This is Part Two of a three-part series of writing prompts inspired by Susan Bono’s Jumpstart Writing Workshop. Part One: Something Missing . . . Prompt #223 Susan talked about creating tension when the reader knows something that the narrator/character doesn’t know. Prompt: Create or recreate a scene where the narrator/character doesn’t know what’s going on.
Category: Prompts
Something missing . . . Prompt #223
I had the good fortune recently to “sit on the other side of the table.” I attended a Jumpstart Writing Workshop facilitated by Susan Bono. Susan talked about how there is tension between what the reader knows and what the narrator/character doesn’t know. Photo of Susan at Jumpstart Writing Workshop in Copperfield’s Bookstore, downtown Petaluma. Photo by Breana Marie. Susan read Shel Silverstein’s poem, “Something Missing.” I put on my socks, I remember I put on my shoes. I remember I put on my tie That was painted In beautiful purples and blues. I remember I put on my coat, To look perfectly grand at the dance, Yet I feel there is something I may have forgot—- What is it? What is it?. . . Do you know what the narrator forgot? If you don’t know, read the poem again. It rhymes with “dance.” . . . Pants! Susan…
Happiness Recipe . . . Prompt # 222
What is your recipe for happiness? Oh, I know there is no “Happy Recipe.” But let’s say there is . . . what is the secret ingredient? What makes you, or your fictional character, happy? Interesting article on happiness (if you have vertigo, quickly scroll past the swirly circling thing). I love the quotes from Elvis and Jim Carry. Ted, Moreno’s Happiness and the Hypnosis of the Culture, Part I
What I Learned . .. Prompt #221
So many possibilities for this prompt. You can write what you learned, what someone else learned, what your fictional character learned. Just write! Writing Prompt: What I Learned
Agatha’s Disappearance . . . Prompt #220
Today’s writing prompt is inspired by Agatha Christie’s mysterious disappearance. On a chilly December evening in 1926, 36-year-old Christie vanished from her English estate. While the famed author reportedly left a note that she had gone on vacation, the discovery of her car suggested otherwise. The vehicle was found at the edge of a quarry not far from her home, abandoned with its hood up and lights on. Inside sat Christie’s fur coat, her old driver’s license, and a bag of clothes. News of Christie’s disappearance spread quickly, and a massive manhunt commenced. Over a thousand officers and 15,000 volunteers combed the countryside while dredge teams scoured the surrounding lakes and streams. A fleet of biplanes searched from the skies – the first in England’s history for a missing person case. By the end of the week, Christie’s disappearance had become a national obsession. Who could have murdered the Queen…
Put that in your mustache . . . Prompt #219
As I searched for Agatha Christie quotes for Agatha Christie Week on The Write Spot Blog, I came across this one: “Put that in your mustache and smoke it.” ― Agatha Christie, Hallowe’en Party I think it’s so funny. Let’s see how it works as a writing prompt. “Put that in your mustache and smoke it.” Ready? Write!
Behind the shutters. . . Prompt #218
You can respond to this prompt, using your personal experience, or write from your fictional character’s point of view. Writing Prompt: Behind the shutters. I would love to see your writing, using this prompt. Posting is kinda simple: If you aren’t registered on The Write Spot Blog. . . go ahead and register. Wait for a password. Then Log-on and post your writing. Photo Credit: Pro_Deluxe Photography by Jeff Cullen
It was a dark and stormy night . . . Prompt #217
Write about a time you were scared. Share your writing here, on The Write Spot Blog. First time posting: Register. Look for your password in your email. Then, log-in and post your writing. Photo Credit: Pro_Deluxe Photography by Jeff Cullen
Portals, Dreams and Promises. . . Prompt #216
Last night I dreamt about the University of Georgia Arch. My son gave me a selection of photos he took in 2015. He and his fiancée now live in Athens, Georgia, supplying him with a variety of photo opportunities. Thus, the arch. I dreamt about the arch as a portal—a path—to writing. How we can walk through the portal, like walking through an airport screening arch, and come out on the other side with ideas for writing. It felt like walking towards inspiration—being open to new ideas. In my dream I saw words over the portal, curving like a rainbow, “This is where dreams are made.” And “Promises are kept or broken.” Either way, I see these words, these concepts, as inspiration for writing. Okay, I see almost everything as inspiration for writing: song lyrics, opening sentences in books, first lines of poetry. I see interesting items and think “writing…
Spoof a book . . . Prompt #215
Writing Prompt: Choose a book, write a spoof and submit to Writer’s Digest Reject a Hit. “In each issue of Writer’s Digest magazine, we ask one reader to step into the role of the unconvinced, perhaps even curmudgeonly or fool-hearted editor. . . If you’d like to be the one doing the rebuffing, channel the most clueless of editors by humorously rejecting a hit in 300 words. . . Reject a Hit is humorous, but not mean-spirited. It is not the place to list all the reasons you hate a particular book. To help you understand the spirit of Reject a Hit, browse through the archives of published rejections.” Books that have been spoofed in the Writer’s Digest Magazine, Reject a Hit column (last page of the magazine): Note: Amy Marincik (March/April 2013) and Daniel Ari (July/Aug. 2014) are Sonoma County writers (home of The Write Spot Blog). Amy has participated…