Writing Prompt: HALCYON

Visual inspiration + mental exercise to start your writing week

Photograph by Aimee Liu

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Subscribers, I need your guidance!

Metaphortography Prompts are free visual and verbal writing prompts for inspiration and reflection. This is the Monday section of Aimee Liu’s MFA Lore, but the current state of the world is such a distraction that I’m not sure you need or want these prompts every week. Would you please respond to this quick poll to help guide the optimal schedule for this section?

Thank you! And now, this week’s prompt.

HALCYON

It’s over before it’s here. You know the feeling: Grab this, savor it, hold on tight even though you can already sense it slipping between your fingers, this perfect blaze of wonder, love in the open spaces, flicker of longing and delight, that delicious scent of becoming, all while pretending to ignore the darkness that encroaches, the inescapable menace of time and change, memory in the here and now already grieving that beautiful light, so young and rich and vibrantly sure in its clasp of innocence.

HALCYON: Middle English alceon, from Latin halcyon, from Greek alkyōn, halkyōn

1a: characterized by happiness, great success, and prosperity— often used to describe an idyllic time in the past that is remembered as better than today

b: calm, peaceful

c: prosperous, affluent

2: of or relating to the halcyon, a bird identified with the kingfisher and held in ancient legend to nest at sea about the time of the winter solstice and to calm the waves during incubation

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Here is your writing prompt:

As you contemplate the image above, think of a halcyon moment when you consciously thought, I want to hold onto this forever. Got it?

Now write about that moment and what it was, exactly, that you wanted so badly to hold onto. Answer the following:

• Where were you? Describe the place, smells, atmosphere, sound, light, etc.

• How old were you? Describe yourself, your concerns, attitudes, preoccupations.

• Who was with you? Describe their age, relationship and responses to you.

• What exactly made this a halcyon moment? Describe the interaction or observation that gave it heat, the thoughts that were running through your mind, what made it seem idyllic.

• What were you afraid of losing, and why? Describe the circumstances or realities that warned you to pay attention, to remember that this moment could not last.

• What happened afterwards? Describe the aftermath of that magic moment and its subsequent effect on you.

• What do you feel looking back on that moment now? Describe any emotions that surface as you write, any insights you have now that you didn’t have then.

• Do you still want to hold onto that moment forever? Describe the reasons why, or why not.

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Loreates’ Corner

I’m delighted to introduce you to a few of the wonderful stacks by writers in our community. Please read, subscribe, and share! And if you’re an MFA Lore subscriber with a great writing stack that I haven’t mentioned, please drop the link in a comment, so I can add you to our Corner.

Snigdha Roy writes Write Diverse Characters :

Susan Lynch writes Susan Lynch — Shamanic Field Notes

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