‘First Light’: Me on Paragraph Planet

November 6, 2011 by Jacqui Barrineau 1 Comment

My super-short “First Light” is featured today on Paragraph Planet, a creative writing website that features 75-word pieces on one topic. This piece was completed a week or so in class during an exercise on mood and setting. I chose the mood loneliness; the setting a spring day. I picked the two because I believe, erroneously, that no one can feel lonely on a spring day.

Check out “First Light” while you can. The pieces change daily. If you’re a writer and feeling inspired, try your hand at it. There’s something so satisfying about writing just 75 of just-right words. If you’re a reader, click and click daily. There are some real gems there, and they make for a nice breather between phone calls, a shared human moment before another deadline. Writers may also write a sequel to the posted paragraphs using their own 75 words.

Freelance writer Richard Hearn, who pens the “Distracted Dad” column for Latest Homes and “Dad Sense” for Mumsense magazine, edits the site. You can follow him on Twitter @latestdad.

UPDATE – PUBLISHED NOV. 6, 2011:
First light. A slow, sweet revelation of the season’s goldest
greens, tender hues, a sign for some. A sparrow calls to a
friend, a welcome home (“I missed you. I really missed you.”) I
listen hard for your silvery rattle of pans, the crack of fresh
eggs, an iron skillet’s sizzle. There’s nothing but the birdsongs,
and I wonder if you can hear them, too. Your pillow is so cold;
perhaps you’ll warm it by summer.

EARLIER:

The story behind the “Lazy Cupid” shorts that were born on Paragraph Planet
“Class” – Sometimes you feel creative after creative writing class
“Opera in Private” – What do you sing when you’re all alone?
“Grease Was the Word” – Really, who didn’t want some summer lovin’?

Author: Jacqui Barrineau

Jacqui Barrineau is a writer and editor who lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., with husband Trey, a Shetland Sheepdog, and two unhelpful-but-funny cats. Her work has appeared in "So to Speak" and "Calliope," and she's a regular contributor to the flash-fiction sites Paragraph Planet and Doorknobs & Bodypaint. Once upon a time, she was the audience engagement editor at USA Today. Now she does other fun things that involve advertising, marketing and social media. The views expressed here and in other outlets are hers, not her employers'. Outside of work, she's proud to serve on the Northern Virginia Community College Marketing Advisory Committee. As a committee member, she joins industry leaders in lending their knowledge and expertise to ensure the college's Marketing curriculum is relevant and responsive to the needs of the students and the surrounding business communities.