JLS Storybook Project

Writing Prompts for May 2013

Last year's irises.
Last year’s irises.

It’s been a fun month of April. I wrote every day, which was good, and I got  a good start on my sequel to a children’s fantasy that I’m currently publishing via Kindle Direct Publishing. More about that very soon.

What has also been fun is to check my website and find out that I’ve been getting visitors from South Korea who have been searching for me using the title of the book I wrote for the schools there. I had so much fun writing Sherlock Holmes and the Orphanage Mystery, and it has been very cool to know that students are actually reading my book and then checking in to my website. So ‘Hi guys. I hope you’re enjoying the book!”

And since it’s May 1st, here are your writing prompts for the month. Hope you have a creative May!

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

  • hill, bloom, light, road, branch, blue
  • box, cry, cap, bench, ring, lake

2. Try one of these opening sentences to start your story:

  • No matter when sunrise is, it’s too early.
  • I really hoped that was lightning.
  • Bill hated coming second.
  • “I don’t need any help.”
  • It wouldn’t be long now.
  • Lex couldn’t grip the sword a moment longer.

3. Try using one of these dialogue excerpts in a scene.

  • This is important.
  • Only to you
  • That’s not true. Both our lives depend on it.
  • Can’t you sit still?
  • The ground is wet.
  • Okay, you can get wet or you can find dry ground and risk being seen.
  • Oh no, that’s just not fair.
  • What’s not fair?
  • On top of everything else, it’s snowing!
  • Leave it on the desk.
  • Leave what?
  • The memory card that’s in your pocket.

4. Can you think of a story for one of these titles?

Disc Life, Grey Area, Left of Centre, Table for Three, In Danger, River View, Never Alone

5. Here are some “may”-themed song titles and expressions that might inspire a story:

Mayflower, Mayberry, First of May, May You Never, Lusty Month of May, Maggie May, May the Circle Remain Unbroken, Come What May, You May be Right, I may or may not, May the road rise up to meet you, Mother may I? I wish I may. I wish I might …

Book Cover for Sherlock Holmes and the Orphanage Mystery

Sherlock Holmes and the Orphanage Mystery cover art by Elly Lee

No, it’s not a missing story from the Doyle canon. It’s the cover for a book that I wrote for JLS Storybook Project, a publisher that creates ESL material for Korean students learning English. I had a wonderful time writing the book and can’t wait to see the published product–and the other illustrations that are inside. Many thanks to the illustrator, Elly Lee.

In Sherlock Holmes and the Orphanage Mystery, two children who are living on the street  desperately want to be members of Holmes’ Baker Street Irregulars. Going under cover in an orphanage, they use their wits, secret messages, and street smarts to unravel the villains’ plot and earn a place in the Irregulars–and a new home.

It was great fun renewing my acquaintance with the Holmes’ stories while I did research for the Orphanage Mystery. I hope my story leads the students to read the originals sometime, and that they enjoy them as much I as do.

Have you ever written a story or book using characters created by other authors? Who would you like to write about?

%d bloggers like this: