For the past week, I’ve been participating in a thirty-day writing regimen produced by the Southeast Review at Florida State University. Every day, I’ve received an e-mail containing writing exercises and daily podcasts of writers giving readings. One exercise that was given last week was to write about a stranger entering a house unseen. What does he witness?
While pondering this, I read an article in Reader’s Digest about a man who donated sperm to a woman friend with the stipulation that they would share custody of the child. But when twins were born, the mother didn’t even want him in the labor room and otherwise made it clear to him that he was not to be a part of their lives as they’d originally planned. Since there was no written agreement, there wasn’t much the father could do. He sued for joint custody, but after a five-year court battle, it was made clear to him that he was out of luck.
This made me mad. I believe that it is not only a right but an obligation for a father to at least provide financial support to a child. I felt like I had to do something, and since I’ve always believed that in fiction, anything can happen, I wrote a story about a father in a similar situation who takes matters into his own hands and introduces himself to his son. The stranger in this case is the father since his son doesn’t know him when the story begins. The father sneaks into his friend’s house at night and sleeps on the couch and overhears a conversation between the little boy and his mother the next morning.
The Southeast Review is sponsoring a contest for those participating in the regimen where they can submit work generated during the thirty days. I plan to submit this story and hope it will be published in their on line edition. I also have an idea for a poem that was inspired by another exercise provided in this regimen. Will see how that develops.
Abbie Johnson Taylor
Author of We Shall Overcome
http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com
I wrote another poem a few days ago inspired by this regimen. The exercise was to listen to a recording of a favorite song and write about what’s going on in the song. I chose “You Light Up My Life.” It was one of my favorite songs when I was in high school in the seventies. I sang it at a local talent contest, accompanying myself on the piano and won second place. I already knew the words.
I wrote a poem about a woman who was alone in the dark until that special someone came to light up her life. I was once that woman and didn’t realize it until Bill came along. Although caring for him is a lot of work, I’m so glad to have him in my life.
Abbie Johnson Taylor
Author of We Shall Overcome
http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com
I wrote another poem as a result of this regimen. The exercise was to write a poem in which the first ten lines are lies and the eleventh is a truth. Either one of the lies or the truth could be expanded upon. The tenth line of my poem says that I drive, and I immediately followed that with a few lines contradicting that and describing my visual impairment and ending on a positive note.
Abbie Johnson Taylor
http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com
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