creative writing teachers

Writing Prompts for November 2107

WRITING PROMPTS FOR NOVEMBER 2017

I’m late with the writing prompts this month, but here they are now. My October was crazy busy–celebrating two birthdays and an anniversary, hosting Thanksgiving dinner, freelancing, singing, and lots more. Yikes! I’m so glad it’s November–and that the clocks turned back last night. Time is moving deliciously slowly today, and I’m getting lots done, including some lazy reading time. Perfect.

If you’re tackling NaNoWriMo, I wish you every success. It wasn’t for me this year, but I’m certainly cheering on those who made the commitment. Yay for you!

For my readers in the United States, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.

And for all of you, I hope you have a healthy, happy and creative November!

WRITING PROMPTS

Use one, some, or all of the words in one of these groups to write a story or poem.

  • Fog, wind, yellow leaves, cold, grey, breath
  • Journey, break, wake, noise, stars, blue
  • Wall, forest, stones, escape, green, wonder
  • Gems, throne, permeate,strength, poison, red

Use one of these opening sentences to start a story.

  • “I want my money, now.”
  • I was careful about what I wished for. It didn’t help.
  • I loved everything about my dragon—except his uncanny ability to get me into trouble.
  • When Henry had a secret, it was no secret.
  • The freezing rain soon coated our cloaks making them so heavy that we could barely walk.
  • The yellow emergency light on the panel suddenly flashed. Too late, we already knew we were in big trouble.
  • I looked at the clock beside the bed. 3 a.m. Why was the musical birthday card that I’d left downstairs by the door, playing “The Chicken Dance” at this hour?
  • Henry inspired obedience—but only when he was standing in front of you and threatening.
  • Don’t throw stones at a wasps’ nest.
  • Henry was the last person that Helen expected to see at the concert.
  • The house had been empty for two years. Tonight, a light moved from one room to another, flickering briefly through cracks in the blinds.
  • I don’t care who selected me. I’m not doing it.
  • I have no idea why my mom picked “Last Chance Ranch” for this year’s summer camp. Well, maybe that’s not exactly true.

See if one of these titles inspires a story or poem.

Guitar King/Queen, The Last Turn in the Road, Henry’s Millions, A Bug in the System, Two More Sleeps, The Orchid Seller, Bones Town, The Face in the Photograph, When Eagles Dared, The Balcony, Winter Warrior, The Door to Somewhere. Magic Carpet, Recycled.

Write a scene or a story around one of the following dialogue excerpts.

  • Your back is really bleeding.
  • It’s okay.
  • Let me lift your shirt. You might need stitches.
  • Just leave it!

 

  • I can’t come with you tonight.
  • Again?
  • I have stuff I have to do.
  • Yea, like avoid your friends—and me.

 

  • Are you sure this is how you put this together?
  • Yeah. I’ve done it lots of times.
  • In the dark?

 

  • What was that?
  • Coyotes.
  • In the city?
  • Yes. When you need to worry is when you can’t hear them? Now, get moving.

 

  • I hate snow—
  • Cold? Wet? Needs shoveling?
  • You didn’t let me finish. I hate snow in July.

 

 

Writing Prompts for August 2017

WRITING PROMPTS FOR AUGUST 2017

I don’t know about your summer, but mine is flying by. Lots of heat and thunderstorms lately, but it saves me watering my mom’s garden, so I’m not complaining.

I hope you have been enjoying your summer and finding some creative time, too. If you’re looking for something to fill your journal pages, I hope some of the prompts below will provide the necessary jump-start to a story or poem.

Use one, some, or all of the words in one of these groups to write a story or poem.

  • Sun, blue, smoke, distance, danger, escape
  • Race, down, fear, road, gravel, slip, red
  • Bridge, under, flow, rain, caught, grey, free
  • Ledge, climb, safe, rope, loose, night, silver

Here are some opening lines to get you started.

  • Once upon a midnight ….
  • Henry slammed his fist down on the table, “Enough!”
  • That was my second lie today.
  • If you wanted someone who was going to be on time, you shouldn’t have picked Henry.
  • Horizontal snow and another two miles to ride.
  • That road led straight to the castle.
  • Another nightmare.
  • We had no choice. We left Henry and moved on.
  • I was tired of feeling that everyone had a say in the matter but me.
  • I wish I were programmed to forget.
  • Roscoe came and sat silently at my feet. He could feel something was wrong, too.

Perhaps one of these titles will be inspiring.

Moonrise, Copper Storm, The Girl Who Didn’t Care, A Rose for Helen, Team Player, Lonely Heart, Run, The Attic, Wonder Full, Storm Chaser, Pirate Moon, The World Beneath the Stairs, Samantha and Sam.

Here are some dialogue excerpts. See if you can build a scene or a story around one of them.

  • Am I the last one?
  • There should be two more.
  • How long are we going to wait for them?

 

  • Did you hear that?
  • Yes.
  • Then why didn’t you hide?

 

  • Six o’clock.
  • So?
  • So, Henry said we should leave at six.
  • Henry’s going to be disappointed then, isn’t he?

 

  • Come over here.
  • No.
  • But you’re all alone.
  • Exactly.

 

  • Have you seen Henry lately?
  • Why? Worried?
  • It’s not like him to stay away so long.
  • Enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts.

Hope you have a writerly August!

 

Stop Summer Slide

Stop Summer SlideHi, This is a repost of a blog I wrote for last summer. Hope it helps you find some fun activities for your teens or pre-teens this summer.

If you’re a bored teen or pre-teen or the parent of one, here are some ideas for getting creative and having fun this summer.

a) The writing prompts on this website here and here give you plenty of ideas for stories, movie scripts, play scripts, comic books, you name it, (and there are more suggestions in the links tab.) You can also find story planners and a fun idea generator here. 

b) Visit a bookstore or the library with a friend and take a bag or envelope with some small pieces of blank paper inside. When you arrive, divide the papers between the two of you, and walk through the library/store with a pen, and write down a random book title on each piece of paper. When you’re done,  put them back in the envelope. Then each of you draws out one piece of paper and that’s the title for your story, or maybe it’s something one of the characters says. Since you know you could pick one of the titles you put in, make sure you choose titles that have story potential.

c) Check out the amazing drawings created by Chris Van Allsburg for The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the photos and see what stories your imagination can create.

d) Write a story with a friend. This is great fun for a rainy day or a long car ride. Choose an opening line from one of the prompts on this website and then write a story with each of you writing one sentence and then passing the story to the other person for the next sentence. See how far you can go. Be as silly as you like. If you each decide that you have great ideas for finishing the story on your own, go ahead and write two stories. It will be fun to see how each of your stories turns out.

e) Write a story or fairy tale for a child that you know–little brother or sister, cousin, the child you babysit. Make the child the hero of your story. Here’s a link to some great ideas for folded paper books that are kid-sized: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Booklet-from-Paper You can also use these little books to collect and illustrate quotes from your favourite writers or famous people who inspire you.

f) Do some coloring–and find a story. Download the free coloring pages available on this website or check out some of the free coloring page sites that you can find on Google. Here are a couple that have some interesting pages for downloading. Some of them depict moments in stories. Maybe after coloring a page or two, you can come up with your own story to match the picture. http://www.kids-n-fun.com/coloringpages/tag/teens-difficult-coloring-pages or http://www.supercoloring.com/. The latter site also has tutorials that teach you how to draw your own images for coloring.

g) Draw a detailed map of a village, kingdom, haunted house, planet, island–whatever your imagination suggests. What adventures will your characters have here? Do the place names you chose suggest a fantasy, a mystery, an adventure? Try putting characters from your favourite books in this setting and see what happens.

h) Every watch a movie or read a book and hate the ending? Write a new one or write a sequel if you think there are more stories to tell about these characters.

i) Read, read, read. One of the best ways to fill the writer’s creative well is to escape into the worlds of other authors. Try reading something you don’t normally read. Chose a mystery instead of a fantasy, or an adventure instead of a love story.

j) Of course, if you want some other inspiration, drop by here to check out some books that might help you fill your creative well, too. Yes, these are books that I wrote. 🙂

Hope you have a wonderful and creative summer!

