Today is an auspicious day. Why? Well — today is Joe Bunting's birthday. Yes, the founder of The Write Practice, Joe Bunting, woke up this morning one year older. All it took was one day to tip the balance to a new number.
I told Joe I was going to write about how painting a picture is like writing, or I was going to make a story game with showing and not telling. And I will, in two weeks, but not today. Not when I found out today is the birthday of the founder of The Write Practice.
First a song,
“Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday Dear Joe Bunnnnnnnnn-ting,
Happy Birthday to you.”
But without further ado!
10 Birthday Writing Prompts
Today we have several options for writing prompts. Actually, there are ten writing prompts. I won't tell you how old Joe is. But I will give you a hint. His age is how ever many writing prompts we have today times three.
One: Write about one of your birthdays. You have a birthday every year. You do. Really. What do you want to tell us? If you have stopped having birthdays, write a story about the character in your stories birthday. My mother is thirty-four every year. I am now older than she is.
Two: Write an original Happy Birthday song to Joe, to the tune of Happy Birthday.
Here is mine:
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Your favorite color is orange,
Which doesn't rhyme with blue,
I hope this year is great,
Because you are not a Gnu.
(Which rhymes with blue.)
Three: Write about a birthday cake. It doesn't have to be your own cake, it could be someone else's cake. And, if you want to —you can have your cake and eat it too.
Four: Make a knock- knock joke for Joe Bunting's birthday. As in –
Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Orange
Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn't say blue.
Five: Write a story about the silverware you used to eat your birthday cake. What does the spoon prefer, chocolate or white cake?
Six: Write a story about your favorite belt. Especially if your belt is orange.
Seven: Write a story about what is in the glove compartment of your car. Whatever is in the glove compartment of your car will be the gift you are going to give Joe in your story. Joe, you are so fortunate. In my story, you will get a can of sardines.
Eight: Write about your earliest birthday memory. Mine was when I got a record player and a Monkey's album for my eighth birthday. I wanted to marry Davy Jones.
Nine: Write about your birthday candles. Did they melt into your cake? Did you have so many candles, your candles melted into the icing before they were all lit?
Ten: Write about a favorite birthday present you received. Tell us about the gift, please.
Have you ever written about your birthday? Please let us know in the comments section.
PRACTICE
Today is a fun day. A day to write about birthdays, and to say happy birthday to a friend. As in, Joe Bunting. For today's practice, please choose one of the ten prompts, spend fifteen minutes writing. Then, after you have written your piece, please post it in the comments here.
Please be kind and comment on someone else's writing. Then be sure to tag Joe on twitter, @joebunting and say Happy Birthday.
Thank you for The Write Practice, Joe.
Now let's practice.
xo
Pamela
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE!!! Although I haven’t come up with anything yet, I didn’t want to miss wishing you a happy birthday.
Thank you Sondra!
A fun assignment, Thanks!
I was blessed with two grandmothers. One died when I was nine. I met the other when I was thirteen, then she was gone. Each of them left vivid memories. That is the primary purpose of grandmothers, I believed. Still do think it’s an important role.
One vivid memory included a birthday cake. For every family birthday, there was a wonderful wind-up cake base that spun slowly as the base unwound and played “Happy Birthday to you.” Everyone sang along. My eleven-month-older brother’s fifth birthday was celebrated at Grandma’s house.
His cake not only rested on the wonderful spinning base, but had a delicate paper
carousel above the cake supported by striped paper poles. Sugar horses pranced
beneath the carousel top and held the candles. Paper over flames. You can see where this is going, right?
In the midst of us singing the first line of Happy Birthday, the carousel went up in flames. Mother and Grandma began to shout and flap their dinner napkins. Daddy, who was much disapproved of in that household (I later learned why and they were right), grabbed the pitcher of water on the table and poured it on the cake, ending an exciting moment and beginning another.
So, Happy Birthday, Joe. I hope you have an exciting and fun filled day, and get to eat your cake.
Hi Cathy,
Now that was a memorable birthday. Paper and candles don’t mix. Thank you for sharing your story. You also set up a mystery, about Daddy.
xo
Pamela
On his birthday, Joe receives an email from his own email address with a time stamp precisely one year in the future. It reveals nothing of the coming year but is comprised of one question.
Oooh very nice! What’s the question?
That would be up to you, Joe.
AS Sondra said, I didn’t want to miss wishing you a happy birthday Joe… I will be coming up with something as well. ( just got up)
Thanks so much Debra!
Happy Birthday Joe! Rn I don’t have time to write but I will soon. Have an awesome day!!
Thanks! Looking forward to your writing. 🙂
LOVE this, Pamela, but then, I love everything you write. So could say I’m kinda biased. Grin.
Happy birthday Joe!
Thanks Em!
Thank you Em. You are very kind.
xo
Pamela
So fun, Pamela…thanks!
His name’s Joseph Bunting
I don’t know if he likes to go hunting
I was a mess of a writer when I found his cool blog
I mean it – I was worse than a bump on a log
Writing for TWP helped me find my mojo again
Better yet, I discovered several new friends
Your 30’s rock…truly, you’ll love it every step of the way.
