Showing Tag: "prompt" (Show all posts)

This poem comes from a poetry prompt given by Robert Lee Brewer at Poetic Asides. The assignment was to write a poem backwards - either numbers, or days or backwards in time.  Robert wrote a poem using the alphabet in reverse order.  Here's the result of my tinkering with the exercise:

Sdrawkcab and Forwards

Life scribed for us in a mirror
Daeh pressed up against a wall
Daisies eid and life sdne
Feeling all crazy and pu-dexim
Walking forwards, sdrawkcab gniklaw
Crawling at complete standstill
Windows...
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Here is my poem I wrote inspired by the poetry prompt over at Poetic Asides.  The theme was "Returning."

Coming Home

Brown corrugated cardboard makes a fortress in my living room

Painted porcelain packed perfectly wrapped in tissue and bubble wrap

Computer completely placed in its own over-sized box

Files upon files upon files of poems for you

For him

For life

For peace

And short stories

And philosophy papers

Stack silently in the confines of a small shipping parcel

The Beanie Bab...

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Family can be a tricky thing.  They're always there when you need them, and they're always making things interesting for you.  In today's prompt, you will write a description of each member in your family.

Writing Prompt Rules

• Write for 15 minutes
• Don't stop writing
• Don't erase anything
• Don't cross anything out

As always, feel free to share in the comments section or by leaving a link to your own blog.

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In addition to the [fiction] Friday prompts over at Write Anything, I've decided to participate in the Poetic Asides Blog's Wednesday Poetry Prompts.  This week's prompt asked participants to write a poem about something I've been through.  Here it is, in rough draft form:

“Graduate School Comps”

The light cracks in through the window

The book is in my lap

The cat is on his pillow

Taking his nightly nap

 

A pencil is my hand

And the computer screen glows

I try to keep my eyes op...

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You've heard of the phrase, "Slaying Dragons" before.  Lots of people use it to refer to those people who go out and achieve in a highly competitive way showing courage.  What "dragons" would you like to slay given the chance? 

Writing Prompt Rules

• Write for 15 minutes
• Don't pick up your pencil
• Don't stop
• Don't cross anything out

Happy Writing!

(Oh and feel free to post your results here or links to your results in the comments section!)

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It's summertime.  Remember when you were younger and you would daydream of that summer love?  Or maybe you have a summer love right now.  Whatever the case may be, like in the movie Grease, these affairs are meant to be just a fling, but sometimes the feelings run deeper and it continues.  Today's writing prompt will be about summer love - and "what if's."  Take fifteen minutes to write about what if that "Summer fling" turned out to be something more.

• Don't pick up your pen
• Don't cross anythin...

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Since July 4th in the USA is the day we celebrate the independence of our country from imperialist Britain, it seems appropriate to have today's writing prompt concern the concept of freedom.  What does it mean to be free?  This is the question I would like you to answer in today's prompt.

Writing Prompt Rules:

• Keep your hand moving
• Don't cross anything out
• Don't pick your pen up
• Write for 10-20 minutes on the topic.  If you run out of things to say, try starting over with the sentence "Freedom r...

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Everyone is always trying to predict the future.  Whether we can or cannot perform this feat, we can still have fun doing so.  Pretend you are working for a national tabloid magazine and you have been assigned to make predictions for the year 2020.  Come up with your list.  Write for 15 minutes.

Remember the rules for every writing prompt: 

• Keep the pen moving
• Don't cross anything out
• Don't pick the pen up.

Happy Writing and Have an Excellent Weekend!

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It's getting really hot out there, and lots of people are heading to the beach if they can this three-day, Memorial Day weekend.  If you're inside and looking for something to do, here's a writing prompt - for you.  Today's writing prompt centers on the theme of Memorial Day, when we remember as a nation, soldiers who fought and died for our country in wars. Because Memorial Day honors those who have passed, today's writing prompt will focus on remembering your own ancestors - whether or not ...
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As we come around the corner of Spring into Summer, it's the time where, symbolically, new beginnings become full-blown projects.  The flowers are in bloom, the days are getting longer and warmer, and it's harder to stay inside for long periods of time.  Today's writing prompt focuses on the theme of "full bloom."  Start with the sentence "Everything was in full bloom."  Continue writing for 10 minutes following the writing prompt rules:

•    Don't pick up your pen
•    Don't stop
•    Don't cross any...

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Tomorrow is Mother's Day and with that in mind, write about what it means to you.  If you are a mother, you can write about that or you can write about your own mother.  Try to find something unique about Mother's Day and write about it.

