Pop Culture Mud, Week #5
I am simultaneously happy about today’s miraculous writing prompt as well as sad because today is our last mud-related prompt in May. As I was doing research on mud, I heard about actress Reese Witherspoon’s DUI. Normally, I don’t pay attention to those types of news stories because they are so negative, but this one intrigued me because Reese is generally a low-key, clean-cut person. As I read the news story, I learned about her recent movie, Mud! What a coincidence! Your job today is to write about five unpredictable moments in nature.
Creative Idea Gal’s Thoughts
Reese Witherspoon’s movie, Mud, is a coming-of-age story about two teenage boys who meet up with a fugitive while exploring their unique river landscape in rural Arkansas. Movie descriptions and movie reviews offer juicy details about the plot and the story within the movie. What struck me as most interesting, however, was the central location of the movie, dubbed Boat-in-Tree.
Apparently, the ravage of the storms in the Mississippi river showed no mercy when they threw a houseboat squarely up in a tree, making it nearly impossible to get it down. The teenage boys find the houseboat in the tree and want it for their own. To their surprise, they find a fugitive named “Mud” living in that boat, which is sort of like a treehouse.
Of course, the placement of the boat in the tree is completely fictional, intended to add drama to the movie, Mud, but it is not unrealistic to believe that real storms can cause boats to appear in trees. Many recent natural disasters have caused worse havoc. Think about the recent Oklahoma tornadoes or last year’s New Jersey Sandy storm wreckage. There is a lot to write about when it comes to unpredictable moments in nature.
Creative Brainstorming Tips
Reese Witherspoon’s movie, Mud, offers rich symbolism and a great storyline to write about. The title of the movie refers to the main character. It would have been obvious for me to include in today’s prompt interesting factoids about the character Mud or the actor who plays Mud, Matthew McConnaughey. I chose to focus on something entirely different – the location, which symbolized the unpredictable forces of nature to me.
Although creative brainstorming allows you to find similar resources easily, it is a good idea to reflect a little before diving in to figure out what to do with the related information. The obvious solution is to write strictly about the cuteness or similarity of the name, but digging deeper, you may find other interesting things to write about. Helpful Resources Unpredictable moments in nature taken to their extreme are referred to as natural disasters.
“A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth; examples include floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other geologic processes. A natural disaster can cause loss of life or property damage, and typically leaves some economic damage in its wake, the severity of which depends on the affected population’s resilience, or ability to recover. ” – Wikipedia entry
Unpredictable moments in nature also inspire good writing!
“Even though the weather in Texas is unpredictable, students in Donna Clarrissimeaux’s class at Walnut Grove Elementary can count on an outdoor lesson. The veteran teacher knows Mother Nature delivers when it comes to inspiration.” – MySouthLakeNews
Writing Prompt 063
Prompt: Write about five unpredictable moments in nature
- Step 1: A boat appearing in a tree is one mild example of an unpredictable moment in nature. Recent news events offer us harsher moments on the unpredictability of nature. Choose any that you find inspiring enough to write about.
- Step 2: The concept of unpredictability in nature is fascinating in and of itself, but the end results are equally as compelling. As humans, we are always wondering “why” and figuring out how to rebuild and make sense of things in the aftermath. Think about these things as you figure out what you want to write about.
- Step 3: Write about five unpredictable moments in nature. You can decide the level of intensity you want to include. Definitely incorporate your personal thoughts and ideas on the unpredictability of nature and how you think it affects human relations.
Please be sure to leave comments about this writing prompt. We want to hear from you!
About the Author
Amanda M. Socci, J.D., is a freelance writer with 14 years of experience writing professionally. Socci currently cuts her blogging chops on her personal portfolio blog, the Creative Idea Gal blog, and on an online news site, Mount Vernon Patch. Inspired by Nina Amir’s Write Nonfiction in November writing challenge, she created a unique 10-month training program for Writenonfictionnow.com and Writenonfictioninnovember.com blog visitors.
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