The floor-to-ceiling picture looming in the great hall beckoned me. “Step into my frame,” it called to me, and I stood transfixed. The stream running through the countryside seemed to move lazily across the field from the strength of an invisible current and the trees seemed to sway in an invisible breeze. For a moment as I stood in the great hall, I thought I felt the wind brushing against my cheek. But that could not be true. No windows graced the inner hall, and the picture was just that – a painting from someone’s imagination.
Near the stream, a little girl played with her rag doll, with an ever-growing collection of sticks and bark and grass and flowers serving as picnic fare. The men of the family stood nearby, guarding her. But they did not join in her pretend play.
Again, I felt that strange pull. Standing there in the great hall, I had my feet firmly planted on marble tiles and a hand anxiously resting on the grand piano, tapping out an impatient staccato. I was secure, I was safe here, and I had much to do. But there, in a picture of fields and stream and distant mountains, a little girl played happily alone and I longed to go to her and join in her picnic tale as old as time. I put my hand on the frame and leaned closer to see what she was doing.
A tiny butterfly fluttered past. I tried to pull my gaze away, and I thought again of the furniture needing dusted, the floor needing a strong mop, the piano needing tuned. So much to do. So little time. And yet.
“Step into my frame,” the child called. And she looked at me with dancing eyes. It was my undoing. Laundry would have to wait for another day.
I hope you enjoyed this brief glimpse into my heart as I share my struggle to balance life — work and play with a household of sometimes lonely children. This story was written in direct response to a writing prompt found in Creative Freewriting Adventure by Stacy Farrell.
Creative Freewriting Adventure is a short book of writing prompts. But these writing prompts are of a different class. These writing prompts do not demand an essay, instruct for a specific type of writing, or correct grammar. They are Free Writing, and you are free to write however and whatever you want. In fact, you have a time limit — and you have no time to prepare.
Written for middle school and high schools students, Creative Freewriting Adventure takes students on journeys into unknown worlds and introduces concepts of worldview, situational ethics, and eternal life — all in a fun and non-threatening way. In fact, they might not even notice the subtleties of topic because the concepts are so engaging. Who wouldn’t want to step through a picture frame into a different world?
Apparently, these writing prompts even work for writing blog posts. I read the book from cover to cover and just couldn’t resist the idea that occurred to me!
Now then, let’s talk some specifics. Creative Freewriting Adventure contains 10 writing sessions, each prefaced by a beautifully written narrative which sets up the fifteen-minute freewriting period. Writing prompts are derived from classic themes found in the stories of C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and the ancient philosophers. These are not one sentence writing prompts of the often-free variety found on blogs. These are intentionally thought-provoking and well-prepared writing prompts, each set up with multiple pages of narrative and helpful pointers for those who are stuck.
Creative Freewriting Adventure is 50 pages in length, spiral-bound, and sweetly illustrated for $21.95. You can also purchase a digital version for $18.95.
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