Writing Prompt Rules:

• Keep your pen moving
• Don't cross anything out or erase anything
• Don't pick your pen up off the paper
• Write for 15 minutes

Happy Writing!   

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It's been a while since we've done one of these.  In the news, the Swine Flu (H1N1) virus has been receiving a lot of information.  Some news sources have apologized for blowing the illness out of proportion.  For today's writing prompt, I want you to think of a situation from your life and you are going to blow it out of proportion.  Make the event, the smaller the better, seem as though the whole turn of your life depended upon this moment in time.

As always, writing prompt rules are:

• Keep y...

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For today's writing prompt, I want you to imagine what you would rather be doing.  Begin writing with the words, "I would rather..."  write for five minutes.  Interpret this as you will and have fun with it!  The rules, as always for the writing prompt are to keep the pencil moving, don't pick the pencil up, and don't cross anything out.

Happy Writing!

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In today's writing prompt, all you will need is a piece of paper and a pen. The catch is, instead of writing, first you will doodle - whatever comes to your mind for ten minutes.  After you doodle, write for ten minutes, again whatever comes to your mind.  As always, with the writing prompts, you want to write continuously for the designated time period, without picking up your writing utensil or scratching anything out.

Happy Writing!

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Today we are going to write from a photograph.  Pick a photograph from your personal collection or from a magazine.  You will describe in your writing what is going on in the picture following the writing prompt rules:

• Do not pick up your pencil
• Do not stop writing
• Do not cross anything out
• Write for at least 10 minutes

When you are done, you will have created a small scene with your words. 

Happy Writing!

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This writing exercise depends upon thinking about generosity in a time of increasing need.  Think about the news lately.  Now imagine that money is no object - as long as you use it to help other people.  What would you do?  What sort of programs would you start? 

Rules for the writing prompt:

• Write for 10 minutes
• Do not cross anything out
• Do not lift up your pen
• Do not stop writing

Begin your writing with "If money were no object I would help..."  At the end of this writing session, you may wish...
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Happy New Year!  May your goals and hopes come to fruition in 2009!

This prompt focuses on juxtaposing the words "never" with "always."  In this exercise, you will alternate sentences beginning, "I never..." and "I always..." The rules are as follows:

• Time yourself for 5 minutes
• Do not stop writing
• Do not lift up your pen
• Do not cross anything out

-AND-

• Do not follow a "never" with a "never" or an "always" with an "always." 
  

Once you finish the prompt you should have an interesting collection of tho...
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Goals...

It's that time of year, when we reflect on times past and look to the future.  What are your goals for next year?  In my blog post where I discussed good goal setting practices, I mentioned that it is best to be specific.  This writing prompt will deal with setting your goals.  Imagine that you are looking back at your year on December 31, 2009.  What did you accomplish?  As always, the rules for the writing prompt are:

• Time yourself fifteen minutes
• Don't stop writing!
• Don't pick your pe...

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Using a writing prompt can be a helpful way to brainstorm ideas for a paper when you are stuck.  Today we will use a topic for research as the writing prompt.  The rules are:

• Write for five minutes.
• Don't stop writing.
• Don't pick your pencil up off the paper.
• Don't cross anything out.

For today's prompt, you will write the topic at the heading of your paper.  The topic I'm working on this week is "Wealth and Poverty."  Start timing yourself and write everything that comes to your mind for the next...
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Writing prompts are a great way to release your worries.  Today's writing prompt will function like a meditation.

    The rules for this prompt are:

•         Keep your hand moving.
•         Keep your pen on the paper.
•         Do not cross anything out.
•         Take as much time as you need in order to complete the exercise.
  

Today, write a list of everything that troubles you.  Don't censor your list.  Once your list has been completed, then start at the top.  As yourself, "Why does this worry me?"  T...
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Writing prompts are a great way to unleash your creativity.  In order to create suspense from the beginning of a story, begin things in the middle. 

    The rules for this prompt are:

•         Time yourself for 10 minutes.
•         Keep your hand moving.
•         Keep your pen on the paper.
•         Do not cross anything out.

Start your writing prompt with "While she knew...  she didn't know that..." 

What did she know?  How can you contrast this with what she did not know? 

Happy Writing!
...
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Writing prompts are a great way to tap into your creativity.  Here are the writing prompt rules:
 
1. Time yourself for 5 minutes.
2. Do not pick your pen up off the paper.
3. Do not cross anything out.
4. Aim to keep your hand moving.

Since yesterday was Thanksgiving, I'm going to use a Thanksgiving theme. Think of a problem you have been having in your life and then think of the things you are thankful and grateful for.  Then, start your writing with the following line:

    Even though (insert you...
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