Daily Writing Prompts: Feb 2010 Newsletter Article

February 2010 Newsletter Article

Vol#1, Issue # 2

Daily Writing Prompts: FEBRUARY

February First	Cut the Cliches! Writing similes and analogies can become a trap. Why not try your hand at coming up with some fetching ones that might later help your writing? Spend 15 minutes coming up with your own unique analogies and similes. Need help? Here are some Flickr images to describe: La mujer de rojo/Woman in red by guervos on Flickr Aggie Women's Tennis - 28 by StuSeeger on Flickr Homeless woman with dogs by Franco Folini on Flickr Chris & Jessica Engagement - Falling by Auzigog on Flickr Food of Love by Colliin Key on Flickr La niñez by Eduardo Amorim on Flickr ashlin, february 2008 by matt caplin on Flickr St Bridget's church by mudpig on Flickr Still need inspiration? Try these: http://www.flickr.com/photos/millzero/2408535634/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/angela7/80779353/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/garry61/3006882821/ return to top
February Second	Finish this story (bonus - do it in 150 words or less!) So I was standing there, as naked as the day I was born, except that was forty-three years ago this May. It would have been funny if -- return to top
February Third	Write about: "Ruin" (Note: you don't have to use the word!) return to top
February Fourth	For this writing prompt, you're going to incorporate a wee bit of research. Start by spending approximately 15 minutes at this website: http://smithsonian.org/exhibitions/ When you are done, spend 30 minutes writing, using some of the information you found in your story. return to top
February Fifth	Follow the link to the image. Describe the setting through the eyes of a young mother or father. The coming storm by ~jjjohn~ on Flickr return to top
February Sixth	Colors Evoke Different Feelings. In fact, many businesses will purposefully employ the use of colors in the workplace to: increase productivity, maintain calm, hurry along patrons, and so on. Follow the link and study the colors and the implied meanings, then pick a color. When you have your color picked out, come back and select a business. Now write about how the customers/clients/patrons are impacted by the colors (you can do this through dialogue, interaction, internal thoughts, etc.). http://www.sewanee.edu/chem/chem&art/Detail_Pages/ColorProjects_2004/Denman%20/Denman.html Businesses: Auto body repair shop waiting room General practitioner's exam room Hospital waiting room Corporate executive's office Psychotherapist's office School principal's office Bank branch manager's office Home business office Fast food restaurant lobby High school bathrooms Library Lobby at police department Holding cell at county jail Five-star restaurant Motel Plush hotel Yellow cab interior return to top
February Seventh	World Building Chose a rule from the first group (I.) and a second rule from the following group (II.). Now write a scene that employs both rules: I. There are no trees The sun rises at noon from the west The ambient temperature is always 58 degrees F. The sky is purple Everyone works from home Children go off to school until they are 21. Humans are pets Skin colors are chartreuse, puce, and violet II. Teleporters are the only means of transportation Mankind has evolved to where everyone has a sixth sense Males are telekinetic, females are psychic - by the majority Only trace amounts of water exist on the planet's surface Everything hovers The planet earth no longer exists Carnivores are only animals Women rule the world return to top
February Eighth	Finish the sentence, then the story: The feral cat population had gotten out of control as evidenced by -- return to top
February Ninth	Talking Heads: Take the following dialogue and drop it into the scene (see article about Talking Heads) Him: I should have seen it coming. Her: Don't kick yourself, it's not worth it. Him: Easier said than done. Her: I know. Believe me, I know. Him: I doubt that's possible, maybe completely impossible. Her: OK, you know what I mean. Him: Yes, of course I do. Don't you realize I'm following your advice and keeping myself from thinking about it? return to top
February Tenth	Write a story about 'jaundice' (you don't have to use the actual word!) return to top
February Eleventh	Write a story about: a teen boy a middle-aged man a pen with sentimental value in a parking lot return to top
February Twelfth	Write about your most memorable Valentine's Day - from someone else's point of view return to top
February Thirteenth	Philosophers of medieval to renaissance times believe much of the romance stemming from that era came from fanciful flights of imagination that consumed the war ravaged European countries. Elanor d' Aquitaine was one of those nobles that encouraged what is referred to as "courtly love" which was to couple individuals, sometimes even those who were married, but not necessarily with their marital partner. Your challenge is to write a love scene. It's up to you how explicit you take the scene. The characters can be your own or select a couple from here: http://famouscouple.com/famous_couples_index.htm return to top
February Fourteenth Happy Valentine's Day!	Write an acrostic poem using: I ADORE YOU (see www.readwritethink.org/materials/acrostic/ for useful information about acrostic poetry) return to top
February Fifteenth	Your main character is a star-struck teen who's just learned s/he has won tickets to a function their heart's desire will be attending. But there's a twist -- the teen will be working this event. Plot and carry out the plan to brush elbows with the celebrity. Does it work? What are the end results? return to top
February Sixteenth	Finish the sentence, then the story. "Her shoelaces were undone and her --" return to top
February Seventeenth	Toss The Die: Pick Your Situation Create Your Scene: Roll the Die! Using the link above, "toss" the die three times (if you get the same number as before, roll again). Write down the corresponding occupation: Butcher Undertaker Firefighter Librarian Tailor Courier For each occupation, roll the die - odds = male; evens = female For each person, roll the die: 1's = teens, 2's = twenties, 3's = thirties and so on. Now roll the die for setting: Deli Funeral Home Firehouse Library Clothing Store Warehouse Finally, roll the die for the situation: Trapped and must escape Held hostage by #2 character A female character in labor and one of the other characters must deliver the baby or, if no female, a male character needs to get to a lover/wife in delivery Put out a fire Youngest character must memorize the Declaration of Independence to pass a class and the others are there to help - or hinder Have been commissioned to create a bust of the mayor using the materials found in their setting. Sample: /roll 2 = Undertaker +/roll 3 = male +/roll 3 = 30's /roll 5 = Tailor +/roll 4 = female +/roll 2 = 20's /roll 3 = Firefighter +/roll 6 = female +/roll 1 = teens /roll 4 = Library + /roll 2 = Held hostage by #2 (female 20's tailor) character So in this sample the female tailor in her 20's is holding a male undertaker in his 30's and a female firefighter in her teens (probably 19 for the sake of this exercise) hostage at the library. return to top
