The mission of Outside magazine: To inspire active participation in the world outside through award-winning coverage of the people, sports, places, adventure, discoveries, healthy and fitness, gear and apparel, trends, and events that make up an active lifestyle. Contributor guidelines Outside is a monthly national magazine dedicated to covering the people, sports and activities, politics, art, literature, and hardware of the outdoors. Although our features are usually assigned to a regular stable of experienced and proven writers, we’re always interested in new authors and their ideas. In particular, we look for articles on outdoor events, regions, and activities; informative seasonal service pieces; sports and adventure travel pieces; profiles of engaging outdoor characters; and investigative stories on environmental issues. Queries should present a clear, original, and provocative thesis, not merely a topic or idea, and should reflect familiarity with the magazine’s content and tone. Features are generally 1,500 to 5,000 words…
Something you have had forever. Prompt #304
Write about something you have had forever. Write about your oldest possession. You could also write about your earliest memory. I have had this rocking chair since I was two years old. I used to rock in it while watching I Love Lucy on our black and white television set. I lent it to my sister when her children were little. Then my three children enjoyed it. And now, my granddaughter reads her books while rocking. The books: The Wonderful World of Oz and The Secret of the Old Clock . . those go way back. I spent hours captivated by Nancy Drew’s amazing sleuthing abilities and fascinated with the variety of characters in the Oz books. I was especially intrigued about how much time was spent for Dorothy and some of her companions to sleep or look for food. Time that could have been used to get them to…
What do you cherish? Prompt #303
Today’s Writing Prompt: What do you cherish?
If I have to . . . prompt #302
Today’s writing prompt: If I have to . . . Post your writing on The Write Spot Blog. Guidelines.
Unique. Prompt #301
What makes your fictional characters unique? What makes one person different from others? Write about someone from real life or write about a fictional character who embodies a unique quality. You can use the following list to describe a special characteristic or trait that sets a person apart from others. Charisma: charm or personal magnetism (from the Greek word meaning “favor”) Chutzpah: admirable or excessive self-confidence; this word and ginger are the only ones on this list that have both positive and negative connotations (from Hebrew by way of Yiddish; several other spellings are used, but this one is the most common) Élan: enthusiasm Esprit: vivacious wit (French, from the Latin term spiritus, “spirit”) Flair: style, or talent or tendency Ginger: spirit, or temper Gumption: initiative Gusto: enthusiasm (the Italian word for “taste,” from the Latin term gustus) Je ne sais quoi: a quality not easily described or expressed (a…
In troubled times . . . write.
Letter To A Young Activist During Troubled Times by Clarissa Pinkola Estes One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these – to be fierce and to show mercy toward others, both, are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do. There will always be times when you feel discouraged. I too have felt despair many times in my life, but…
“Life will go on . . . ” Oren Lyons
“Life will go on as long as there is someone to sing, to dance, to tell stories and to listen.” —Oren Lyons Share your story at: StoryShelter, “a free service that lets you write down the personal stories of your life, save them and selectively share them. StoryShelter was founded in 2012 by Melisa Singh.”
Your greatest fear. Prompt #300
Write about your greatest fear. Scary thought? Well, yeah . . . But, you know that writing about your greatest fear doesn’t make it come true. Take a deep breath and write. Take many deep, nourishing breaths as you write. Emotional Freedom Technique tapping can help calm your fears and worries. Tap With Brad Yates — hundreds of youtube videos, with an amazing array of topics for tapping. http://www.tapwithbrad.com/brad-yates-videos/
“Move to a position of wisdom and power . . . ” DeSalvo
“If we write about our pain, we heal gradually, instead of feeling powerless and confused, and we move to a position of wisdom and power.” — Writing As A Way of Healing by Louise DeSalvo
Use your writing to heal.
Use the difficulties in your life and represent them in your writing. Describe the difficulties as if writing a scene in a novel. Look at your situation from a different point of view – from that of a character in a story. Take A Break When your writing becomes too difficult, stop. Take a break. Take a walk. Treat yourself to a glass of iced tea or hot apple cider. Wash your hands with special scented soap. Do something physical to relax your mind. Use a focal point as a reminder to relax and breathe deeply. A focal point is anything you like to look at: in your home, your writing environment, or outside. Have A Plan Have a plan for when you are feeling overwhelmed and need relief from emotional tension while you are writing. Prepare a healthy snack before you begin to write. When the writing gets difficult,…