Hello, Florists and Gardeners!
Red Roses for beauty, Lily of the Valley for returning to happiness, Forget-Me-Nots for remembrance, Wheat for prosperity; plants and flowers come in so many different forms. From only a few petals to many, perennial to annual, stems to bark. Despite how different all of these plants are, they all have a universal language. This is the time for Earthly expression, because…
This week’s Writing Group prompt is:
The Language of Flowers
RULES AND GUIDELINES BELOW!
Make sure you scroll down and read them if you haven’t! You may not be eligible if you don’t!
Just as diverse as the flora themselves, plants have influenced us in so many ways. From the sayings we speak – “Oops-a-Daisy!” – to the songs we sing – “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme” – they’ve truly grown on us. These beautiful forms of life aren’t just there to dance in our vision, they grace all of our senses. Their scents, the way they feel, and even the rustle of the wind blowing through forests and fields; there’s a reason they tell you to stop and smell the roses!
But even beyond senses, flowers have sprouted their way into language and literature. Have you considered that maybe an artist chose a certain flower for a reason? In the background, the flora can speak loudly, if you’re willing to listen.
In a more literal sense, maybe you’re a fairy or a forest spirit, your physical form resembling that of a flower or the Earth around you. The place you reside in, it’s beautiful but dangerous. A sunny day is spent basking in the light, but a windy day won’t hesitate to rip your petals off. And of course, one day your fragility could be your downfall. How does that make you feel? Will language ever be enough to properly express this ever-changing life?
Let’s slow down a bit and take in the sweet scents of a flower shop. Maybe you’re the owner of the shop, making beautiful bouquets that are tailored specifically for each person; weddings, funerals, birthdays, get-well-soon’s. Each arrangement tells a story that, even if the customer may not understand it, ties each flower together as they’re wrapped up nicely. On the other end though, you could be the customer. Unable to find the words that you need, you walk into the flower shop. What occasion has brought you to buy an arrangement? What are you hoping these flowers will say to the receiver?
Regardless of who you are – human or spirit, florist or just someone admiring the world – there is always a plant willing to help you speak your mind. Their language is one that can be understood by all.
Now everyone, it’s time to make your bouquets.
—Shea
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Remember, this is part of our weekly Writing Group stream! Submit a little piece following the rules and guidelines below, and there’s a chance your entry will be read live on stream! In addition, we’ll discuss it for a minute and give you some feedback.
Tune into the stream this Saturday at 3:00pm CST to see if you made the cut!
The whole purpose of this is to show off the creativity of the community, while also helping each other to become better writers. Lean into that spirit! Get ready not just to share what you’ve got, but to give back to the other writers here as well.
Rules and Guidelines
We read at least four stories during each stream, two of which come from the public post, and two of which come from the much smaller private post. Submissions are randomly selected by a bot, but likes on your post will improve your chances of selection, so be sure to share your submission on social media!
Text and Formatting
- English only.
- Prose only, no poetry or lyrics.
- Use proper spelling, grammar, and syntax.
- Your piece must be between 250-350 words (you can use this website to see your wordcount).
- Use two paragraph breaks between each paragraph so that they have a proper space between them (press “enter” or “return” twice).
- Include a submission title and an author name (doesn’t have to be your real name). Do not include any additional symbols or flourishes in this part of your submission. Format them exactly as you see in this example, or your submission may not be eligible: Example Submission.
- No additional text styling (such as italics or bold text). Do not use asterisks, hyphens, or any other symbol to indicate whether text should be bold, italic, or styled in any other way. CAPS are okay, though.
What to Submit
- Keep submissions “safe-for-work”; be sparing with sexuality, violence, and profanity.
- Try to focus on making your submission a single meaningful moment rather than an entire story.
- Write something brand new; no re-submitting past entries or pieces written for other purposes
- No fan fiction whatsoever. Take inspiration from whatever you’d like, but be transformative and creative with it. By submitting, you also agree that your piece does not infringe on any existing copyrights or trademarks, and you have full license to use it.
- Submissions must be self-contained (everything essential to understanding the piece is contained within the context of the piece itself—no mandatory reading outside the piece required. e.g., if you want to write two different pieces in the same setting or larger narrative, you cannot rely on information from one piece to fill in for the other—they must both give that context independently).
Submission Rules
- One submission per participant.
- Submit your entry in a comment on this post.
- Submissions close at 12:00pm CST each Friday.
- You must like and leave a review on two other submissions to be eligible. Your reviews must be at least 50 words long, and must be left directly on the submission you are reviewing, not on another comment. If you’re submitting to the private post, feel free to leave these reviews on either the private or the public post. The two submissions you like need not be the same as the submissions you review.
- Be constructive and uplifting. These submissions are not for a professional market, and shouldn’t be treated as such. We do this, first and foremost, for the joy of the craft. Help other writers to feel like their work is valuable, and be considerate and gentle with critique when you offer it. Authors who leave particularly abrasive or disheartening remarks on this post will be disqualified from selection for readings.
- Use the same e-mail for your posts, reviews, and likes, or you may be rendered ineligible (you may change your username or author name between posts without problem, however).
- You may submit to either or both the public/private groups if you have access, but if you decide to submit to both, only the private group submission will be eligible.
- Understand that by submitting here, you are giving us permission to read your submission aloud live on stream and upload public, archived recordings of said stream to our social media platforms. You will always be credited, but only by the author name you supply as per these rules. No other links or attributions are guaranteed.
Comments on this post that aren’t submissions will be deleted, except for replies/reviews left on existing submissions.
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