A good friend recently gave me a wonderful book called Rip the Page by Karen Benke. It’s filled with interesting writing exercises that encourage a writer to play with words and experiment with style. Much like Wreck This Journal forced me to jump out of my comfort zone, Rip the Page challenges me to write with an entirely different perspective. My muse is in an uproar, but I’m making her play along anyway.
In “Questions Without Answers,” Benke encourages the creation of wondering lines that start with: who, what, where, why, how, when, do, is, if, would, and could. The idea is to write whatever question comes to mind without worrying about the answer or whether it makes sense. There’s nothing quite like a free write to loosen up the inner voice of my muse!
My questions came out of nowhere, but I was surprised at how they all seemed to link despite my random train of thought. Even though I wasn’t supposed to answer each question, I couldn’t help but respond to my own inquiries. In a sense, I ended up having a conversation with myself that lead to more than one epiphany. A new short story is hiding somewhere in my Wonder Lines . . .
Who really knows the truth?
Everyone and no one. You decide.
What is reality without boundaries?
The life I wish to live.
Where would treasure hide if given the choice of anywhere in the world?
It already hides inside of each and every person. Whether its found depends on whether we are willing to look.
Why is fear the one thing that always holds us back?
It has so much power because we fool ourselves into thinking we are weaker than some abstract “thing.”
How do dreams falter even as passion thrives?
Fear and doubt override passion every time when they are allowed free rein.
When does fate decide what will be and what will not?
Somewhere between always and never.
Do you believe?
Yes. There is always something to believe in, no matter the circumstance.
Is there a way to break free of all that binds?
Yes. If you are brave enough to recognize that which binds.
If the sky fell, would I still be able to see the stars?
I hope so.
Would light exist without the dark?
They are one in the same.
Could this all be a figment of my imagination?
Possibly and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
– – –
c.b. 2012
C.B. Wentworth 