Category: Prompts

  • More First Lines From Books . . . Prompt #771

    “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens

    “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness . . .”

    “The Glass Castle” by Jeanette Walls

    “I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a dumpster.”

    “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus

    “Back in 1961, when women wore shirtwaist dresses and joined garden clubs and drove legions of children around in seatbeltless cars without giving it a second thought; back before anyone knew there’d even be a sixties movement, much less one that its participants would spend the next sixty years chronicling; back when the big wars were over and the secret wars had just begun and people were starting to think fresh and believe everything was possible, the thirty-year-old mother of Madeleine Zott rose before dawn every morning and felt certain of just one thing: her life was over.”

    More: First Lines From Books . . . Prompt #571

    #justwrite #amwriting #iamawriter

    Marlene C

  • Life . . . Prompt #770

    More than one friend recently told me their difficulties, about how things seem impossible, how hard everything is.

    Sometimes I wonder why these things happen.

    And then I remember: Life. 

    Life happens.

    There are ups and downs.

    Situations that seem hopeless.

    And then time goes by.

    We find solutions. Or the situation remedies somehow.

    Write about a time that seemed hopeless. What happened?

    Or, if you are in a situation now that seems hopeless, write as if the problem has been resolved.

    What would your life look like if this situation was remedied?

    Writing About Difficult Times In Your Life by Guest Blogger Nancy Julien Kopp

    #justwrite #amwriting #iamawriter

    Marlene C

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  • Beyond a warm house . . . Prompt #769

    What are you grateful for?

    Let’s go beyond a warm house and plenty of food.

    Dig a little deeper.

    Did something happen that curved your lips into a smile?

    Did someone catch your eye and give a knowing nod?

    Did someone unexpectedly reach out to help you?

    What are you thankful for?

    #justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting

    Marlene C

  • What do you need to unsubscribe from? . . . Prompt #768

    What do you need to unsubscribe from?

    What do you need to let go of?

    Marlene C

  • Chinese New Year . . . Prompt #767

    Chinese New Year

    2024 Year of the Dragon

    According to legend, Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian (a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains) during the annual Spring Festival.

    One year, the villagers decided to hide from the beast.

    An older man appeared before the villagers and said that he would stay the night and get revenge on the Nian.

    The old man put red papers up and set off firecrackers.

    The next day, the villagers returned and saw that nothing had been destroyed.

    They assumed that the old man was a deity who came to save them.

    The villagers learned that the old man discovered that the Nian was afraid of the color red and loud noises.

    The tradition grew as New Year approached.

    The villagers wore red clothes, hung red lanterns and red scrolls on windows and doors.

    They used firecrackers and drums to frighten away the Nian.

    From then on, Nian never came to the village again.

    Look at the chart below. Find your birth year. Discover your Chinese animal.

    The writing prompt is after the list of animals.

    Chinese New Year animals

    Rat            1948, 1960, 1972, 1984

    Ox             1949, 1961, 1973, 1985

    Tiger         1950, 1962, 1974, 1986

    Rabbit      1951, 1963, 1975, 1987

    Dragon     1952, 1964, 1976

    Snake        1953, 1965, 1977

    Horse        1954, 1966, 1978

    Sheep/goat  1955, 1967, 1979

    Monkey    1956, 1968, 1980

    Rooster     1957, 1969, 1981

    Dog           1958, 1970, 1982

    Boar/Pig   1947, 1959, 1971

    Prompt 1:

    Write something that intrigued you with the Nian legend.

    Or: Write about a new year, a new beginning.

    Write about what scares you. Then, write about what calms you.

    Thinking about your Chinese animal . . .

    Does that animal’s behavior and characteristics match how you go through life?

    How?

    If not, how are you different?

    How do you go through life?

    Marlene C

  • What have you forgotten? . . . Prompt #766

    Excerpt from “Happy to be Here,” by Elizabeth Berg.

    “Last time my friend Phyllis visited me, she said, ‘Don’t you ever comb your hair?’”

    “’I forget,’ I told her.”

    I laughed at that moment of recognition.

