Nature Walks
I’m fortunate to live in a city with countless lush nature parks. We take many walks, my husband and I. Short ones though, a way of breaking up the daily grind. We talk about our crafts, happy and horrific things we read. We run into people we know, or strangers who may be eavesdropping. In these strolls memories resurface–we share stuff from our childhood. Dreams and fears loom and with each step we hope we are strong enough for what may come.
Alone, it’s slightly different. My solitary wanderings usually happen at the campus where I work. I absorb the young, hopeful energy of students, the tired yet purposeful strides of academics and staff members like me. The ritual helps clear the head, reminds me that whatever it is that is giving me joy or grief today, it will pass, much like people on the street. We think we know our way around familiar places, but little by little, the landscape shifts and the journey changes us.
Your Prompt: Take a walk while imagining yourself to be the protagonist of your current work in progress. Write about this experience—what did you notice or observed from your character’s point of view? Did you enjoy the walk or not so much?
Quick Tip
Does your novel in progress feel bare, too fast-paced, with not much else going on aside from the main plot? Your story may need depth. Incorporate some exposition about your character, the setting, or the time period that reveals little-known details that has an indirect relation to the main plot. Examples are traumatic memories, an obscure historical incident or trivia about the setting, or what was in the news at the time.
About Writing Desk
Years ago, I gave up blogging for good. But I changed my mind and here we are. Aside from maintaining a consistent writing practice, my goal is to build a live space outside social media for content that supports the creative process, free of mindless, addictive, and AI-generated distractions.
May your visits here be frequent but brief. The idea is to offer something that will light a spark, not distract from your writing. For this reason, I don’t post Writing Desk on social media. Thanks for stopping by!
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Found Words
“Tragedy is based on on this sense that there’s been a terrible mistake, isn’t it?”
—Lily King, Euphoria
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Leah Ranada 