Jack Kerouac’s Essentials of Spontaneous Prose

Via http://www.languageisavirus.com/
SET-UP
The object is set before the mind, either in reality. as in sketching (before a landscape or teacup or old face) or is set in the memory wherein it becomes the sketching from memory of a definite image-object.
PROCEDURE
Time being of the essence in the purity of speech, sketching language is undisturbed flow from the [...]

The Writer’s Journey and Mythic Structure with Christopher Vogler

Christopher Vogler, author of the international best-selling book THE WRITER’S JOURNEY explores the powerful relationship between mythology and storytelling for screenwriters, scholars, and fans of pop culture.

Writing Down the Dreams

Looking back on my dream diary, I begin to see a pretty clear message emerging. What is more, there are some real great materials emerging as well. Rich imagery, archetypes, strange story lines. . .
What I am getting at is that if you work with the material in your dream diary, you have a great [...]

Don’t count on receiving credit for your good deeds or good practice.

Last posting of Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
It is kind of a relief to get to the end of these writing prompts that I decided to post here. My original intention was for them to intersperse my own writing entries, feeding my writing as needed. Having gotten very busy they became the [...]

“Yes, it’s nice, but it has a stain on it.”

cluster posting of Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Don’t Be Frivolous
Don’t demonstrate frivolous jealousy at your friends’ success. If an acquaintance is wearing a new tie or a new blouse that you yourself would like, don’t capriciously point out its shortcomings to him or her. “Yes, it’s nice, but it has a stain [...]

Always meditate on that which is most difficult

Another cluster posting of Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Always Meditate on Whatever Provokes Resentment
Always meditate on that which is most difficult. If you do not start right away, the moment a difficulty arises, it is very hard to overcome it.
Train Without Bias in All Areas. it is Crucial to do This Pervasively [...]

always take the attitude of being of benefit to all sentient beings

 Clump posting of Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Two Activities: One at the Beginning, One at the End
The point of this slogan is to begin and end each day with twofold Bodhicitta. In the morning you should remember Bodhicitta and take the attitude of not separating yourself from it, and at the end of [...]

blame Gods and Demons for slogans

Clump posting of Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Don’t Make Gods Into Demons
This slogan refers to our general tendency to dwell on pain and go through life with constant complaints. We should not make painful that which is inherently joyful.
At his point, you may have achieved a certain level of taming yourself. You may [...]

Meditations on the Tarot

Meditations on the Tarot
Brother Void

What comes to your mind when you think of Tarot?
How do the cards themselves make you feel?
Have you ever held a deck? Do you own one?
What do you know about the history of Tarot?
What do the images mean?
Who created this deck and its symbols?
When you look at the symbols on each [...]

Drawings and images feed the writing process

ut of the flesh of our mothers come dreams and memories of the Gods. Of other kind than the normal inducement of interest and increasing skill, there exists a continual pressure upon the artist of which he is sometimes partially [...]

passing the buck

Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Don’t Transfer the Ox’s Load to the Cow
The ox is capable of carrying burdens; the cow is less capable of carrying burdens. So the point of this slogan is that you do not transfer your heavy load to someone who is weaker than you. Transferring the ox’s load [...]

This slogan also means not to humiliate people. .

Lojong writing prompt email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Don’t Bring Things to a Painful Point
Don’t blame your sense of dissatisfaction, pain, and misery on somebody else, and do not try to lay your power trips on others. Whatever power you have – domestic power, literary power, or political power – don’t impose it on somebody else.
This slogan [...]

Don’t Be so Predictable

Clump posting of Lojong writing prompt email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Don’t Wait in Ambush
The Tibetan version of this slogan literally says “Don’t ambush”, that is, wait for somebody to fall down so you can attack. You are waiting for that person to fall into the trap or problem you want or expect. You want them [...]

practice of egolessness just another way of building up your ego

Todays Lojong writing prompt email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Abandon Poisonous Food
If the practice of egolessness begins to become just another way of building up your ego – building your ego by giving up your ego – it is like eating poisonous food; it will not take effect. In fact, rather than providing an eternally awakened state [...]

you want to subjugate the world in your own particular style, however subtle of sneaky it may be

 Lojong writing prompts email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Abandon any Hope of Fruition
This slogan means that you should give up any possibilities of becoming the greatest person in the world by means of your training. In particular, you may quite impatiently expect that because of lojong practice you will become a better person. You may be hoping [...]

You do not just want to work with chicken shit

 Lojong writing prompts email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Work With the Greatest Defilements First
You should work with whatever is your greatest obstacle first – whether it is aggression, passion, pride, arrogance, jealousy, or what have you. You should not just say “I will sit more first, and I will deal with that later.” Working with the greatest [...]

Change Your Attitude, but Remain Natural

Lojong writing prompts email reminder from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Change Your Attitude, but Remain Natural
Generally, our attitude is that we always want to protect our own territory first. We want to preserve our own ground – others come afterward. The point of this slogan is to change that attitude around, so that we reflect on others first and [...]

refraining from outrageous action

Todays Lojong writing prompts email reminder from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Always Abide by the Three Basic Principles
The three basic principles are also described as [1] keeping the two vows, [2] refraining from outrageous action, and [3] developing patience.
The first is keeping the promises you made when you took the refuge and Bodhisattva vows, keeping them completely. This one [...]

Lojong email reminder clump prompts

 Another email reminder clump from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
If You can Practice Even When Distracted, You are Well Trained
The idea of this slogan is the realization that whenever situations of an ordinary nature or extraordinary nature come up – our pot boiled over, or our steak is turned to charcoal, or suddenly we slip and lose our grasp [...]

Whatever You Meet Unexpectedly, Join With Meditation

Todays email reminder from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Whatever You Meet Unexpectedly, Join With Meditation
The idea is that whatever comes up is not a sudden threat or an encouragement or any of that bullshit. Instead it simply goes along with one’s discipline, one’s awareness of compassion. If somebody hits you in the face, that’s fine…
Generally speaking, Western audiences have [...]

Lojong Writing Prompts

Todays email reminder from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Seeing Confusion as the Four Kayas is Unsurpassable Shunyata Protection
The reason that the four kayas become a great protection is that we begin to realize the way our mind functions, our state of being. We realize that whatever comes up in our mind is always subject to that flow, that [...]

Be Grateful to Everyone

email reminder from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Be Grateful to Everyone
So in a sense all the things taking place around us, all the irritations and all the problems, are crucial. Without others we cannot attain enlightenment – in fact, we cannot even tread on the path. In other words, we could say that if there is no [...]

email reminder clump

Todays email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/ are actually a compilation of several days. I have been away from the computer for a few days and my email has piled up. I considered to stop posting these, but the act of posting these has actually prodded me to at least think about writing more regularly. While away [...]

Lists of feelings and needs

I have been contemplating and studying a couple of lists from a web site on Nonviolent Communication. I am finding that in studying communication, language, psychology and group work, I am coming across some great material that can also be used for writing, character development and the like.
Here are a couple lists . . .
feelings [...]