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…
Category: Prompts
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!
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…
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
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
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…
Use these words, playful or silly . . . Prompt #761
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
Favorite thing to do . . . Prompt #760
Write about your favorite thing to do . . . now . . . or in the past. #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter
Favorite Job . . . Prompt #759
Write about your favorite job. #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter
Why do you keep it? . . . Prompt #758
Write about something you own that you really don’t like. Why do you keep it? #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter