Writing Eleven O'clock This Morning, Versus 11:00 a.m.

Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones Deck Prompts - Write for ten minutes using a number in everyline.

Ten minutes is that too long to write in a number like eleven-thirty? I don't think so it is six-thirty-eight right now. I have to shower by seven-fifteen, I will be at the river by nine, done by ten. Then at brunch by ten-thirty, home by twelve-thirty.

This afternoon will be a writing day, with one to four o'clock and little to do but play until dinner by six. The evening will be spent with the hubby. He likes to watch television, and some old programs will be showing at seven p.m.

That is unless I can talk him into Hallmark by eight p.m. I can't wait to watch Hallmark until ten. Isn't this fun? Just over four minutes left to write with numbers on every line. I have three and a half minutes as time is running out. Okay, now three minutes, fifteen seconds.

So, maybe I just ditch it at this point, with three minutes and five seconds left? No, I can do this but do I want to spend the rest of the ten minutes just messing around? After all, there are nine honorable mentions, I could be posting. And, is that too many? How about six?

I think that may be too many. Five is enough don't you think? Maybe four? Okay, I'm down to thirty-five seconds now. I did it. Wait it doesn't say every line done with four seconds. Now, I'm done with minus two.

Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones Deck Prompts - She dialed his cell phone three times, at one third of an apple, thought of him seventeen times in an hour, and plucked eight hairs from her chin.

Notice the delight in the precise, odd number. Don't use the usual: a dozen, ten, one hundred. Keep it odd so the mind can rough up against the words as you read them. Nothing glib, like "I did lots of sit-ups." No. "I did fourteen situps - and then I quit." It was the sixteenth day of no alcohol." "I left the gym and walked twenty-one times around the same block."

Get it? The specific, less predictable numbers intensify the authenticity, the believability.

I had every number above as a number, like 5, 6, 7. I went back for this prompt and changed that, so it still has numbers five, six, and seven on each line but it is spelled out. Okay, seven hours, five minutes - I still need to learn how to write time on each line where there is a time.

Seven hours and five minutes, not seven hours, five minutes for example. And make the numbers more a part of making writing eleven, more "precise, odd number". Didn't get that part right?

My purpose in beginning the prompt was to get an actual number ten or eleven, or whatever number on each line. I thought that was what was being asked, and it was. Time to shower at seven hours and twenty minutes. Not seven hours and fifteen minutes.

What do you think, is it better for writing? Seven hours, fifteen minutes, versus 7:15 a.m. Yes - No! Depends on how long it is that you are writing with numbers. I think I do both. I will try to give it a written ten o'clock number or at least think about writing the number eleven out.