You grown deeper into yourself, day-by-simple, wonderful day
I wish a gloriously wonderful birthday to you
Sending you the best in all that you do.
HA! Such a great poem, Marcy. Thank you! I’m glad to have you as a friend. 🙂
It was a fun break in my day, Joe. May this new decade bless your life in countless ways.
Glad it was fun Marcy. You are very welcome.
xo
Pamela
All my friends were out in the yard in front of our trailer home, pounding away on a piñata full of candy. It was the first time I’d ever had a piñata at my own party. I’d been so delighted at the prospect of being the one to bust it open. I could hear them out there, screaming with joy when someone finally broke it open. But, I was in bed, holding my ear, and sobbing in pain.
That morning, before the party, my sister had insisted on cleaning out my ears with Q-tips. She shoved a Q-tip so deep into my ear that it pushed against my eardrum. This startled me into a jerk, which then forced the Q-tip even further – stretching my eardrum, perhaps even busting it; I’m not sure. But it hurt like hell for the rest of the day and I missed that party.
The moral of the story is this:
Piñatas, cool as they may seem, are bad luck. Don’t get a piñata.
Agh worst birthday ever! Also, never trust your sister if she’s holding a Qtip!
Ugggh … A damaged eardrum is bad enough, but on your birthday?!!
Yes, the piñata. I recall as a parent trying to “organize” the order of children by strength (LOL) and watching with held breath to see if my son (the birthday boy) would end up being the triumphant one to break the piñata or not. On the other hand, the disadvantage of being that person is the delay in diving for all the goodies that fly out as you rip off your blindfold. Perhaps you avoided another type of disappointment, Cody (heehee).
I never thought of it that way. Does one want to break the piñata or be first to dive? Just thinking about it, I know a lot of people get whacked on account of the blind stick swinging, but I wonder how many kids bang heads on account of the candy diving.
Happy Birthday, Joe! May you always be blessed with health and happiness so that you may have many more to come!
I will take it, Claire. Thank you!
OK, ten years back I found myself in Tanzania, Africa. My friend organized a rather unusual gig: riding a daladala (intriguing communal bus) out to Masai land. We had to take a large sack of rice and pay for the goat. I will not go into the details of the goat but suffice it to say, we “dined” with the Masai and then had to be personally escorted down the muddy track at well after dark. The monsoon had made it impossible to get any vehicle up the path. I was arm in arm with a Masai moran (young man) and he saved me from a lot of mud involved slides. We had to hitchhike at midnight back to Arusha.
Friend and I sat, covered in mud and had a cold Kili (Kilimanjaro beeri) at 2 AM.
Yahoooo on THAT memory. Happy Birthday Joe and onward to far more wild birthdays in the future. g
Wow what an adventure! Thanks for the birthday wishes, and I accept your challenge! 🙂
Hey Joe, I’m mentoring a newbie writer and am going to send him directly to your most helpful blog. Thanks so much.
Oh my!! Imagine the opportunity to cross paths with a community such as the Masai. No simple side trip your friend arranged! Each element of the day certainly added to the depth of the adventure.
Every May 3, I go into silence and just sit and smile. THAT was the wildest birthday I have EVER experience and the most wonderful as well.
“I go into silence and I just sit and smile” … aaaahhhhhh …. nice tradition
Lions and Tigers and Joe, oh my!
29 years are gone, goodbye!
Joe’s 30th year is here with a sigh.
Lions and Tigers and Joe, oh my!
Ha! This is so great Woody.
Pamela, you are the most generous, funniest, kindest Pamela I know. 😉 Serioiusly, though, I’m glad to have you as a friend and a colleague. This post was the best surprise for my birthday. Thank you!
The best birthday gift I ever got was the gift of song. When I turned 19, I was away from home, attending university, and feeling a little isolated and unloved. I didn’t really want to get up that day, let alone do anything, and I had nothing planned. During the day, two of my friends who were musicians and actors in a local dinner theater came to see me. Verne and Michelle brought their guitars with them and, seeing I was a little down, proceeded to sing the song Lonely People, by the band America. The song was in the top 5 on the billboard at that time (so now you know what year I turned 19). After singing and encouraging me to get out of bed, get dressed, and go out to celebrate, what I truly remember best about the birthday was the two of them singing a song, just for me, because they cared.
What a great gift Jay. Friends who cared. The best gift really.
xo
Pamela
You are so right, Pamela, it wasn’t only the gift of song, it was the gift of having friends who cared.
Awesome gift that obviously still touches your heart. (I know your story touched mine.)
Thank you, Susan, it does still touch my heart and probably will for the rest of my life.
Happy Birthday, Joe! Hope it’s a good one.
One of my favorites was a vacation we had in Nantucket. Since my birthday is in July, we always tried to combine it with a vacation. That day we decided to hike along the beach to a lovely lighthouse. It was not accessible any other way but by foot. The day was warm, sky blue and my sister and I packed a lunch to eat at the lighthouse. We had no idea it would take three and a half hours to walk there, but we made it. Lunch never tasted so good! On the way back to our cottage, an elderly man driving a jeep asked if we wanted a ride. We immediately agreed, which reduced our return trip to twenty minutes. It was well worth our effort that day and a memory to remember.
