by Nancy Casey
Every day is a good day to marvel at the world and appreciate how interesting it is. Consider elbows, for instance. Have you ever paid attention to how amazing they are? Write about that today.
Think about elbows and notice what your own elbows do as you set up your page to write. Draw a line at the top of the page where your title will go. Set aside some space for illustration if you like. You can always draw or doodle while you wait for a writing idea to come to mind. You can draw or trace your elbow.
How does an elbow figure into your daily routine? Imagine all the things that you do in the first hour of the day. Is a functioning elbow necessary to the tasks and activities you take on?
Try immobilizing an elbow for 10 or 15 minutes as you go about a few tasks. What is that like?
What if you already have an elbow or two that doesn’t bend or straighten? You could write about some of the people, devices, or strategies that have helped you to accomplish what others accomplish by bending and straightening their arms.
What can elbows do besides bend and straighten? What is elbow room? Is elbow grease greasy? How many elbows do you need to elbow your way into a room or a conversation?
When you have filled up the page with elbow ideas, look back over your work. Add illustration or decoration if you like.
Do your ideas form any kind of a pattern? Do they seem to be about a bigger idea that you hadn’t really planned on writing about? If they do, maybe you can use that insight to think up a title. If they don’t, make up some kind of a title anyway and write it at the top of the page.
Put your initials or a signature on the page, too. And write the date on it. 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 or encouragement with any kind of writing project, contact Nancy or the Latah Recovery Center.
Raised by God: The Autobiography of Patricia Clayton is a new book that grew out of the Write For You program at LRC. It is the story of a person making herself new after years of addiction and trauma.
Latah Recovery Community Center, Inc. 