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Writing Prompts for May 2019

I’m so excited to announce my three new books are now available on Amazon.com. These books have been a labor of love, and I hope that the genre writers among you will find them useful. These workbooks will help you keep all your research, character ideas, setting notes, writing schedule, plot outlines, etc., all in one place as you work through your first draft. Click here to see sample tables of contents and links to Amazon. A shout-out to D’vorah Lansky at Share Your Brilliance for inspiring me to write these books.

Here are your writing prompts for May.

Use one, some, or all of the words in one of these groups to inspire a story or poem.
1. clouds, heat, escape, green, forest, shadow
2. spring, sleet, fear, mountain,path, decision, grey
3. cabin, deserted, shelter, noises, roof, footsteps, green
4. bowl, vision, crystal, red, cloak, whisper
5. trees, wind, silence, eerie,thud, surprise

Here are some opening sentences you could try, or you could use them anywhere in a story:
1. I thought Earth only had one moon.
2. You can’t go in there.
3. The first day of Henry’s vacation didn’t turn out remotely as planned.
4. We jumped when Helen burst into the room.
5. Toads. I hate toads.
6. The other road passed to close to the castle
7. We expected the scream.
8. Henry promised he’d deal with it tomorrow.
9. One puppy equals hard work. Three equals madness!
10. At rehearsal, I’d been fine, but in one hour I’d be in front of an audience.

Here are some titles that might inspire a story or poem: A Winter Dream, Helen/Henry: Teen Detective, My Life with Braces, Farm Girl/Boy, March Break Blues, The Blunder Years, View from the Roof, Consequences, Parachute, Past Meets Present.

Here are some dialogue excerpts that I hope give you ideas for a scene or story:

I heard what you said.
So?
Does Henry know what you’re planning?

I don’t like the look of those clouds.
We’ll find shelter soon.
I want to go home.
You know that’s not possible.

Helen’s tired.
She’ll have to keep up.
She’s our responsibility.
She’s your responsibility.

Henry’s been suspended.
I know.
Already?
Who do you think turned him in?

I hope you have a writerly May!


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WRITING PROMPTS FOR JANUARY 2019

  • WRITING PROMPTS JANUARY 2019

Welcome to a 2019 full of more writing prompts and story ideas!

I was all set to make a batch of resolutions for the new year, but changed my mind. I need some just-one-day-at-a-time living for a couple of weeks before I can sit back and get some perspective. I have a lot on my plate for the next three weeks, so I’ll keep the planning thoughts in the back of my brain for now.

If you’re a resolution maker, I hope you are successful in reaching all your goals. I hope that you can also forgive yourself when life gets in the way and things don’t turn out quite the way you hoped. Someone said, “A year is 365 fresh starts.”

I hope your 2019 is off to a great start and that you have a healthy, happy, and creative year ahead.

Here are some writing prompts to start your year.

Use one, some, or all of the words from one of the groups below to inspire a poem or story.

  • Village, blue, light, snow, bell, window
  • Sun, ocean, danger, birds, erratic, screech
  • Empty, chair, heart, candle, reflection, gold
  • Morning, pink, sky, clouds wind, corpse

Perhaps one of these story titles will give you a story or scene idea:

Mario Wins, The End of the Line, Why Not?, Not a Problem, Have You Heard This One?, The Pretzel Man, The Next Morning, Table for Two, The Guardian, Template for Fear

Use one of the following sentences to start a story

  • I forgot that I said I’d go first.
  • The wall of black clouds rushed down the mountain toward us.
  • We got the news just before midnight.
  • I was already regretting my decision.
  • I hated seeing the house empty.
  • The overseers stood calmly behind their massive desk.
  • Never make a decision before you’ve had your first coffee.
  • January 10–and I’d already blown half my New Year’s resolutions. Mind you, I’d only made two.

Here are some snippets of dialogue. See if you can use one of the dialogue excerpts to help you build a scene or a story.

  • I wish you hadn’t told me that.
  • Why don’t you want to know the truth.
  • Not when it hurts this much, I don’t.
  • Is there any reason why we have to run to school today?
  • I don’t want to be late.
  • For class?
  • No. For Henry.
  • I’ve never seen him cry before.
  • I don’t think he ever has.
  • Have you seen Helen’s new house?
  • I wasn’t invited.

Have a writerly January!

Writing Prompts for November and December 2018

I hope your November is off to a brighter start than mine. Sunshine has been at a premium, and we’ve had more wind, clouds and rain than we need on consecutive days. On the plus side, I still have some Halloween candy left—I love Rockets—so it’s not all gloom. 😊

A day-long writing conference last weekend inspired me to look at fiction again, so I signed up for NaNoWriMo to give myself a boost into this new project. I also downloaded Scrivener. The learning curve is challenging, but I’m determined to master it. I have another writing conference coming up—online this time. I’ve attended this conference in person many times, but this will be the first time that I’ll be experiencing it from my own desk. Looking forward to more learning!

Here are your writing prompts for the balance of the year. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and will be starting the new year with energy and more creative ideas than you know what to do with.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR GIFTS FOR WRITERS, please have a look at my Online Writing Camp for Teens, or consider buying some coaching time for your favourite writer–or for yourself!

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

  • Painting, glass, light, shadow, cold, secret
  • Lamp, cave, map, lost, wet, empty
  • Pursue, hills, horses, honour, cause alone
  • Window, escape, fall, forest, storm, dawn
  • Lake, thunder, shelter, friends, stranger
  • Cliff, climb, slip, danger, noises, wind

Here are some opening sentences that might inspire a story or two.

  • I was sure you liked him/her.
  • Don’t ask me that again!
  • Henry only knew two ways to make money—neither was legal.
  • Last night Helen came back home.
  • The gate creaked on its hinges.
  • I remembered that cabin, but mostly the corners where I tried to hide.
  • What do you do when your dog actually eats your homework?
  • I hated the silence.
  • Waves lapped on the shore like heartbeats.
  • Henry was the last to leave.

See if you can come up with a story to go with one of these titles: The Swarm, Time’s Fool, Crack of Dawn, A Murder of Crows, Aunts at the Picnic, Truth Has a Price, Pirates’ Cove, The Secret Brother/Sister, The Blue Door

Here are some groups of dialogue lines. Use the lines in a group to create a scene or incorporate them into a story that you’re already working on.

Where did you get that?
At the store.
Did you pay for it?

Henry said he’d pick me up at 3:00.
No rush. It’s only 2:30.
Oh.

You’re so competitive!
No one likes to lose.
But not everyone needs to win as much as you do.

I don’t think we should go in there.
What’s the matter? Afraid?
If afraid keeps me a live, then, yes.

I can’t believe you finally walked out.
Well, I did.
What did she/he say?
She/he doesn’t know yet.

Here are some other writing ideas. Answer these questions for yourself or for your character.

  • What is your favourite holiday story or tradition?
  • What is your favourite holiday food?
  • What was your best surprise?
  • Which family member do you resemble most?
  • Are you an introvert, extrovert, or a bit of both?
  • Describe some childhood, holiday memories.
  • What was the worst outfit your parents made you wear.

Hope you have a writerly and creative finish to 2018. Onward!

 

Writing Prompts for October 2018

At St. Andrews Scotland

This weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada, and I am definitely counting my blessings. For three weeks at the end of August and early September my family traveled to the UK, enjoying a wonderful holiday and the beginning of my son’s pursuit of his MA in Glasgow. It was tough leaving him behind, but we made great memories in that three weeks, and thank goodness for WhatsApp since we got home! 😊 Today’s writing prompts will be interspersed with photos from our trip.

I hope you have a creative month ahead, and if you are prepping for NaNoWriMo, check out the NaNo website for great tips. Scroll down the page for lots of articles that will help you get ready for the challenge. These tips are valuable any time of year.

Temptations at Harrods

Here are your writing prompts for October:

  1. Is there a place that you long to see? If you can’t get there in person, go wandering with Google Earth. Find the exact street and house, castle or farm where your ancestors were born. Use Google Earth to research locations for your books and your character’s life.
  2. Write about a member of your family who lived through a challenging time. Put yourself in their shoes. Research their neighbourhood, their battlefield, their workplace. Dig deep to find the real story behind their stories of the past.
  3. Close your eyes or turn your screen brightness to zero and write for five minutes. Not seeing the screen helps you turn off your critic/editor, too. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar, just let the words flow without backtracking for corrections. See what doors to your imagination or emotions this exercise opens.

    Boats in Nairn harbour
  4. Use one, some, or all of the words in one of these groups to create a story or poem.
  • River, boat, passengers, storm, captain, friend, stranger
  • Stone, building, awe, ceiling, carving, message, past, understanding
  • Path, forest, night, danger, run, hide, stranger, safe, shelter
  • Glass, red, offering, temple, earthquake, trapped
  1. See if one of these opening sentences inspires a story.
  • I wish you hadn’t come here.
  • What’s bugging Helen?
  • Henry lied.
  • That creature never roamed this sector in daylight.
  • Helen picked up the box and gave it to Henry to open.
  • Why is that book so special?
  • I hated making decisions.
  • News came from the east. It wasn’t good.
  • I couldn’t let Henry find out.

  1. A loch on the Dava Moor

    See if you can create a scene around one of the groups of dialogue lines.

  • I couldn’t care less.
  • You’d care if it were your family.
  • I wouldn’t.

 

  • Helen promised we’d be finished by now.
  • And you believed her?
  • Where is she anyway?

 

  • We shouldn’t have come here.
  • It’s the only place where we have any chance of finding it.
  • But it’s dangerous.
  • Without it we have no chance at all.

 

  • Henry said we wouldn’t leave until we were finished our training.
  • Henry didn’t plan for the enemy to be so close so soon. We’re leaving.

 

  • Have you heard the latest about Helen?
  • No, and I don’t want to.
  • Not even if it concerns your brother, too?

I hope you have a writerly month ahead!

Writing Prompts for July 2018

WRITING PROMPTS JULY 2018

I believe that creativity begets creativity. When I’m working on one creative project, I get inspiration and ideas for others. Does the same thing happen to you? It’s certainly a lovely to be in that place right now. I plan to enjoy it and wish the same for you!

I’m also happy to announce the launch of my online Writing Camp for Teens. If you are a teen writer or have a teen writer in your family, please check out what I’ve been up to here.

I’m taking the plunge and attending a writers’ critique group this evening. I only know one member, so I’m a little intimidated, but I know it’s healthy to get out and meet other writers. I’ve always been reluctant to share my work, so this will be a stretch for me. If those of you already in critique groups have any encouraging advice (or cautionary tales) please pass them along. I’m sure I’m not the only one interested in some insider information.

I hope you enjoy the new writing prompts and that you and yours have a healthy and writerly month ahead.

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

  • Deck, breeze, book, cup, alone, fear
  • Lake, tree, shore, run, midnight
  • Table, menu, grief, pie, memory
  • Message, hurry, unknown, friend, doubt
  • Thunder, clouds, running shelter, lightning, breath

Use one of these opening sentences to start a story.

  • I deserved better.
  • Henry smelled of Old Spice and trouble.
  • The audience rose to its feet.
  • Saying goodbye was going to be harder than I thought
  • I was afraid that my famous last words were going to be, “I should never have believed Henry.”
  • Storm front coming.
  • I wasn’t sure Helen would recover from this one.

Here are some titles that might inspire a story or poem: Every Monday, Run, The Last Pony, The Answer, Quotient, Formula for Murder, Always or Never, Alone in the Sky, Promises and Lies, One Heart for Yesterday.

Here are some dialogue excerpts. See what scenes you can create from them.

  • I haven’t seen Henry for ages.
  • He was around yesterday. Maybe, he doesn’t want to see you.

 

  • Did you like the movie?
  • Uh huh.
  • That’s all you have to say?
  • Didn’t you notice who was sitting in front of us?

 

  • I thought we were done here.
  • You might be, but I’m not.

 

  • Did you hear what Helen said?
  • Yes.
  • Did it sound like a threat to you?
  • Yes.

 

  • I’ve had enough. Let’s go.
  • Who put you in charge?
  • Okay fine. You can stay, but I’m leaving now.

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Prompts for June 2018

Writing Prompts for June 2018

Did you know that your enjoyment of hobbies can also benefit your writing? Nicole Bianchi has compiled a list: “15 Famous Writers’ Fascinating and Unusual Hobbies” where she wrote, “Hobbies not only gave them new experiences to write about but also helped them develop skills that made them better writers.” You can see her blog post here.

My hobbies include taking jazz voice lessons and participating in jazz recitals and a summer jazz camp. I think that the challenge of finding the right rhythm for my lyrics, pushing and pulling against the accompaniment, helps me be aware of the rhythms of the words and sentences I type on the page. I also knit and crochet (well-documented stress busters: check “Experts Say Knitting and Crocheting Can Have a Surprising Impact on Your Health” by Laura Casely.) Both of my hobbies are good for my writing.

Think of how many entertainers who are/were also painters: Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, James Franco, Ronnie Wood. Finding artistic expression in one medium did not detract from their ability to find expression in another. Both require fine-tuning the ability to focus—that can’t be a bad thing. Think of how your hobbies are actually supporting your writing. And if you don’t have a hobby, maybe now’s the time to think about pursuing one.

To keep you writing for the next little while, here are your writing prompts for June.

  1.  Use one, some, or all of the words in one of the following groups to write a story or poem.
  • Wind, flag, fence, twist, green, curious, over
  • Bowl, dandelion, hose, step, yellow, fall
  • Drop, chair, crack, glass, blue, shaken, shy
  • Rain, puddle, reflection, friend, loss, grey

 

2.  Here are some opening sentences for you to try.

  • Are you sure I’ll never have to do this again?
  • Henry put the knife down.  OR   Henry, put the knife down.
  • I was glad that he was leaving.
  • How could we keep going without Helen?
  • The cabin was deserted when we arrived.
  • Nothing frightened Henry, except ____________.
  • The soldiers tramped through the village.
  • I hate thunderstorms.
  • A swirling cloud of starlings swarmed the abandoned building
  • Fire!
  • Don’t tell me to keep calm!

3.  Perhaps, you can imagine a story with one of these titles: The Clubhouse Thief, Things Go Wrong Again, The End of the Road, Cold Cash, Traveling with My Family, Flames at Midnight, Downhill from Here, The Exception to the Rule, One of Many, The Diary, The Haunted Painting.

4.  Write a scene or story around one of these dialogue excerpts.

  • I don’t believe it!
  • Are you calling me a liar?
  • I’m just surprised that he would say that.

 

  • We should turn back.
  • We can’t. We’ll be caught.

 

  • Do you have to keep talking?
  • Sorry, I’m nervous, I guess.
  • You should be, but just be quiet about it.

 

  • They’ll notice that we’re gone.
  • Not for a long time.
  • Are you sure?
  • I’ve made sure.

 

  • I need you to promise.
  • Why? Don’t you trust me?

5.  Think about your characters. What hobbies might they have? Do they have knowledge gained from their hobbies that might help them solve a crime or save a life or make a connection with a difficult character or open a conversation at a job interview (I can speak from experience about the last one. Being a golf fan helped get me a job as an administrative assistant, once.)

Have a wonderful, writerly month?

Writing Prompts for April 2018

It will be a while until these are in bloom. Sigh. Writing Prompts for April 2018

Welcome to April! I hope you’re enjoying the longer days and that extra warmth in the sunshine. If you’re looking for some great resources on the craft of writing, marketing, editing, publishing, and the writing life, I encourage you to drop by The Writer’s Knowledge Base™ where you’ll find over 40,000 curated articles on every writing topic imaginable. This is my go-to resource when I’m looking for material for workshops and inspiration for my coaching clients. I hope you find the answers to your writing questions there, too.

Here are your writing prompts for April.

