If you had a family motto, what would it be?
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Un-do, un-see, un-know. Prompt #345
Write about something you wish you could un-do or un-see or un-know.
You can use this prompt to write about yourself, someone you know, or write how your fictional character would respond.
Just write!
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Promises not kept. Prompt #344
Write about promises not kept.
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Thumbnail sketches
Figure drawing classes often start with timed gesture drawings of initial poses lasting as short as five seconds before the model moves. Gradually the time increases to 10, 15 and 30 seconds. By the time you get to a minute, it feels as if you have all day to capture the pose on your sketch pad. The idea is to keep you free, dexterous and more focused on process than product. Such short bursts also keep you from taking yourself too seriously—otherwise, you’d quickly become frustrated. —“Train Your Eye for Better Writing,” by Tess Callahan, Writer’s Digest September 2017Tess suggests you can do the same with writing. “At odd moments throughout the day, in a diner or in transit, jot down gestures, expressions or snatches of overheard dialogue. . . . Whether or not these little moments make it into whatever story you are writing, they will deepen your awareness of human expressions, inflections and gaits.”
Most visual artists don’t start on a big canvas without doing countless thumbnail sketches that help sharpen their skills and drive their vision. Writers can benefit from the same.—Tess Callahan
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The reader reads for dialogue.
“The reader reads for dialogue more than anything.
The writer’s habit is to describe, but the reader would rather hear the character.”
— Anthony Varallo, May 2017, The Writer
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Super Power. . . Prompt #342
If you could have a super power, what would you choose?
Why did you choose that super power?
What would you do if you had that super power?
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A tradition involving your grandparents. Prompt #340
“As the years slip past, we become more and more aware of what’s really important in life. With every passing season, we see more clearly and know more surely that the love and traditions a family shares are treasures beyond value.” — A Grandparent’s Legacy: Your Life Story in Your Own Words by Thomas NelsonIt occurs to me (Marlene) that we think our lives are boring. We think “No one wants to hear about me.”
But. . . aren’t you curious about your grandparents and your ancestors? Maybe you are lucky and know all about them. If you are like me, you know little about your family that came before you.
So, write your stories. Write stories about your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles. I bet someone will be interested. I bet more than one person will be interested.
Write about a tradition involving your grandparents. Or about anyone in your extended family.
Just Write!
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Favorite outfit or school uniform . . . Prompt #339
Write about a favorite childhood outfit – dress, pants, top or favorite childhood dressy outfit – on what occasions would you wear it?Or write about school uniform.
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Being Kind . . . Prompt #338
Write about a kindness a stranger did for you.
Or a kindness you offered to a stranger.
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Fire Up The Reader’s Brain
“Once you are clear about how to choose your scenes, develop them to create ‘the dream’ of your memoir. The term ‘fictional dream’ comes from John Garner’s The Art of Fiction in which he writes that we weave a world for our readers with every detail we include —every scene, description, character and piece of dialogue. When we fail to offer continuous cues to scenes in that world, the reader falls out of the dream.The best way to create this dream is to write vivid scenes that stimulate the brain to see, feel and taste that world. Research in the neuroscience of writing demonstrates that when we read a story with sensual details, our brain fires up in the areas of visualization, taste and sound.”
Excerpted from “You Must Remember This” by Linda Joy Myers, The Writer February 2016
Posts about using sensory detail in writing:
Use Sensory Detail And Be Specific
Just write the scene as you see, feel, hear, sense, taste, dream it!
