How long are ten minutes exactly? Apparently long enough to pen a poem or a short story, according to Englishman Matt Gambrill. Gambrill has lived in Luxembourg for eight years and works as a teacher. His latest endeavour sees him create poems and short stories in the space of ten minutes. All in all, Gambrill has written 100 such poems and short stories in his new book.
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Gambrill takes us through his process, explaining how he did not actually realise how long ten minutes would be in terms of a writing exercise. The book’s title 100 days of (10 minute) solitude, adventures in microfiction is an hommage to Gambrill’s favourite author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Gambrill’s inspiration also came from the American Michelle Cook’s writing prompts on her blog herwritinghaven.com. The prompts can range from a word, a number of lines, or an expression. Her followers then try and create something in ten minutes based on that prompt. Gambrill explains that he expanded the challenge from Cook’s prompts. Some of the prompts that Gambrill used as a way to start his texts included “Magically Musical,” “The haunting of Harold Hemmings,” or “Peach coffee and hazelnut tea.”
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He explains how the sentence “The recording was all the proof they needed” spiralled into a mini crime story with an unexpected twist. This was the only occasion where he allowed himself to extend the story, as he explains.
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That this mini crime story was the exception to the rule is something Gambrill’s students can certainly attest to. The English teacher enjoys introducing the exercise in class, as it allows students to let their creativity flow.
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Gambrill maintains that the important thing is that people write, which is something everyone can do. The book is a bit like a lucky dip - readers can open it and find something thoughtful, sad, odd, or even funny.
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Gambrill published 100 days of (10 minute) solitude himself. Those of you interested in finding other examples of ten-minute literature can find them on the blog www.promptedforten.wordpress.com.
