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
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?
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!
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!
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
What makes you anxious?
What do you want to do about that?
What can you do about that?
#justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter
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
Sometimes we can be playful or silly with our writing.
Sometimes we’re serious with our writing.
You decide: Serious, fun, silly.
Just Write!
Use these words in your freewrite:
Corral Cobweb
Safari Rainbow
Betray Feather
Nest Plaid
Beloved Kittens
Write about your favorite thing to do . . . now . . . or in the past.
#justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter