Rules

Rules:
1. Read the writing prompt, but only the prompt. I don't want your writing to be influenced by my (or anyone else's) response.
2. Sit down and spend 15-30 min writing whatever comes to mind. Poetry, prose, whatever you want, just write something. Don't make it something you labor over. Write. Enjoy.
3. Share in the comments.
4. Please keep it PG-13 and under. Don't go all 50 Shades or Chucky on me.
5. There is a time and a place for constructive criticism. This is not one of them. This is a stretching exercise. Please remember the words of Thumper, "If you can't say nothin' nice, don't say nothin' at all."
***All material on this site remains the property of the original author. Do not copy or share without permission. Thank you! **


Thursday, March 24, 2016

Identity

I came across a story today that piques my interest in so many ways.  Especially with this push in the publishing industry for more diverse books, I really want to see something done like this.  Here's the story: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a37533/adoption-secret-family-history/

So, the girl was raised believing she was born to a Jewish mother.  I am not Jewish, but the article implies that Jews believe any child born to a Jewish mother is Jewish.  She was adopted by a Jewish family and raised as a Jew.  She developed a close association with her Jewish heritage, even more so than some of her relatives.

When she sought out her birth parents, however, she discovered that her mother was a Christian who envied the family lives of the Jewish people she knew.  She wanted her child to have that, so she filled out the adoption forms to label her child as Jewish, so it would go to a Jewish household.

Ultimately, she overcame the shock and moved on, but I'd love to see a novel like this, where someone's life view - something they consider to be a part of them - turns out to be wrong.  It would be a lot more literary than what I usually write, but I'd love to read it.