✒️ Jan Prompt 3: From Roast to Toast

Playfully poke at what you loathe, then raise a glass to what you love

Oh, ChatGPT images. They always ignite my imagination. Their flaws also bring me comfort. (See that blurry fore finger? What about that alien writing?) It’s like finding typos and inconsistencies in published books. These mistakes remind me that even the most seemingly polished authors and robots aren’t 100% perfect. THIS is the stuff that helps me begin.

Well, hi! I know I sound like a broken record here, but I’m continually amazed by this group and so grateful that you’re a part of it. It’s been such an honor to read your stories so far. Like really. I do not say those words casually.

It has also been inspiring to watch your commitment to this. Not only with sitting down and churning something out — which takes SO much in the first place — but with the commitment you’ve been pouring into your pieces already. I can feel how important they are to you. They aren’t just check-the-box assignments. They’re art.

Now, after going pretty deep these last few weeks with the Story of Your Name and Home Sweet Home, I think it’s time to spark some laughs. More on that in a sec, but first? Biz:

BE SURE TO SHARE

After writing, don’t forget to post a pic of your journal, link to a G Doc, or copy and paste it into a stand-alone post. (Note: You can always share directly with me via email. Always.)

INCENTIVE

If you share every prompt this month, your name will be added to a drawing for complimentary coaching/editing on one of your February pieces. Share it in our private group, comment on the post, or email it to me. I’ll do the drawing on our open mic call! Speaking of…

🎤 OUR FIRST “SPEAKEASY”

If you’re a paid member*, you should’ve received an official invite for our first open mic, taking place Sat, Feb at 10am MST via Zoom.

This will be a 90-minute virtual gathering to share something from the month: read a ditty you wrote (whether you already shared it or not) or share a story about your writing (a personal win, AHA moment, or something you’re even struggling with). Erin Hunt, author of Lovely Disaster, will join us for this one AND the next one. Whee!

*So, yeah, open mics are part of the paid membership, which you can opt into at any point of this journey. I’d LOVE to have you. Upgrade here and I’ll send you the invite.

OK.

So, what the heck is this roast to toast thing?

Well, as I was thinking of a prompt that would spark some humor and lightness, I remembered something I wrote in 2006. It was a submission for a book called The Bigger the Better, the Tighter the Sweater: 21 Funny Women on Beauty, Body Image, and Other Hazards of Being Female.

The assignment was to pick a part of your body that you didn’t like and tear it to shreds, but in a humorous way. Although my piece wasn’t chosen, I will always cherish what happened in the process of writing it.

Here’s a little back story: