Journal Prompt 1
1. MAKE A LIST OF AT LEAST 5 TURNING
POINTS IN YOUR LIFE & RECORD THE
YEARS IN WHICH THESE EVENTS
OCCURRED
2. MAKE A LIST OF HISTORICAL EVENTS
THAT OCCURRED IN THESE YEARS
3. LOOK FOR OVERLAP BETWEEN 1&2
(don’t worry if you don’t see any)
Personal Essay
DISCUSS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
AUTOBIOGRAPHY, MEMOIR, AND PERSONAL ESSAY
1.
2.
DISCUSS OBLIGATIONS OF NON-FICTION AND
BRAINSTORM EXAMPLES
(research, dialogue)
3. DISCUSS A MILLION LITTLE PIECES CONTROVERSY
4. USING BRAINSTORMED LIST DISCUSS FEATURES
THAT INTEREST READERS
(relatability, novelty, voice, style)
Free write/Brainstorm for essay
HW: acquire a BOUND JOURNAL
Journal Prompt 2
RETELL A STORY YOU WERE ONCE TOLD BY SOMEONE
ELSE.
Be sure to consider why this tale is memorable. Was it the
tale itself? Something special about the storyteller? Or did
the time/place/relevance to your life make it especially
poignant?
IN YOUR RETELLING BE AS SPECIFIC AND VISUAL AS
POSSIBLE ABOUT THE TIME/PLACE/PEOPLE INVOLVED.
Personal Essay example
1. READ AND DISCUSS THE EXCERPT FROM
GOREN’S ESSAY “I FEEL A SPELL COMING ON”
2. DISCUSS IMPORTANCE OF TITLE/ LEAD
ELEMENTS
3. WORK ON PERSONAL ESSAY
Journal Prompt 3
WHO IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN
YOUR LIFE? CONSIDER WHY.
Then describe either:
1.
YOUR FIRST MEETING WITH THIS PERSON
2.
A MEMORABLE TIME WITH THEM
3.
WHAT MADE YOU REALIZE THEIR
IMPORTANCE TO YOU
4.
A BLEND OF 1-3
Personal Essay example
1.
READ AND DISCUSS SELZER’S “THE DISCUSS
THROWER”
2. DISCUSS IMPORTANCE OF TITLE/ LEAD ELEMENTS/
DICTION
3. DISCUSS DIFFERENCES FROM YESTERDAY’S PIECE.
In your opinion which is more captivating? Why?
4. WORK ON PERSONAL ESSAY (after tomorrow’s
session you should have a rough draft finished)
Journal Prompt 4
DESCRIBE AN INSTANCE WHERE
YOU RECALL HAVING BEEN
TERRIFIED
(or some other extreme emotion)
Flash Techniques
1.
FLASH FORWARD
less common technique used for delaying gratification of
the now, but in a way that provides a suggestion using a
future parallel
2. FLASHBACK
Be careful to avoid starting with a flashback. Remember
you want to start with action.
Also avoid using a flashback as a way of providing
backstory or general explanation for why the now is
happening
(see )
Peer Editing/ Sharing Sessions
REVIEW THE GENERAL RULES AND THEN
PUT THEM TO PRACTICE!
HW FOR MONDAY:
1) ACQUIRE A BOUND JOURNAL/NOTEBOOK
2) HAVE YOUR GRADING POLICY SIGNED
Journal Prompt 5
WRITE A LETTER TO EITHER YOUR
CHILDHOOD SELF OR TO YOUR
FUTURE SELF.
What would you want this other you to
either know or remember? Think about
what changes such a letter could cause.
Ex. http://youtu.be/RQ3bn7V0zdU
Journal Prompt 6
Free Write: Let one of the images inspire your writing.
Flash Fiction
AT THE AUTOPSY
"Victim’s blood is completely drained, apparently
through two small puncture wounds in the neck," said
the coroner.
"Hey ... you don’t suppose it’s, you know, the real deal?"
asked his assistant.
"No, just some psycho."
"You sure?"
They stared at each other for a moment, then burst out
laughing–but stopped when the corpse laughed, too.
ROSS LESKO
LAKEWOOD, OH
Flash Fiction
DEATH TRAP
The growing hatred between Mary and Robert was such
that a killing was inevitable.
Mary had a plan, baiting Robert incessantly in the hope
that he would kill her.
The note he found after he shot her read, "Thank you,
Robert. Doctors had given me only two months. I hope
you rot in prison forever."
ERNIE GLENESK
SANTA MARIA
Flash Fiction
ONE YEAR LATER
"Good morning, Eva."
"Morning, Sheryl."
"So how’s your garden doing?"
"Growing like a weed!"
They laughed.
"I’m sure it’s given you a lot of comfort since Henry disappeared,"
said Sheryl kindly.
"Actually," said Eva, "I often feel he never really left me at all."
Her roses were unusually large that summer.
MARTHA PHILLIPS
MADISON, WI
Flash Fiction
“JERMAINE’S POSTSCRIPT TO HIS SEVENTH-GRADE POEM ASSIGNMENT,” BY
CHRISTOFFER MOLNAR.
“Ms. Tyler, the girl part was about Shantell. Please don’t
tell anyone.”
“HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM,” BY J. MATTHEW ZOSS.
I’m sorry, but there’s not enough air in here for everyone.
I’ll tell them you were a hero.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY’S 6-WORD STORY:
For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.
Journal Prompt 7
Part 1: Either pick an individual from your life or create your
own character then imagine conducting an interview with them
to find out everything possible about who they are. Record
their responses using dialogue (try to capture their attitude).
Start with basic interview questions such as:
•
•
•
•
What’s your name?
Where were you born?
How old are you?
Do you have a job? What is it? For how long have you had it? What do you enjoy/hate about it?
To put your subject at ease and then build to more complex
questions such as:
•
Describe your relationship with your (mother/sister/ boyfriend/ boss, etc…)
Finally, end with your most challenging/ personally invasive
question. For example:
•
•
Do you care to address the rumors that _____ has been cheating on you?
Can you describe the night you found _______’s body?
Part II: Exchange your list with someone near you.
 Look over the list of information you have been
provided and then write as if you are this character
using the line "I lay awake, unable to sleep, and all
because…" to start your entry.
Consider what is this new character excited about, or
scared of? What have they done or what will they have
to do that keeps running through their mind?
Journal Prompt 8
The best short stories jump right into the action. Furthermore, readers love
mysteries, surprises, and intrigue. By letting them know that something or
someone is not what he/she/it seems, you magically create the potential for
all three.
FREE WRITE TO THE STORY STARTER BELOW.
"... WAS/WERE NOT WHAT IT/HE/SHE SEEMED."
EXAMPLES:
THE NEW SECRETARY WAS NOT WHAT SHE SEEMED.
THEIR MARRIAGE WAS NOT WHAT IT SEEMED.
THE JOB OFFER WAS NOT WHAT IT SEEMED.
T HE ADOPTION AGENCY WAS NOT WHAT IT SEEMED.
THE GRAY HOUSE ON THE CORNER WAS NOT WHAT IT SEEMED.
THOSE LIGHTS IN THE SKY WERE NOT WHAT THEY SEEMED.
THE HOTEL WAS NOT WHAT IT SEEMED.
NOTE: DON’T FEEL
COMPELLED TO USE SUCH SIMPLE SENTENCES. Y OU CAN USE
COMPLEX SENTENCES, INTRODUCTORY PHRASE, CLAUSES, PREPOSITIONAL
PHRASES, ETC… TO MAKE YOUR OPENING AS ARRESTING AS YOU’D LIKE.
Journal Prompt 9
Incorporate the paradox
sorrow”
“sweet
into a free write of your choice.
Ex. Shakespeare once wrote, “Parting is such
sweet sorrow that I’ll say goodnight until
tomorrow…”
Journal Prompt 10
WRITE DIALOGUE BETWEEN TWO CHARACTERS
HAVING AN ARGUMENT.
Keep writing for ten minutes without stopping, and
remember the primary condition: the characters must
always disagree.
A S LONG AS YOU HAVE DISAGREEMENT, YOU HAVE CONFLICT,
AND, IF YOU HAVE CONFLICT, YOU’ LL HAVE DRAMATIC TENSION.
DIALOGUE SHOULD BE FUN, SNAPPY, CRISP, AND SHOULD REVEAL
SOMETHING ABOUT THE PEOPLE SPEAKING.
•
•
Journal Prompt 10 (Don’ts)
THINGS THAT KILL DIALOGUE
1 . W HEN CHARACTERS TELL EACH OTHER WHAT THEY ALREADY
KNOW
2 . W HEN CHARACTERS RESPOND AS IF THEY EXPECTED TO HEAR
WHAT THE OTHER SAID
3 . W HEN CHARACTERS STATE THE ISSUES OF THE SCENE EXPLICITLY
(i.e. “I’m angry at you for withholding emotionally)
Journal Prompt 10 Example
“Would you pass the salt?”
“Get it yourself,” he said, not looking up from the
television.
She reached for he salt, and threw it through the
TV screen.
“Now,” she said, “would you pass the pepper?”
Journal Prompt 11
FREE WRITE: INCLUDE EITHER
“A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS”
OR A
“SECOND CHANCE”
IN YOUR WRITING
Journal Prompt 12
Go back through your previous entries and rough drafts;
choose a piece that begins with character and rewrite it,
this time leading with three full lines of setting
description before introducing the characters.
Start out wide and line by line, bring your focus closer in
toward the characters.
The fact that the place precedes the characters could say
something about the character’s relationship to that
space OR it may symbolically suggest a theme/idea that
your characters will go on to flesh out.
Journal 13: It’s all about the
setting…
WRITE FOR TEN MINUTES TO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:
•
Describe a building as seen by a man whose son has just been killed in a
war. Do not mention the son, war, death, or the old man doing the seeing;
then describe the same building, in the same weather and at the same time
of day, as seen by a happy lover. Do not mention love or the loved one.
•
Describe a landscape as seen by an old woman whose disgusting and
detestable old husband has just died. Do not mention the husband or
death.
•
Describe a lake as seen by a young man who has just committed murder.
Do not mention the murder.
•
Describe a landscape as seen by a bird. Do not mention the bird.
DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE A TIME PERIOD OR TO GO BEYOND THE
VISUAL AND INCLUDE OTHER SENSORY DETAILS (SOUNDS, TASTES,
SMELLS, ETC…)
San Antonio
Naomi Shihab Nye, 1952
Tonight I lingered over your name,
the delicate assembly of vowels
a voice inside my head.
You were sleeping when I arrived.
I stood by your bed
and watched the sheets rise gently.
I knew what slant of light
would make you turn over.
It was then I felt
the highways slide out of my hands.
I remembered the old men
in the west side cafe,
dealing dominoes like magical charms.
It was then I knew,
like a woman looking backward,
I could not leave you,
or find anyone I loved more.
Hibernating by day, they hover tree-top high. Dark Iron
Shells silently absorbing the sun’s rays, locking away
energy for night fall when sunlight will burst forth in a
concentrated beam, glaring down upon the cracked and
rust-stained concrete. Their impartial façade disappearing,
replaced with an immovable anger against all intruders.
Army Rows eliminate the likelihood of stealth being enough
to sneak past their obstinate guard.
Journal Prompt 14
YOU MAY FREE WRITE ABOUT WHATEVER YOU WISH OR
YOU MAY USE ONE OF THE PROMPTS BELOW FOR
INSPIRATION:
•
Topic: broken promises
Or incorporate one of the following lines:
“…daydreaming with a pencil…”
• “…split your time…”
• “…I couldn’t believe my eyes…”
•
Journal 15
Contemporary readers typically prefer short tidbits of
description sprinkled throughout rather than long intricate
passages describing the setting.
Choose THREE of the below prompts and write an opening for
a story in each location/time. Keep your descriptions to no
more than a paragraph each in length.
A GHOST TOWN IN THE WILD OLD WEST.
A CONTEMPORARY METROPOLIS.
A MEDIEVAL HOUSEHOLD.
A MADE-UP FANTASY LAND.
ABOARD A VESSEL, SUCH AS A SPACESHIP, IN THE FAR -OFF
FUTURE.
EXPERIMENT WITH THE FOLLOWING TECHNIQUES:
present a snapshot of the landscape before moving into your story
•
bring readers right into the setting by combining the setting’s
description with action and by using active language rather than
passive:
Instead of describing busy streets packed with shoppers, explain
that shoppers coursed through the streets like rats in a maze.
•
•
•
bring characters into the setting: Kate craned her neck and spied
a tiny patch of sky amidst the towering skyscrapers.
In establishing time, instead of simply stating the date (the year
was 2012), you can place something in the setting that identifies
the era: A brand new 2012 Porche sped by and Kate whirled on her
heels just in time to see it disappear around the corner of
Lexington.
Journal 16
PART I: GUESS WHERE THE FOLLOWING
STORIES TAKE PLACE. WHAT HELPED YOU
FIGURE IT OUT?
