Tinder, Gawker and Other Writing Prompts at First Friday Pens and Pints with Petals & Bones

Had a blast at the Pens and Pints First Friday Writing Bonanza, a monthly event created by Petals and Bones that takes place at Jack and Tony's Whisky Bar in Santa Rosa. About 10 of us crammed into a large corner booth near the bar, notebooks and pens competing for space on the table with a variety of drinks (I had STRAIGHT ON 'TIL MORNING: Hibiscus & strawberry infused Rum, lychee puree, lime juice & rhubarb bitters), garlic fries and lit candles as the space darkened--evidenced by my crappy photo that shows no faces.

Hilarity ensued as Dani Burlison and Leilani Clark led us with three prompts over the course of two hours. We'd scribble furiously for about seven minutes, then go around the table and read aloud. It's great practice for getting words onto the page quickly before the inner critic can rush in, and sharing with others breaks a similar barrier.

Out three prompts included celebrity encounters (" 'Huey!' I yelled out the limousine window"), a letter of complaint or support to Tinder, a dating app ("Any swipe can change your life" is the tagline--check out their promo video that makes hooking up with strangers while traveling solo look oh-so-simple-and-fun), and a Gawker headline (tagline: "Today's gossip is tomorrow's news"). Here's mine:

You can read testimonials about their workshops (including mine) at the Petals and Bones website.