February Eighteenth	One of your characters is a hypochondriac. S/he is positive the mole on his/her collarbone is cancerous. Your choice: your second character convinces the hypochondriac it's nothing OR the hypochondriac convinces the second character to get his/her moles checked, too. return to top
February Nineteenth	The following are facts. Select one. Write for 15-20 minutes and incorporate the fact into the scene. (Note: You don't have to write the fact out.) Basketball is a famous American sport invented by a Canadian who was working at a YMCA in the U.S. The hardness of ice is similar to that of concrete. The average cocoon contains about 300-400 meters of silk. The average bed is home to over 6 billion dust mites. Whitby, Ontario has more donut stores per capita than any other place in the world. Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a novel with over 50,000 words, none of which containing the letter "E". No president of the United States was an only child. Apples are more effective at keeping people awake in the morning than caffeine. Mosquitoes have 47 teeth. Most lipstick is partially made of fish scales. return to top
February Twentieth	Double Party Fun Twin thirteen year old boys are getting ready to celebrate their fourteenth birthday. They get to have two separate parties and each can invite up to four friends along with their twin brother. Write for 15-30 minutes about their plans or the parties or both. return to top
February Twenty-First	Go Shopping Writing journals are very useful. Consider it a playground for your Muse - no rules, no boundaries. It doesn't have to be a diary or log. You don't even have to write! Sketch. Doodle. Give your Muse a place to romp freely. Beginning in May, journal prompts will appear. These weekly prompts will help you and your Muse connect. In the meantime, get your Muse a journal. Lined perhaps or be bold and get a sketchbook. Maybe your Muse prefers graph paper - that's fine too. But for now, today, start looking for your Muse's playground. Give her some tools while you're at it - crayons, felt-tip markers, a calligraphy set. And for the die-hard writing prompt folks: Explore. Picture a fruit in your mind. Now write about the size, the shape, the smell, the texture, how it sounds when being sliced into or eaten; the taste - how it makes the mouth feel when being eaten. Toss it into a salad, blend it into a smoothie. Does it change? Are you craving the fruit yet? This is an exercise to explore senses: hearing, seeing, smelling, touching, tasting. return to top
February Twenty-Second	Inspired by the second edition of "Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft" by Janet Burroway (http://www.amazon.com/Imaginative-Writing-Elements-Penguin-Academics/dp/032135740X): Study this picture: taming the beast by emanuela - flea on Flickr Write a paragraph about a single small part of this picture (not the whole scene, but the cord or the hair dryer, for example). Describe it in detail, including at least three of the five senses (visual, sound, texture, taste, smell). How does the minute description compare to the picture? How does it contrast? return to top
February Twenty-Third	The Inner Workings Of A Groom's Mind by Ioannis P. Skaltsas on Flickr Your main character is your choice: the man or the woman in the picture. Describe the character from: the character's point of view the other character in the picture's point of view the character's point of view as how he/she perceives the other character see him/her What elements come out and are brought forward? Try capturing personality and emotion. If you find your slant is more romantic, try a change up - add some psychological horror. If it's more on a macabre side, flower it up a bit and see what differences emerge. return to top
February Twenty-Fourth	Sensory Perception: Write a paragraph of a poem exploring your relationship with an animal or a machine. Describe the animal or machine using at least three of the senses. return to top
February Twenty-Fifth	Remember the one we did, Create A Scene, on the 17th?. We're going to do it again, so here's your die: Roll the Die! And here we go: (roll three times) pizza delivery person mail carrier strip club employee garbage collector bill collector assembly line worker And now, odds = males, evens = females. While you're at it, do your age rolls (1=teens, 2=20's, 3=30's and so on). Setting: (roll just once) school multi-purpose room car dealer showroom landfill mall doctor's office political rally Ok, ready for your situation? Here you are: (roll just once) someone in the group is suspected of selling drugs the group of characters must work together to defuse a bomb a marathon has been derailed when the three characters turn it into a treasure hunt and have to convince the other runners they are supposed to be collecting clues two characters are arguing about something very personal, the third is a customer/by-stander who unwittingly gets drawn into the argument and must defend one of the characters your characters have five minutes to work together and come up with a skit to perform one character steals something - do the other characters notice? What do they do? return to top
February Twenty-Sixth	Write a sensory poem. Two characters, the first stanza is from the first character's point of view (it's up to you if you want to use internal dialog. Play around with this exercise to create a dramatic shift in emotions felt by your reader): Your first five lines should be: Sight Sound Texture Taste Smell Your following five lines are from the other character's point of view, except contrast the feelings and observations with the first character's. How'd you do? return to top
February Twenty-Seventh	Write a story about: penchant. And, as always, you don't have to actually use the word in the story! return to top
February Twenty-Eighth	Finish the sentence and then the story: She never did believe that he was ... return to top