    Sometimes, during the day, I’ll glance at a mirror as I walk by and realize, “forgot to comb my hair.”

    Writing prompt:

    What have you forgotten? And then (obviously) remembered.

    Or:

    What might you have forgotten?

    Just Write!

    Marlene C

  • The challenge of freewriting . . . Prompt #765

    The challenge of freewriting is getting Self out of the way.

    Let your writing flow with no judging.

    Release your worries about your writing.

    Allow your creative mind to play with words. 

    With freewrites, you are writing for yourself, not for an audience.

    Give yourself permission to be open to whatever comes up while you are writing.

    A freewrite is a way of writing freely, with no worries about the outcome.

    Choose a time when you will not be interrupted.

    Select a prompt. Set a timer for 15-20 minutes and write without pausing to think.

    If you run out of things to say, write “I remember” and go from there.

    Or, write “What I really want to say . . .” 

    Give your inner critic time off during this writing.

    Lists are a great way to inspire freewrites.

    ~ Make a list of issues and experiences, important or trivial, in your life right now.

    ~ What frustrated you in the past month?

    ~ What made you laugh or cry?

    ~ What caused you to lose your temper?

    ~ What was the worst thing that happened?

    ~ What was the best thing that happened?

    ~What was the most disturbing or weird thing that happened?

    Choose one thing from your list and write about it. Write whatever comes to mind. 

    When you are finished writing, take a deep breath in and release your breath out.

    Next prompt: Write about the same incident from the other person’s point of view. 

    Next prompt: Think back to when you were a teenager or a young adult and respond to one of the questions above as your younger self would have responded.

    The Write Spot series of books, edited by Marlene Cullen, features a variety of writing, all ending with a writing prompt, to inspire your writing.  

    There are over 700 prompts on The Write Spot Blog, plus places to submit your writing, Sparks (memorable writing), and guest spots.

    Just Write!

    Marlene C

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  • Hocus Pocus . . . Writing Prompt #764

    The night before Halloween, I wanted to watch a Halloween movie. I chose “Hocus Pocus.”

    Around 7:40 pm I began to search how to view it for free on TV. I couldn’t find it in the free movies category and didn’t want to pay for it. 

    I looked at the TV Guide.

    “Hocus Pocus” would be playing on a major channel at 8:00 pm.

    The time at this point: 8:00 pm.

    Writing Prompt: What are the chances?

    Or: Has this ever happened to you?

    Or: Hocus Pocus

    Marlene C

  • What makes you anxious? . . . Prompt #763

    What makes you anxious?

    What do you want to do about that?

    What can you do about that?

    #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter

    Marlene C

  • Listcicles . . . Prompt #762

    Thank you, Deb Fenwick, for introducing the word and concept, Listcicles, to me. .

    Make a list of things that you did for the first time, or the last time you did this thing.

    Use one of those responses for your freewrite, or write a listcicle.

    “Listicles (also known as “list posts”) are articles that are written in a list-based format. The most common form of listicle is a short list of 10-20 items that are based on a specific theme. However, modern listicles are often enhanced with additional information around each item to make them more useful.” Wikipedia

    Make a list and just write!

    The first time I . . .

    Or, the last time I . . .

    Played hopscotch

    Watched my mother put on make-up

    Decorated a Christmas tree

    Stayed up late for New Year’s Eve

    Cleaned house

    Babysat

    Read Wizard of Oz

    Read Nancy Drew

    Read “Choose Your Own Adventure”

    Had a fight with a friend

    Had a fight with a sibling

    Went camping

    Spend the night away from home

    Chewed gum

    Bought a student body card

    Painted

    Changed a lightbulb

    Typed on a typewriter

    Used a computer

    Rode a bicycle

    Roller skated

    Played Monopoly

    Played cards

    Wrote a thank you note

    Sang in public

    Performed on stage

    Balanced a checkbook

    Lied

    Ran away from home

    Stood your ground

    Climbed a ladder

    Dug in the dirt

    Planted a seed

    Lit a candle

    Just Write!

    #justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting

    Marlene C