You can use this prompt for fleshing out your fictional characters or for characters in your memoir. In works of fiction, we think of characters. When writing memoir, we think real people. But, when you write about real people, they become characters in a story. With this prompt, you can create character profiles for the real people in your life and for your fictional characters. Prompt: Make a three-column list. Label the first column “What I know,” the second, “How I know it” and the third, “How I show it.” First column – create a list with one or two-word descriptions about the character. Second column – write down how you know the particular characteristics. For example, if the person is known to be cheap, in column 2, you could write, “brings own teabags to restaurants.” Or, “carefully saves paper bags for lunch, been using the same bag for six…
Author: mcullen
Marlene Cullen is enthusiastic about encouraging people to write, even those who think they can’t write. Her series of books, The Write Spot anthologies, features writing that entertains as well as inspires writing. Every story, vignette, and poem in The Write Spot books include writing prompts motivating readers to become writers.
Marlene hosts The Write Spot Blog, a treasure chest of inspirational gems for writers.
Fulfilling her passion for writing and sharing with others, Marlene has created unique writing environments such as Jumpstart Writing Workshops, where participants often experience transformational changes. Her workshops provide essential elements for successful writing.
Marlene is the founder of Writers Forum of Petaluma, a monthly literary event featuring presenters talking about the craft and business of writing.
Marlene's awarding winning short stories and essays have been published in literary journals, anthologies, and newspapers, including Tiny Lights, Building Bridges, More Bridges, Redwood Writers anthologies, and The Write Spot anthologies.
She is a member of the California Writer's Club.
Guest Blogger Clara Rosemarda – writing with depth and clarity
Guest Blogger Clara Rosemarda reveals how to write with depth and clarity. Clara writes: Many years ago I took voice lessons from a master teacher. He worked with people who believed they were tone deaf. I was one of those people. My voice seemed flat as the ground I walked on, and I was too embarrassed to sing unless I was in a group large enough to swallow the sound of my voice. My teacher, robust and powerful, sat opposite me on the floor of his music studio. With full-bodied fingers born to make music he plucked the strings of his tambura going up and down the scale. Then he sounded a note and had me repeat it. At first I couldn’t reproduce the exact sound, but after a few tries and great concentration, I was able to. He told me I had a good voice which was a surprise…
Revealing Conversation . . . Prompt #130
Pretend we’re at a party, sitting together talking quietly. Then you see someone you know and you want to tell me about that person. They can’t hear us. What will you tell me about that person? Or: Imagine any two people having a conversation about a third person. With this prompt, you can practice writing dialogue, revealing more about the conversants than the object of their discussion. Remember what Ted A. Moreno said in yesterday’s quote, “Making a pronouncement, judgment or criticism about someone else reveals little about them, but reveals much about you.” We’ll expand upon these characters with the next prompt on The Write Spot Blog.
Making a pronouncement, judgment or criticism about someone else . . .
“Making a pronouncement, judgment or criticism about someone else reveals little about them, but reveals much about you.” — Ted A. Moreno Note from Marlene: I agree with Ted. Watch what you say and how you act, because your words and your actions reflect more about you than about the other person. However. . . this can also be used as a way to reveal your character’s traits (fictional character or real person). I know this isn’t what Ted had in mind . . . but it’s such a profound idea. . . I thought sharing it here, on a writing blog . . . might also be helpful as a way to reveal characters’ personalities. Watch for tomorrow’s blog post, where we’ll explore this concept as a method for character development. Ted A. Moreno, C.Ht. Creator of the Moreno Method for Life Transformation™ Hypnotherapist and Success Performance Coach Check…
Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest is open for submissions.
Gemini Magazine Sixth Annual Short Story Contest is open for submissions. Open to any subject, style, genre or length. Send your best unpublished work. Grand Prize: $1,000 Second Place: $100 Three Honorable Mentions: $25 each Entry fee: $5 Deadline: March 31, 2015
If you didn’t care what anyone thought . . . Prompt #129
Today’s prompt: If I didn’t care what anyone thought . . . Gather your supplies. Pen, pencil, paper and/or computer fired up. Set your timer for 12-15 minutes and write. Go for it! Photo by Breana Marie
Avoid clichéd characters. . . and more, from Guest Blogger Daryl Hajek
Guest blogger Daryl Hajek discusses a writer’s journey. I was taught to learn to read and write at a young age, even before kindergarten. My parents had told me, because of my deafness, they were determined that I was going to learn to read and write. That was the beginning of my journey into reading and writing. As Stephen King says, “Read a lot, write a lot.” I do this by reading two or three books (or ebooks) concurrently, but that’s a quirk of mine. I also write at least one hour a day, up to eight hours, depending on my mood or how I’m feeling. Learn as much as you can about writing. Take a writing course or two. Get how-to books on writing. Join a book club. Network with other authors/writers online via social media. Get a professional editor which is an absolute must, no exceptions whatsoever. Otherwise, unedited works show…
Color. Prompt #128
Today’s writing prompt: Color. Write about color. Or, match an emotion with a color. Write about it.
Sometimes you just want to sit down and write.
Sometimes we just want to sit down and write. No particular place to go. Nothing in particular to write about. Just enjoy the feel of pen across paper, or fingers flying atop keyboard. Sometimes it’s fun to have a writing prompt to play with. There are two places to explore on The Write Spot for writing prompts. One is here, on The Write Spot Blog. The other is here on The Write Spot Website. On this one, read the prompt on the plaque. Click on the plaque to read what others have written on the prompt. Follow your heart, let your mind wander, trust your intuition. Select a prompt. Set a timer for 12-15 minutes and just write. Discover where your writing path takes you. Photo by Breana Marie
Coffee House Press
Coffee House Press publishes literary novels, full-length short story collections, poetry, creative nonfiction, book-length essays and essay collections, and the occasional memoir. CHP does not accept submissions for anthologies. CHP also does not publish genre fiction such as mysteries, Gothic romances, Westerns, science fiction, or books for children. CHP looks for writing that instructs, inspires, and/or entertains the reader, and that does so with a unique voice. CHP currently publishes fourteen to sixteen trade titles annually. During the next reading period (March 1 – 31, 2016), Coffee House Press will accept electronic submissions through their online submissions manager.