A. The automatic doors opened swiftly as Jade strode
in. She glanced quickly at the cluster of signs and
pressed on down the wide polished corridor. Ahead of
her a set of double doors flew open and a trolley,
pushed by five concerned faces, passed rapidly by. The
smell of antiseptic caught at the back of her throat.
Pushing through the doors at the end of the corridor,
she emerged into a brightly lit room. Rows of plastic
seats groaned with injured people. Where was Manny?
The call had been brief. All she knew was that Manny
was here somewhere.
B. Sadie thrust the ticket into the man’s hand. Half-torn he returned
it and pulled open the door. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped forward
urgently into the dimly lit room. Stale popcorn collapsed under her
feet. She felt her way down the narrow aisle. She had agreed to meet
Gerry somewhere in the middle. The front was too close, whilst the
back meant you spent most of your time staring at the hairstyle in
front. A young couple stood up to let her pass, their coats fell from
their laps and were lost in the dark alley beneath their folding seats .
C. The vegetables gleamed under the lighting as special offers swung
giddily on their strings from the ceiling. He inched forward, keeping
himself well hidden behind the woman whose child rocked in the metal
cage provided at the back of the trolley. As they passed the cheese and
milk a cool draught caught the back of his neck, sending a shiver down
his spine.
Journal 16 Part II
CHOOSE AN IMAGE BELOW AND BEGIN A STORY WHERE THE
SETTING IS AMPLY DESCRIBED AND INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT.
Journal 17
BE AN OBSERVER:
The best writers are constantly on the lookout for
inspiration. Pieces of a conversation they hear in the
hallway, the tune in a TV advertisement, a bumper sticker, a
photograph, a piece of litter, a place, or an individual can all
serve as inspiration.
THINK BACK OVER THE PAST WEEK AND USE ONE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER WITH A RANDOM INDIVIDUAL OR OBJECT AS
INSPIRATION FOR A FREE WRITE.
(note your starting point at the top of the pg.)
Journal 18
•
MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE FAIRYTALES/ LEGENDS YOU
CAN THINK OF
•
COMPARE YOUR LIST WITH A NEIGHBOR’S
•
CIRCLE THE THREE FAIRYTALES THAT YOU FOUND MOST
SATISFYING AND EXPLAIN WHY
•
CIRCLE THE THREE FAIRYTALES THAT YOU FOUND
LEAST SATISFYING AND EXPLAIN WHY
Journal 19: Endings
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
1.AVOID DEUS EX MACHINA: An ending that comes unexpectedly out of nowhere
2. MUST BE LOGICAL
3. PROVIDING A QUICK WAY OUT WILL ONLY DRIVE AWAY READERS.
Don’t shortchange your viewers. You have to be patient.
4. FILL IN THE GAPS. Don’t leave the reader dangling. You’ll only annoy them.
5. THE BEST ENDINGS ARE THOSE THAT WILL READ YOUR READER
THINKING. ONE WAY to do this is to hook your reader into your character’s
thoughts. Unless your character dies then for them the story continues. Think
about what might come next. Find a way to end that wraps up the current dilemmas
in a manner that might change the character's future. Ruminate about the
philosophical implications. ANOTHER WAY: is to clearly reinforce the parallels to
modern life in a way that the reader may have learned something applicable.
ANOTHER WAY: your story is just that shocking/incredible that they are going to
keep thinking about it (There are many more)
Journal 19: Endings
IT’S THE NIGHT JAMES FINALLY FACES OFF WITH THE
SUPERNATURAL ENTITIES HUNTING HIS HOUSE. HE’S
PREPARED EVERYTHING THE CARNIE FORTUNE TELLER
HAD TOLD HIM TO PREPARE.
HOW WILL YOU PROVIDE A SATISFYING END TO JAMES’
STORY?
Journal 20: Asking “If” questions
Often times it is tempting to run with the first idea that enters your
head but,while doing so initially is no terrible thing, asking “IF…”
somewhere before you drop your pen on your “good copy” is warranted.
Question everything! And think of what every minor change in your first
paragraph will result in down the road. For practice:
WRITE TO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:
IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE (ALIVE OR
ALREADY DEAD), WHO WOULD IT BE? WHAT WOULD YOU
HAVE?
IF YOU COULD MEET ANY FICTIONAL CHARACTER, WHO WOULD
IT BE? WHERE WOULD YOU MEET? DISCUSS?
