Post #135 – Women’s Memoirs, Writing Prompt – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler
Meet My New Memoir Friend
In a recent blog, I confessed that I’d escaped the rain of Corvallis for the sun of Oceanside, California to have a writing vacation. A day later, I got a lovely email from one of the readers of Women’s Memoirs. She told me that she had just moved from Tucson and was in the process of purchasing a home in Oceanside. She wondered if it might be possible for us to meet.
Of course, I recognized her name — Carole Jones. Carole has won two awards with us– the first was announced back on December 16 2010 in our Favorite Holidays contest and the second on July 4, 2011 in our Independence Day contest. Both of these stories have now been published. If you missed them, just click below.
After I had accomplished my major writing goal, Carole and I worked out a time (2 pm) and place (Jitters, of course. A perfect name for a coffee house).
I’m sharing our photo with a specific reason — it contains a quick, but perhaps difficult, writing prompt.
Memoir Writing Prompts
If you look at the photo carefully, you’ll see that we deliberately positioned ourselves in front of the sign saying SPOKEN GLASS. Each of the lovely glass, swing-top, litter-sized water bottles on the shelf has a laser-etched word such as Abundance, Gratitude, Peace, Joy. These are made in Venice, California — not too far from where we had our afternoon tea.
1. Imagine that you have a bottle just waiting for your message that will be etched on it. What is your brief message? It might be an inspirational message. It might be a short summary of your situation. It might be the message of your memoir.
A short, succinct message is the theme of the popular Six Word Memoirs. Recently, Kendra shortened her message to three words — Awful but better. She’d had a terrible flu with a cough and congestion that just won’t stop. Her three word summary told me exactly how she felt.
What can you do with three words? Use three to describe your life? Your day? Your writing?
Have fun.
And Now to a Portland Appearance
In this moveable feast of a life, I’m now back home. But not for long.
Next Monday, March 5, I’m helping the Women’s Resource Center at Portland Community College kick off Women’s History Month.
They’ve invited me to talk about Rosie’s Daughters — that generation of women born during World War II — daughters of the iconic Rosie the Riveter. These are the women who broke through employment barriers and opened doors for following generations. Kendra Bonnett and I documented many of their stories in our collective memoir: Rosie’s Daughters: The “First Woman To” Generation Tells Its Story.
If you will be in the Portland area next Monday and would like to attend, be sure to send me an email and I’ll get you the address and room information. (Contact me at: matilda (at) womensmemoirs (dot) com.