  1. Use one, some, or all of the words in one of these groups to create a story or poem.
  • Venture, pass, name, gale, last, copper
  • Plan, red, guide, tree, lost, under, walk
  • Time, truck, blue, late, race, mountain
  • Book, drop, sidewalk, green, park, leaf
  • Dog, shelter, evil, yellow, food, fear
  1. Here are some opening sentences that might inspire a story or two.
  • “It’s no big deal.”
  • Old songs are the best.
  • The scribe wiped the ink from his fingers.
  • Everybody lies, except Henry, and sometimes I wish he did.
  • “When did your eyes start to glow in the dark?”
  • I waited as long as I could.
  • It ends tomorrow.
  • “Just leave him/her alone!”
  • I swear that the eyes in his portrait followed my every move.
  • I liked things neat and tidy. Helen was driving me crazy.
  1. Perhaps one of these titles will help you find a story idea.

Looking for Hope, Your Number is Up, One Heart: Two Loves, The Spy Who Liked Ice Cream, Only One Choice, Last Dance, No Options, Hero’s Return, Packing Up, Incandescent.

  1. Here are some short dialogue excerpts. Choose one and see if you can write a scene around it.
  • I didn’t stay long.
  • Why not?
  • I know when I’m not welcome.

 

  • Did Helen ask you to come?
  • If I waited for an invitation, I’d never go anywhere.

 

  • Where were you?
  • I thought the meeting was cancelled.
  • Who said it was cancelled?
  • Henry.

 

  • Where’s the dragon?
  • He’s sleeping.
  • Still?
  • He was nearly killed yesterday, remember?

 

  • I’d like more information before I decide.
  • You know all you need to know.
  • I disagree. It’s my life that’s at risk here.

 

  1. What’s your favourite book? List some reasons why this book is your favourite. Use the items on your list to make an editing checklist for the book you are writing.

6. Make a numbered list of twenty items that you can see right now. Pick three random numbers                 between 1 and 20 and use those three items in a story.

Hope you have a writerly April!

 

Writing Prompts for March 2018

 

One thing I love about March is its sense of hope. In among the snow squalls and rain and up-and-down temperatures, the hope that spring soon will be here thrives. Birds are returning and singing, my daffodils are making progress in my flower bed, the days are noticeably longer, and the sun has some heat in it. In a sheltered corner of my sunny deck, I’ve actually eaten my lunch outside for the first time this year. Hurray for March.

It’s an inspiring month for me to get down to some writing and to pat myself on the back for the several full garbage bags that have been dragged down from my still-cluttered office. More to go. All good.

I hope that the hints of spring are reinvigorating your writing and your commitment to getting that manuscript done soon.

If you need some inspiration, I hope the writing prompts below give you some story ideas.

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

  • Phone, skyline, blue, high, call, run
  • Card, photo, black, window, tear, long
  • Flowers, jar, table, deep, west, edge, map
  • Lamp, cave, damp, hot, echo, fear, red
  • Choice, gem, hide, purple, hand, grip, quickly

 

2) Perhaps one of these opening sentences will help you start a new story.

  • Are you listening to me?
  • Helen followed the noises to the space under the porch.
  • Writing my journal by candlelight was never my thing, but time travel will change you.
  • When the photo fell out of the envelope, I knew I couldn’t go back.
  • Leopards hunt at night. So does Harry.
  • Close the curtains. I don’t want anyone to see me.
  • Most morning, I dropped some coins or a dollar bill in Ed’s guitar case as I passed him on the way to the subway. Today, he wasn’t there, but ____________.
  • If I could have re-runs of days in my life, I wouldn’t pick today’s episode.
  • I raced down the hill on my bike. Smoke was coming from my house.
  • The general’s wife never kept living things alive or well for long: plants died, the dog died, the general was in a convalescent home. I was next.

 

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

Red Stars, Magic Carpet, Under Surveillance, Keep Strong, A Family’s Secrets, The Accident, Last Walk, Piper’s Glen, Jeopardy, The Ghostly Galleon, Race Day, The Glass Blowers.

 

4) Write a scene or story around one of these dialogue excerpts.

  • How do you feel about bats?
  • Why do you want to know?
  • You haven’t seen where we’re spending the night.

 

  • I can’t go any farther.
  • Then, good-bye.

 

  • I’m hungry.
  • We’re all hungry.
  • But—
  • Keep quiet or go back. Your choice.

 

  • I haven’t been here for years.
  • And?
  • Nothing … nothing.