Writing Prompts for March, 2017

Okay, so I had this month’s writing prompts drafted early in my journal, and then whoosh, completely missed my March 1 deadline for my blog. And whoosh went the next few days. If March continues like this, it will be April before I know it. That’s fine with me, actually. Bring on Spring!

If sometimes you have trouble getting started on your stories, check out this great post by Jill Williamson, 10 Types of Prewriting, for great tips that go beyond brainstorming and freewriting. If you know you need to learn more about your character before you start some serious writing, use the character sketch template here to add more details to your character’s life story. Writing Prompts for March 2017

Here are your writing prompts for March.

Use one, some, or all of the words in each group to create a story or poem:

  • Bright, cloud, cold, bird song, waste, blue
  • White, stifling, breath, under, trapped, scream
  • Fog, echo, shadow, lurk, strain, peer, black
  • Flame, heat, roar, fear, run, red, alarm

See if any of these opening sentences spark a story:

  • It’s too dark. I can’t see.
  • In the distance, the castle’s tall towers loomed black against the bright blue sky.
  • Vultures.
  • It seemed like we’d been climbing for ages.
  • The warm sunshine was welcome after the long night in the cave.
  • The alarm rang for the third time.
  • We were supposed to be the first living beings who had ever been here.
  • What was it about him that frightened me? I hadn’t even shaken his hand yet.
  • I hadn’t reckoned on him being a liar, too.
  • Henry came back.
  • I was afraid, and I didn’t like it.

Can you think of a story or poem to go with one of these titles?

Last Victory, Ember, Shroud Dancing, Port of Call, Getting Lost, The Climb, Murder at the Zoo, Marathon, First Stop Mars, Second Sight, Unglued, Free Ride, Yellow Tulips, Ice Storm.

Here are some snippets of dialogue. Can you write a scene around one of them?

  • Stay of out there!
  • But I just saw Henry go in.
  • He shouldn’t be in there either!

 

  • I wish you’d stop bugging me.
  • But this is important.
  • You’ve said that before.
  • But this time, your life is in danger.

 

  • It’s been a long time.
  • Not long enough.

 

  • Why is Henry so angry?
  • Helen left him.
  • He can’t be surprised.
  • No, just angry, and that’s worse.

 

  • Can you keep a secret?
  • Well ….
  • That’s what I thought.

Hope you have a writerly month! If you’re getting stuck on you book project and need some help, please check out my coaching services here.

Writing Prompts for May, 2016

Writing Prompts for May 2016

“Tra la, it’s May” goes the Lerner and Loewe song, and it really is starting to look like spring here. The squirrels are busy eating the buds on my cherry tree–clearly they don’t plan for the future–two robin families have set up housekeeping under my deck, and my dandelions are in full bloom. I’m doing my part for the bee population by not mowing them down yet. (Yes, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

On the writing side, I hope you have a creative month ahead. If you’re a fan of adult coloring–or your students are–don’t forget to check out this link for some writer’s coloring pages. Also, here are links to the coloring pages for King Lear, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth that go with my Shakespeare journal writing prompts.

Here are your writing prompts for May. Enjoy!

**Random words to combine for a story or poem

spring, path, lurk, green, shadow, shiver, cloud
disc, danger, surprise, red, angle, willow
friend, gate, run, sunlight, stream, blue

**Opening sentences for your story or novel

“I wonder where that came from?”
Helen couldn’t stop looking out the window.
“When was the last time you were really happy?”
Gravel crunched beneath their boots.
Henry hated his dentist, but he was still sorry when he found the body.
So here’s the story. I got dumped at Disneyland.
Class trips were never fun with Ms. Wigglebergen.

