These blogging prompts are brought to you by Nicole at The Madlab Post....
It’s time for The Alphabet Remix - A Writing Prompt Idea Engine Treating A to Z Blogging Avoidance Disorders
After reading recent news reports about NFL player O.J. Murdock's suicide -- and talk of a grim trend of suicides among players, I couldn’t help but wonder if the story will quickly lose traction in media outlets since everybody appears to be focused on the Olympic Games. So today, S is for Suicide and we’re remixing it to find topics that you can blog about during the next Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
Surprising Suicide Statistics
Write about a suicide statistic that you either just learned about or think that many people are unaware of. This means covering something other than what the average person may already know such as the common statistic that women are less likely to commit suicide using firearms, compared to men who kill themselves. Instead, find a statistic that may surprise your readers -- like, more or less suicides occur in a particular state/town/city/country or job, etc. than in any other industry or location.
Suicide Stigmas
Since some men and women who are considering suicide hesitate to seek help due to stigmas associated with this act, try blogging about ways that people can change their perceptions regarding mental illness, depression and bipolar disorder.
Your Stance on Suicide “Selfishness”
It is not uncommon to hear people labeling suicides as a selfish act because of the pain caused to people left behind. So, write a blog post that summarizes or explains in detail, your position on the matter -- tell readers whether you agree or disagree with viewing suicides as “selfish.”
Suicide in Sports
Highlight little known sports related suicides that have taken place during a regular season or during the off-season. You could also write about suicides among female athletes, which is a topic that your blog readers may not be familiar with because the media does not seem to cover it as much as it does suicides among male athletes.
Now, on to something bright. The WINNER of last week’s Silver Screen Alphabet Soup game is...
Marta Szemik who writes at her Self-titled Blog
Marta correctly unscrambled all ten Silver Screen related terms that start with Letter S. Her prize packages includes: Title of Alphabet Wizard, the authority to pick the letter for the next Alphabet Soup game and the option to pick the Monday Movie Meme topic for an upcoming day on my blog. I’d also like to send a special thanks to Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out for unscrambling five of the ten correctly.
Congratulations Marta!
Here are the Answer’s to Last Week’s “Silver Screen” themed Alphabet Soup:
1. cdnSuatork is Soundtrack.
2. tamnntuS is Stuntman.
3. rpoSrpsetrvuiciS is Script Supervisor.
4. neSec is Scene.
5. lSaet is Slate.
6. uSgadtenso is Soundstage.
7. uqelSe is Sequel.
8. rSotodbyar is Storyboard.
9. tuebsSilt is Subtitles.
10. rrudonSduunoS is Surround Sound.
Happy Friday, everybody!
Sign up for the Monday Movie Meme, a weekly group blogging series that inspires discussion about entertainment in a whole new light and provides recommendations for your DVD, on-demand or theater fix. New topics are posted every Monday at The Madlab Post!
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NICOLE
@MadlabPost on Twitter
I considered suicide a few times in my life, the most recent was in the summer of 2009. Somehow I managed to soldier on...for the sake of my dogs, and b/c I still had so many crafts and beading I wanted to do. That was my only glimmer of hope. It's 3 years later and I've been off antidepressants for over a year, I'm happier than I've ever been and just got engaged yesterday to the love of my life. There is a light at the end of that dark tunnel, you just have to be able to get thru to find it.
ReplyDeletea fascinating heart-wrenching subject
ReplyDeleteI've just read the comments, but I am on my way to read the post now. Wanted to say thanks for stopping by and commenting this morning on my blog. Donna
ReplyDeleteI recently read and reviewed a book on suicide legacy. It was very enlightening. I've come close several times because of a bad divorce and alienation of my children by their father and his family. I guess God has a bigger picture in mind for me.
JoJo,
ReplyDeleteSounds to me that you are a true survivor with immeasurable strength. Congratulations on your engagement and here's wishing you lots of more happiness-filled days with crafts, your new honey and those great canines!
Lynn-Proctor
Heart-wrenching, yes....I agree with that part.
Donna McBroom-Theriot,
Suicide legacy? That sounds like an interesting book. It is an absolute disgrace when one parent uses his or her own children against another in a divorce...or even in an active marriage, for that matter. Cheers to you for finding meaning in your bigger picture, which allows you to create a destiny that may be larger than you could dream of :)
To you ALL - JoJo, Lynn, Donna and everyone else who comments on this post,
You wouldn't believe the email that I received today....it was a message from an independent film director who is working on a project about a man who struggles to maintain his macho professional appearance for the sake of his career, while hiding his suicidal thoughts.
This email message was very unexpected and so ironic, given that my Letter S post on the A to Z Blog deals with the topic of suicide. Needless to say, I will be supporting this film in many ways that I am able.
~Nicole
Blog: The Madlab Post
@MadlabPost on Twitter
My heart breaks when I hear stories about suicide. What a loss of bright minds and human life that could possibly have been prevented. Makes me very sad.
ReplyDeleteIt's a difficult topic for me to grasp because I've been blessed to have my cards to line up in life and never thought about it.
JoJo - I'm so happy for you and proud of you!
On a different note, I'm so excited to pick a letter for the next Alphabet Soup game! I really like the letter "M". As far as the Monday Movie Meme - that's a hard one. I'm sure it's been done, but I'd suggest Books made into Movies (I'm sure that covers a lot). Would that work?
Cheers!
JoJo, many congrats to you on your engagement! YAY!!! What a fun and exciting time of life. It takes courage to keep going and I have no doubt you will continue to be well.
ReplyDeleteNicole- this was a great post. There are so many difficult subjects to write about but that cover dark thoughts many of us have. I just started a piece today (that seems to be pouring out of me) which revolves around food and wine, but tells of a suicide- sparked by my own angry thoughts toward a friend who committed suicide 10 years ago. At his funeral, his mother said to me that if he wasn't already dead, she'd kill him. Today I feel the same way. Those of us left behind feel so sad/angry/confused.
I was once told to write through anger and that's what I'm doing. Again, excellent post!
Awesome post. The YA novel I'm now querying deals with a football player who committed suicide.
ReplyDeleteSuch a challenging topic and you handled it well as always. Thanks for the mention--I tried.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
Marta,
ReplyDeleteOh, how I'd like to have my cards line up properly. Until then, I suppose I'll have to take things as they come. Letter M...you got it!
Tracy Bermeo,
Thank you! Food, wine is an interesting way to explore thoughts and feelings toward decade-old loss that still causes sadness. Hopefully the writing can bring you through those moments of anger, confusion, etc. that were left behind. Putting your thoughts on paper can be therapeutic at times, which often helps. Thanks again for reading and enjoying this post.
Stina Lindenblatt,
Thanks so much! How ironic that it is the subject of your YA novel. There are probably lots of resources available for your research on developing the character's struggles, etc. with regards to suicide, since, unfortunately, there seem to be a lot of football deaths by suicide going on in the NFL.
Arlee Bird,
Oh, you are the best! It's a tough topic indeed and at first, I wasn't sure how to handle it and tie it into the news reports about that athlete but I knew I had to figure something out if I wanted to shed some light on different ways that bloggers can approach suicide in a manner that opens the discussion between them and their readers.
I'm grateful to know that this post of mine gets your stamp of approval :) and am glad that you're taking a shot at those Alphabet Soup games.
~Nicole
Blog: The Madlab Post
@MadlabPost on Twitter
Tough topic handled with your usual grace and abundance of ideas. Arlee - you watch out because I'm back and need to regain my title of Alphabet Wizard!!!
ReplyDeleteTina @ Life is Good
Post A-Z Road trip!