 

  • Can I keep it?
  • Keep what?
  • This.
  • No.

5) How important is hope to your character? Has he been disillusioned from some past events. Is she a determined optimist?

6) What is your character’s favourite month or season? Does certain weather invigorate your character or turn him or her into a lump under a blanket for the duration?

Hope you enjoyed this month’s prompts. Have a writerly March!

If you’re getting stuck on your book project and need some help, please check out my coaching services here.

Writing Prompts for February 2018

 

Writing Prompts for February 2018

For such a short month, February can seem very long—grey and cold, with that ominous hint of tax filing time looming in the air. Fortunately, as writers, we can create the kind of February we want in our imaginations, writing about warm beaches, palm trees, and sunshine. For those of you lucky enough to have those wonders outside your door already have fun writing about blowing snow, ice, and grey skies.

As writers, it’s a gift to be able to escape into the worlds that we create—or worlds that other writers create. I’m reading a couple of books at the moment, so I can choose to be in a remote hotel in New Zealand surrounded by pools of sulfurous, boiling mud or to be on the rain-swept North Sea coast of Scotland during the Jacobite rebellion. Do you have favourite authors who create wonderful worlds for you? Share your favourites in the comments and let us know why they are special to you.

If writing descriptions and world creation are challenging for you, here are a few links to some helpful articles:

Writing 101: Creating Effective Description   Kaitlin Hillerich

How to Write Better: The Art of Dynamic Descriptions  Mary Jaksch

Tips on World Building for Writers — How to Make Your Imaginary World Real  Chuck Sambuchino

The Ultimate Guide To World-Building: How To Write Fantasy, Sci-Fi And Real-Life Worlds Claire Bradshaw

Now, here’s your opportunity to do some world creation of your own with February’s writing prompts. Enjoy!

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

  • Pen, orchid, tea, table, green, lamp
  • Puzzle, yesterday, magazine, bottle, red
  • Candle frost, black, star, breath, icy
  • Music, hide wires, stripe, glow, blue
  • Picture, memory, delete, waste, once, grey

See if one of these opening sentences inspires a story. Maybe you could use one of these sentences to end your story instead.

  • I wish I could do that day over again.
  • It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which one is the smart one.
  • I was done with feeling lonely.
  • Some music just makes you heart ache.
  • I/We thought he’d left down for good.
  • We both needed a break.
  • The soldiers surrounded our house.
  • We woke to the sound of driving rain and breaking glass.
  • We couldn’t cross here. The river was too deep.
  • Bre’s falcon warned us first.
  • Henry’s first time on skates was the best laugh I’d had in ages.
  • Never say no to a cat.

Perhaps one of these titles will inspire a story: Night Life, Southwind, Karn’s Mountain, The Breakers, For the First Time, The Other World, Snow Men, Folding Paper, Four Pines, Pink Shoes, No News is Good News, Lady Moonlight, Weapon XI, Border, The Walk.

Create a scene around one of these groups of dialogue lines.

  • Can’t you see he needs help.
  • We need to go.
  • But—
  • Now.

 

  • Sit still.
  • But I don’t want my picture taken.
  • This isn’t about you, remember.

 

  • I don’t think we should be here.
  • I think you’re right.
  • Then, let’s leave.
  • We’re not finished yet, and you know it

 

  • What’s the matter?
  • I’m thinking.
  • What about?
  • Why we haven’t seen anyone from Trianor in three days.

Have a writerly month!

 

December 2017 and January 2018 Writing Prompts

The end of a year and the imminent start to a new one prompt two responses: reflection and looking ahead. Reflecting on 2017 has helped me put my writing successes and failures in perspective. In my head, I, too often, equate creative writing with fiction. When I look back at the writing I did in 2017, I realize that it was all creative, even though very little of it was fiction. Taking research and an interview with an engineer and turning it into a case study worth reading is creative writing. Inventing new test questions for a communications textbook is creative writing. Turning 7000 frantically typed words chronicling a day-long series of seminars and turning them into a 2500-word summary is creative writing. Editing/rewriting ad copy so it sells the product and the company is creative writing. All this writing has kept my brain in gear and taught me a lot over the past year—and I’ve been paid. A definite bonus.

