Category: freewriting

  • The forgotten ones

    —

    by

    Jim Kepler
    in

    “Oh two.” “No,” Don said, “when will you see the board, James?” “Oh two.” “Let me try again, James. How long until you’ll first have a chance to appear for a hearing before the parole board?” Don persisted. “Twenty-oh-two.” James looked down as he mumbled his answer. Don and I looked at each other, stunned.…

  • Turning nine

    —

    by

    Jim Kepler
    in

    I read recently about a woman who was arrested and charged with child endangerment for allowing her ten-year-old son to walk alone less than a mile into town. It was a reminder… I’m not sure why, but becoming nine years old was a big, big thing for me— kind of a rite of passage. It…

  • Post-election thoughts

    —

    by

    Jim Kepler
    in

    I thought I knew the American people. Oh, I’ve always known that a lot of folks don’t view life in the same way I do, but that’s always been a plus for me. It meant there was something to learn from them, something that didn’t comport with my own beliefs or experiences or view of…

  • Rapid write

    —

    by

    Jim Kepler
    in ,

    Assignment: Rapid write. Write fast, don’t look back, don’t edit. I think I’ve been stiff and stuffy all my life, both physically and emotionally. Where other guys bounced around on the balls of their feet, I tended to plod. It’s curious: I watch gymnastics on YouTube, men and women, and I can feel the freedom…

  • Free write

    —

    by

    Jim Kepler
    in ,

    The kind of writing I’ve taught has always been fact based. Free writing is not easy for me. I wrote for a living, but my work was for very specific needs and goals. I liken free writing to what I’ve always been told about meditation: let your mind go blank, don’t concentrate on anything, think…