For a handful of exercises this month, we’ll look to works from the long and living legacy of Japanese literature for sparks of inspiration.

For today’s ten-minute writing exercise:

Shank’s Mare is a comic novel from the Edo period recounting stories from the road as two bawdy grifters travel from Edo to Kyoto. Their primary interests are getting drunk, getting laid, and getting one over on the locals.

Write a story where two broke and bawdy grifters come to your town at 10:30am and try to rustle up a good time.

Our themes this month are:

• First lines and beginnings
• The 3am Epiphany by Brian Kitely
• Sparks from Japanese literature
• Borrowed forms

We’ll also be writing a complete work of flash fiction together the week of Monday, January 20 – Sunday, January 26. We’ll spend just ten minutes a day writing, and exit the week with a complete work of flash fiction of ~900-1200 words. No pre-work needed, and as always, zero homework.

See you tomorrow for a new day of writing!!