**Maybe one of these titles will spark a story idea.

Winter Rose, The Lonely Spider, Gateway to Wonder, The Book and the Burglar, Danger is Not My Middle Name, The Page, Miss Fortune, Everyone Loves a Lover, When Henry Came Home, The Wethering, The Red Land

**Here are some snippets of dialogue. What scene can you imagine taking place around them?

What did you buy that for?
I thought you’d like it.

Did you see that?
What?
That black thing over there.
Where? Oh!

I thought Helen would win.
So did I.
What are we going to do now?

I wish I knew where he got all that money.
I think I know.
So where?
I don’t think it’s safe to tell you.

**How does your character react to bad news? Does your character withdraw into himself or run around being busy? Are her emotions well controlled or do you know exactly how she feels about what she’s heard?

**This is a good time of year to literally stop and smell the flowers. How does a love of nature fit into your character’s personality?

Hope you all have a writerly month!

 

 

 

 

Friday Wrap-Up and July 2013 Writing Prompts

A Tagxedo view of my website.
A Tagxedo view of my website.

It’s a long weekend here, and I don’t expect to be spending a lot of time with the laptop, so I thought I’d publish the July prompts a bit early.

The week’s been full of interviews for articles, very hot weather, lots of errands, and a draft of a short story for middle readers. Looking back there was a lot of sitting in front of a fan with a cold drink, too. We’re looking forward to a barbeque with family on the weekend, and maybe a game of golf, along with celebrating my mom’s 85th birthday. She gets teased that the main reason she immigrated to Canada was to get a holiday on her birthday.

Hope those of you who have some special holidays and events over the coming week have a fabulous time with family and friends.

Here are the July prompts.

1. Use one, some or all of the following words in a story, scene or poem:

Coffee, star, pen, match, envy
Park, window, fear, strand, frame

2. Try one of these sentences to begin a story.

a) Mud bubbled and spat.
b) Matt fell against the bars.
c) “Table for thirteen, please.”
d) Our call ended with a bang.
e) I loved flying.
f) Pat straightened another picture frame.

3. See what scenes these lines of dialogue suggest to you.

Do all dragons breathe fire?
Not all.
What about this one?

Why do you suppose we’re all here?
I only know what I’ve been told.
And what’s that?
Don’t ask questions.

The hard drive crashed.
I warned you.

It’s not like it is on TV is it?
Not much is, kid.

That’s not how you do that.
And you know better?
Yes.
Show me.

4. Create a story to go with one of these titles: Peter Piper Picked Me, Left Over, Wheel of Misfortune, On the Shelf, Search and Rescue, Call Me Never, Book Room, Full Plate, Brush-Off, Keeping Casey.

5. Do you ever want to write down your dreams so you can remember them, or are they the kind of dreams that you want to forget as soon as possible? How does your character feel about his or her dreams? Describe a nightmare that your character might have. Think about what that nightmare says about your character and his or her past or present.

Have a great weekend!

Writing Links: From Outlines to Submissions to Cursive Writing

A Shoreline View
A Shoreline View

I’ve found some interesting links in the past few days that I want to pass along.

The first is a blog by one of my favourite writers/bloggers Elizabeth S. Craig. In her post, “Chalk One Up for Outlining,” Craig explains that she is not an outliner by nature. “I despise outlining and I hate following outlines.” If you feel the same way, you might like to read how she found a way to make it work for her.

I loved Darcy Pattison’s blog post, “6 Ways Out of Writing Slump.” I could really identify with her reasons for letting writing fiction slide, and I could also see how her suggestions could make a difference.

If you’re getting a project ready to submit to a publisher, read about what seven agents say can stop editors and agents reading: “Seven Agents Talk About the Most Common Submission Mistakes.” Their comments cover the synopsis, the query and your first pages.

Finally if you love writing in journals or with pen/pencil and paper, you might be interested in this opinion piece by Andrew Coyne that was written in response to a report about the lack of teaching of cursive writing in school. “Words on paper – how we write affects what we write.” 