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR PRESENT
LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
IF YOU COULD LIVE ANYWHERE YOU WANTED, WHERE WOULD
YOU LIVE? WHY?
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND CHANGE ONE THINGS
FROM YOUR PAST, WHAT WOULD IT BE? WHY? HOW WOULD IT
CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
Journal 21: Sky’s the limit!
•
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW YOU COULD NOT
FAIL?
•
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF MONEY WERE NO OBJECT ?
•
WHAT WOULD YOU ASK FOR IF A GENIE GRANTED YOU
THREE WISHES?
•
WHAT’S YOUR WILDEST DREAM?
Journal 22: Sky’s the Limit part
II
•
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU COULD LIVE A DAY WITHOUT
CONSEQUENCES?
•
WHAT GRAND ADVENTURE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD GO
ON?
•
IF YOU COULD BECOME AN EXPERT IN ANY SUBJECT OR
ACTIVITY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
•
WHAT WOULD YOUR PERFECT DAY BE LIKE?
•
CLOSE YOUR EYES AND IMAGINE THE KIND OF WORLD YOU
WOULD LIKE TO SEE. WHAT IS IT LIKE?
Journal 23
STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
PUT YOUR PEN/PENCIL TO PAPER AND DON’T STOP
WRITING FOR THE NEXT TEN MINUTES.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT ORGANIZATION, SPELLING, OR MUCH
OF ANYTHING.
IF IT FLOWS THROUGH YOUR MIND,
WRITE IT DOWN.
Journal 24
IMAGINE YOU’RE ARE A CREATURE (REAL OR
MYTHOLOGICAL) AND THEN WRITE A
MONOLOGUE BRINGING THIS CHARACTER TO
LIFE. BE SURE TO CONSIDER HOW THE
PATTERN AND CONTENT OF THEIR THOUGHTS
WOULD DIFFER FROM A HUMAN’S.
Journal 25
EITHER:
1 . HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH AN
INANIMATE OBJECT
OR
1 . WRITE A PIECE INSPIRED BY A
MOVIE/ T.V. SHOW
Journal 26
Let one of the
images inspire you
Journal 27
SUPERPOWER
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY
WHAT WOULD IT BE?
DESCRIBE AN INSTANCE WHERE YOU CAN ENVISION
USING YOUR POWER.
(you may stick to narrative description, poetic verse,
or invent a short story around the event)
Journal 28
TAKE AN UNEXPECTED/UNUSUAL PERSPECTIVE:
1. BE A TRASH COLLECTOR WHO LOVES HIS/HER JOB
2. BE A SURGEON WITH A FEAR OF BLOOD
3. BE A TAX COLLECTOR WHO IS A NATURALIST
4. BE AN IMC AIDE WHO DOESN’T ENJOY READING
5. BE A COLOR BLIND PHOTO JOURNALIST
6. OR A UNIQUE PAIRING OF YOUR OWN
Journal Prompt 29
DESCRIBE ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE NOVELS/ SERIES.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS WORK THAT APPEALS TO YOU?
THE SUBJECT MATTER?
THE WRITING STYLE?
A PERSONAL CONNECTION?
IMAGINE THAT YOU WERE GOING TO GHOSTWRITE A
STORY FOR THIS AUTHOR. LAYOUT THE DETAILS THAT
YOU WOULD NEED TO INCLUDE TO GUARANTEE THAT
YOUR STORY APPEARED TO BE THE AUTHOR’S.
Brainstorming…
•
First you need an idea that is capable of being told in a short
story format (between 4-8 pages). Keep in mind the best stories
typically have some main message, moral, or purpose behind the
story (aka theme). What is the main theme of your story?
•
Determine what the main focus of your story is going to be (a
character, action, or setting).
•
Short stories typically have no more than four characters and
typically are located in only one place/time ( setting).
Brainstorming
What point-of-view will be most conductive to telling your story?
Why?
First person: The narrator is a character in the story and uses: I, my,
me, we, our and us to tell the story.
Third person omniscient: The narrator is outside of the story and is
not a character, but can see into the minds of all characters to tell
readers the characters' thoughts and feelings. The narrator knows all
and sees all.
Third person limited: The narrator is outside of the story and sees
into the mind of only one character. The narrator still sees other
characters, but only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character.
