Writing exercises (one and two and one and two)

We're trying to figure out what kind of writing exercise we can all do together. I talked about the "pivotal moment" I'd read about in the memoir-writing book. It's an event or moment that centers the memoir, instead of just wandering around in the account of your life saying this happened and then this -- instead it has a focus and direction.

Everyone sort of looked blank. "That's too big," said Badger. "That's like a two-hour exercise."

"You could narrow it," I said. "A certain time in your life. Or a relationship with a certain person."

Personally I'd like to write about mothers, but of course that is also Big and Difficult.

Badger suggested an exercise wherein we all describe the same thing twice, in different moods. Again with the "what?" response from many people. "What would that look like?"

"How about "write about something yellow,'" I said, but then noticed that everyone had started to type and they weren't paying attention to me any more. "What are you guys doing?" I asked.

"Writing a pivotal moment!" They said in exasperation. Okay! I will do so as well.