I’d love to hear your feedback on any of these links. Who do you follow for great writing advice?

Music and Work and School

Conductor's Baton and Sheet MusicJust had to pass this link along to CBC Radio. CBC has compiled a playlist for students to listen to while preparing for exams. There are also a couple of links to information about the connections between music and the brain. I’ve been listening to this playlist since Monday while I wrote a story and did some prep for my fall courses. I’m a classical music fan anyways, but this is a compilation that I’ve really been enjoying. http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2013/6/Ace-your-exams-with-a-classical-music-playlist-for-studying
Do you listen to music when you work? If you do, what music do you prefer? Do you play music in your classroom while your students are working or do you ever let them listen to their own music during class work periods?

Thanks for Dropping By!

Wordpress map of visitorsJust want to say thanks to all those who come from all over the world to visit my site every day. I’m thrilled that you find some of the resources here useful. I’d love to know more about you, what you teach or write, and how you use the resources here. Please leave a comment and say “Hi.”

For those who go to the Writing Prompts tab a lot, I’ll be uploading some new prompts by the end of the week to give you something new to work/play with.

Below is a list of the countries that visited the site in the last 30 days. Welcome! I’m so glad you dropped by.

United States 664
Canada 112
United Kingdom 108
Australia 87
New Zealand 42
France 20
India 16
Ireland 10
Philippines 7
Sri Lanka 6
Republic of Korea 5
Saudi Arabia 5
Spain 5
Belgium 5
Pakistan 5
Thailand 5
Argentina 5
Mexico 5
Indonesia 4
Germany 4
Singapore 4
United Arab Emirates 4
Bangladesh 3
Egypt 3
Nigeria 3
South Africa 3
Nepal 3
Trinidad and Tobago 2
Hong Kong 2
Malaysia 2
Peru 2
Brazil 1
Japan 1
Serbia 1
Slovakia 1
Slovenia 1
Marshall Islands 1
Afghanistan 1
Austria 1
Jamaica 1
Saint Lucia 1
Romania 1
Hungary 1
Iceland 1
Bahrain 1
Algeria 1
Switzerland 1
Italy 1

June 2013 Writing Prompts

Peonies - My favourite June flower
Peonies – My favourite June flower

I can’t believe it’s June already. We had every kind of weather in May from snow to a heat wave with thunderstorms, high winds and hail in between. I’m hoping that June calms down a little–and not just here, but for those other parts of North America that have already had enough destructive weather to last a lifetime.Here are the writing prompts for June. If you don’t find any of these inspiring, you can find lots to write about at the Writing Prompts tab above, too. Hope you have a creative month!

1. Use one, some, or all of these words in a story or poem.

a) music, heart, fear, jacket, flower, door

b) basket, park, jewel, mirror, thunder, hope

2. Here are some opening lines for your story.

a) Jenny smelled like cookies.

b) It was only 8:30, and already I knew I should have stayed in bed.

c) Red cars are best.

d) The wind moaned in the chimney.

e) Flat tires aren’t funny.

3. Some things I think of when I think of June. Maybe they’ll inspire a story or poem.

weddings, the longest day, summer solstice, “June is busting out all over,” June bride, D-Day, Juno, school’s out, June bug, report cards, graduation, Father’s Day, midsummer, taking off the first hay, fresh mown grass, bird song, gardens, planting, change.

4. Here are some lines of dialogue that you can use to create a story.

a) I’ve had enough

Enough what?

Enough you.

b) I’ve stepped in something

You’re right. Now, keep moving.

What is it?

You don’t want to know.

c) There’s a light flashing.

Don’t worry. It’s only a problem if it’s red.

It’s red.

5. The year is nearly half over. Where are you with the resolutions you made in January? Is it time to make some new ones? Are you making progress? Are New Year’s resolutions just dumb anyways?

Hope you have fun with these prompts and find some joywriting time for yourself in the next 30 days!

 

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