engines and electronics.
Maybe you will recall a time that something significant to you burned up. (What kind of fire burns a bridge?)
Perhaps you will decide to write about something that fire represents.
As you gather your materials for writing, cast about your imagination and experience until you locate a fire or two.
Draw a line at the top of the page where the title will go so you are certain to have a place to put it when you have finished writing.
Begin writing by describing a fire. Perhaps you will fill the whole page with a single fire, or maybe you will end up writing about several.
If you get stuck, doodle or draw on the page to encourage your mind to relax and think more clearly. Or illustrate your page after you have finished writing and wait for a good title idea to float to the surface of your mind.
Write your title at the top of the page. Write the date on the page too, along with a signature or your initials.
Whatever you do, don’t burn your work!
Here is an example of what someone could write.
You can share your work by posting it as a comment below. You can type it in, or take a photo of it and upload the image.
Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. You can find more of her work here. If you would like some help with your writing, or just some encouragement, contact Nancy or the Latah Recovery Center.
Latah Recovery Community Center, Inc. 