Happy Birthday Joe! I wish you a glorious day, and for the years to come, success in expanding TWP.
Joe Bunting looks so young and sweet
Right from his head down to his feet.
He’s a guy I’d love to meet,
But from afar, I can only tweet.
I enjoyed each part of your message. Lovely.
Thanks Susan.
Hi Joe, I’m not a poet but here goes…
Happy Birthday Joe!
and,
I would like you to know
that…
I wish I could have a
30th Birthday like you
but “ole my God”… I’m 72
Sending many blessings to you two
for many, more to come to you.
Ms. C.B.
Happy Birthday, Joe!
I haven’t a lot of inspiration for something new, so I’ll send along this bit on nonsense I put together for my daughter’s 21st. This comes from tweaking an old verse in my autograph book and adding details to make it a scene. Now I can just fill in the right name. 🙂
Methinks the years have sadly flown
and in a rocking chair sits Joe, older grown
his hair is white as winter snow;
his joints all ache when cold winds blow.
His old age security waits to be signed;
it’s getting hard to see that line.
His teeth are soaking in a cup;
must put them in before he’ll sup.
He shakes his head. How years have passed!
Those birthdays that were such a blast.
And as he turns back memory’s page
to marvel at youth’s folly
a little blondie standing near
says “Grandpa, rock my dolly.”
birthday praise for Joe Bunting
what he’s done in 30 years , really something
taught ton’s of people to write , and get published too
became a best selling author himself , yahoo( actually Amazon )
you’re a part of all those victory’s
for that and a vast number of other things
thank you , Joe
The best birthday present I ever received was my skin. I got it the day I was born, and if it hadn’t been on, I would have spilled out all over the place! Happy birthday, Joe! 🙂
Ha! Now that was an important gift!
Hope you have a great Birthday Joe, and many more too. Just a stupid little Birthday ditty:
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
I know it’s not my Birthday,
but the cake is all free!
Happy birthday to you!
You’re an only child (mostly), and me too!
But now we’ve got all these siblings…
And they’re all mostly cuckoo!
Happy Birthday, Joe!!
I totally love having you as a brother-in-law.
So proud of who you are, what you’ve accomplished, and they way you inspire people.
~Christina
Happy Birthday, Joe! When I turned 30, many eons ago, I sent my mother 30 congratulation cards on the birth of her 3rd daughter. The 30th card arriving on my birthday.
Wow … isn’t that cool! I can barely get one card sent off to someone. : )
You’ve got me topped! For Mother’s day awhile back, I sent my mother a list of all the things I appreciate about her; the number of items on the list equaled my age.
You’re in luck, Joe. I have napkins and plastic utensils in my glove compartment … now you can dig in to Pamela’s gift of sardines.
Happy birthday!
Just imagine
One person who has had such a positive impact
Exploring, explicating, elucidating, expounding, encouraging, extoling, energizing,
Blogging so that the
Unimagined and unwritten may reveal themselves with confidence.
‘N’ that’s not all…
The Write Practice
Illuminates and Inspires.
Nice job, Joe!
Gee, and that’s only a part of him!
><
I see a whirl of letters into words into sentences into stories
Floating and following, streaming and spiraling
Hues of ideas in infinite combinations
Blowing on breezes currents clouds
Across oceans and continents and back again
Thanks for your role in facilitating that, Joe!
Happy birthday!
[swa] / a colored envelope / ellipsis poetry division 2016
A writer at heart,
Just could not stop,
Busy days, and lots of floating thoughts,
Browsing the web she found her spot,
Thanks to Joe Bunting at the Write Practice Blog,
I grow each day, and no longer feel blah,
Instead I found solace,
Joe Bunting Hoorah!!!
On your special day the gift I have for you in my glove compartment is lots and lots of Chipotle Napkins…
Why might you ask? Two toddlers whom make messes faster than I can blink.
Most importantly though you will receive a very precious list of which has helped me daily. A list of the tastiest local restaurants, of which has truly saved my marriage from the turbulent times of hunger, and with no idea of where to eat. (As is most couples’ problem.)
In conclusion never argue on an empty stomach.
Happy Birthday Joe I hope you had a great birthday filled with lots and lots of delicious food, and great company.
Delightful ! … start to finish … method and message.
You have provided some hilarious ideas!!! I love them! I have to give my Mom “new ages.” She can’t be 25 forever! Not, when they see her 4 kids! My birthdays were always at “McDonald’s.” I sure loved that and having all of those characters : Grimace, Hamburgler, the little Chicken McNuggets, and Birdy. I think that was her name. Great memories.
Your great energy comes shining through! Love it.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane … Hamburglar – LOL
You are very welcome!
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOE!!!!!
Happy Birthday Joe!
Birthdays are so special, especially milestone birthdays. How does it feel like to be thirty?