So, looking ahead, what are my plans for 2018? I’m going to become a student again. I’ve invested in a course that focuses on middle-grade and YA fiction, and I’m going to work through it step-by-step. I have a journal set aside especially for the course (a must for an inveterate journal collector.) The plan is to work on it in the morning before I check email and Facebook. A much better use of my waking time. It will be nice to look at the clock at 9:30 and realize that I’ve actually accomplished something other than watching cat videos and going down YouTube rabbit holes–and don’t talk to me about those quizzes that determine my spirit animal or the colour of my aura or the Celtic meaning of my name. Yup, I love them all.

I’m looking forward to starting my writing course when all the family is back at work and into their usual routines again. This week is all about relaxing and reading my Christmas-gift books–and clearing my desk for a positive start to 2018. Through 2017, my laptop and necessary resources for various projects have occupied increasingly less space on my desk and the piles around them have grown higher. I have garbage bags at the ready–and I intend to fill them!

Because I combined my long overdue December prompts with those for January, today, there are double the prompts to launch your creative new year. I hope your reflections and plans for 2018 help bring you closer to the creative results you are dreaming of.

Prompts

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

  • Lights, star, snow, trees, book, red
  • Message, hurt, open, candle, door, white
  • Wind, sky, grey, ice, worry, urgent, hurry
  • Box, bus, snowman, house, wreath, green
  • Table, candle, package, fear, cold, cabin, black
  • Water, sunshine, window, gulls, breeze, blue, hope
  • Grass, cliff, rocks, edge, running, love, yellow
  • Palm trees, beach, escape, broken, memory, pink
  • Child, swing, remember, grandfather, Old Spice, joy

Use one of these opening sentences to start a story.

  • I think Santa hates me.
  • That red stain was not cranberry sauce.
  • The river’s surge collapsed the bridge. We were wet, hungry, and trapped.
  • A cool hand touched mine in the dark.
  • I fell asleep in front of the fireplace. When I woke, the fire was out and I was in ….
  • The snow swept across the road in horizontal waves. I had to stop.
  • A tropical island wedding seemed ideal until someone murdered the bride.
  • The chief arrived with new orders.
  • It wasn’t just his/her smile that made him/her irresistible.
  • The puppy, shivering and crouched by the wrecked car, was the only creature dead or alive that the rescuers found that night.
  • This was not a good time for the power to fail.
  • The silence was starting to get to Henry.
  • Today I broke my all-time record for saying the wrong thing.
  • My home town didn’t exactly welcome me back. I wasn’t surprised.
  • The dark rangers crested the hill. They were closing in.
  • Next time that I pretend to be someone else, I’m going to think about it first.
  • Cheating was not an option.
  • The saying “less is more” does not apply to chocolate.
  • Never open the door to a rain-drenched ex with a head cold and a kitten.
  • This situation had nothing to do with who was male or who was female—it was about power.

Here are some titles that might inspire a story or two.

For Love of Him, Moonrise, The Music Box, Red Defenders, Keeping the Faith, The Book of Why-Not, Seven Mysteries, Last Day of Freedom, The Stars’ Promise, The Fire, Castle High, Thin Ice, Last Train to Wonderland, Science Fair: Worst Day Ever, The Unwelcome Mat, Drums, Turn Around, The Hawk’s Cry, Two for Danger, Snow and Ice, Mars Traveler, The Sea Calls, Music and Mayhem.

Below are some snippets of dialogue. See if you can imagine a scene around one or more of them.

You took the last one!

So?

 

You’re awfully quiet.

I’m thinking.

What about?

Why we haven’t seen Henry since Linc came back to town.

 

I miss her.

We all do.

She didn’t think about us before she left.

Maybe she did. We’ll never know.

 

Number 46!

Yes, sir.

Keep your mind on your work.

 

When are you going to be finished?

Why do you care?

 

I told you that in secret!

I didn’t tell anyone. Honest.

Then how did _______ find out.

 

Did you say something?

I thought you did.

They turned and looked behind them. The cat was smiling.

I wish you all the best for a happy, healthy, and writerly 2018.

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