Twitter is truly a unique universe. You can go from having 1 follower to over 500 nearly overnight-all you have to do is jump on the bandwagon. Hey, I’m not complaining-it’s done wonders for my writing career. I haven’t been published; but through it’s many writing hashtags I stumbled upon a supportive #writingcommunity that’s been more useful to me as a writer than any workshop I’ve been to. And it’s completely free. Twitter keeps me writing. I must keep writing.
What does Twitter have to do with it? Read on.
I found myself using the prompts as a catalyst for creating blog posts during serious bouts of writer’s block. I began tweeting these prompts and asking other writers to comment and add their ideas, the response was overwhelming and I gained a modest following. Like David Spade, I’m not really a numbers girl, I don’t need 1.5K followers, I’m just happy that there are people other than my family following me and “liking” what I tweet.
Today’s prompt: It’s college application time! Explain in one paragraph why you want to attend a historical black college.
Some prompts ask for one sentence, others two or three, or a paragraph. Sometimes you start out with one sentence but the floodgates burst open, and you end up with a rough draft of your literary masterpiece. But there’s no pressure to create a literary opus. You’re simply testing the limits of your imagination, which is crucial for a writer. I’m amazed by what I create when I allow my mind to go where it wants…
“Dear Admissions Director,
As a very white woman with blue eyes, blond hair, a perfect barbie figure and tons of privilege, it’s been my lifelong goal to attend a historical black college. You are probably wondering why. Of course, I know I’ll stand out-and that is the point. Black people can learn from me, as much as I plan to learn from them. I’m prepared for the backlash; black women will hate me because their men will fall in love with me. This is par for the course-necessary for the research I plan to complete during the course of my studies. To understand the negro, I must be the negro. (Figuratively speaking of course!) It is my intention to work and live among the natives, observing them in their natural habitat, recording their behavior for research, similar to how National Geographic documents wild animals in the jungle, searching for the best ways to communicate with them. I believe that immersing myself in the culture this way that I can advance the cause of racial reconciliation. At your school, while work alongside and learning from the negro, I will be able to speak for him. It is my goal to become the true face of post-racial America. Your school will help me achieve this.”
THE TWITTER CONNECTION
Here’s a prompt: You are one of the whitest women in the world. You are being celebrated in the media as Harvard Law’s “first woman of color.” The actual first woman of color to graduate from Harvard Law School is a moderator at one of your political debates. How do you respond to her question: WTF?
And that’s what Twitter has to do with it!
My Power. My Pleasure. My Pain. 
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