Journal Prompt 30
Imagine you have two characters stuck
i n a d j o i n i ng r o o m s . T h e y c a n e i t h e r s e e
each other or hear each other but not
both. While both characters are in no
immediate danger of death, one
character should be extremely worried
about their plight while the other, at
least initially, is not. Write a brief
sketch of how this story might play out.
Story Mapping
YESTERDAY YOU SHOULD HAVE ESTABLISHED:
1. YOUR MAIN IDEA/ THEME
2. SETTING
3. BEGUN EXPLORING CHARACTERS
TODAY YOU SHOULD OUTLINE:
1. INCITING INCIDENT
2. BUILD UP OF EVENTS
3. CLIMAX
4. RESOLUTION
Journal 31
Think of something that undergoes a
transformation and describe the
process using sensory imagery.
For example:
1. Go from being a grape to a raisin and discuss what it
feels like to shrivel and dry up
2. Be a Snowflake that melts Or water that turns to steam
and descript the process and how you feel about your
new state
Journal 32
FREE WRITE, INCORPORATING
THE LINE:
THE DOOR WAS LOCKED AND I
COULDN'T FIND THE KEY....
Journal 33
IN DETAIL, IMAGINE YOUR MORNING ROUTINE OF
GETTING READY FOR SCHOOL.
NOW IMAGINE THAT SOME EVENT ALTERS YOUR
NORMAL ROUTINE.
DESCRIBE THE SCENE/ OUTCOME….
Journal 34
DESCRIBE A HEADACHE (or other
physical ailment you’ve experienced) TO
SOMEONE WHO NEVER HAS
EXPERIENCED IT.
Journal 35
IMAGINE YOU COULD INVENT YOUR OWN HOLIDAY.
WHAT WOULD IT BE IN CELEBRATION OF?
HOW WOULD IT BE CELEBRATED?
WHO WOULD CELEBRATE?
WHEN? WHY?
Journal 36
FREE WRITE, INCORPORATING THE LINE:
WELL, DOCTOR, IT'S LIKE THIS....
Journal 37
INCORPORATE SOME STRANGE, UNUSUAL,
OR SURPRISING EVENT/DETAIL FROM
YOUR WEEKEND INTO A FREE WRITE .
Underline the element from your life.
Journal 38
FREE WRITE ON THE TOPIC OF LOVE AT
FIRST SIGHT.
IS IT REAL?
Journal 39
PARALLEL UNIVERSES EXIST!
WHAT DOES YOURS LOOK LIKE?
WHAT EVENT WAS THE TRIGGER THAT
SEPARATED IT FROM OUR UNIVERSE?
CAN YOU TRAVEL BETWEEN THEM? WHAT
HAPPENS IF YOU DO?
Journal 40
FREE WRITE: IN HONOR OF HALLOWEEN,
FOCUS ON A MONSTER OF YOUR CHOICE.
As you write consider the following:
What does it look like?
Where does it Live?
What does it eat?
What are its strengths/weaknesses?
Journal 41
FREE WRITE: “I FEEL A SPELL COMING ON…”
OR
INCORPORATING HALLOWEEN AS THE
SETTING
Journal 42
FREE WRITE: “A PENNY FOR YOUR
THOUGHTS…”
(OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WISH)
Journal 43
IMAGINE YOU WERE TRANSPORTED BACK IN
TIME TO A DIFFERENT ERA.
WRITE A SHORT PIECE AS A CHARACTER FROM
THIS TIME. EMBED SENSORY DETAILS THAT
WILL LET US KNOW WHEN/WHERE YOU ARE AND
GIVE US A TASTE OF THE FLAVOR OF THIS ERA.
Examples:
Victorian London
American Wild West
1920’s New York
Renaissance Italy
Babylon, 600AD
Crusades, Europe
King Ramsey, Egypt
Aztec Empire, South America
Journal 44
FREE WRITE:
“THE SOUND OF THE
CLOCK ON THE WALL…”
Journal 45
IMAGINE YOU ARE A TERRIFIC PAINTER AND
THAT YOUR PARENTS HAVE NO PROBLEM
WITH YOU PAINTING ON THE WALLS OF
YOUR BEDROOM.
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU WOULD PAINT AS
VIVIDLY AS POSSIBLE.
Journal 46
DESCRIBE AN UNUSUAL MODE OF
TRANSPORTATION
Journal 47
FREE WRITE:
“WHO FILLED THE POOL
WITH STRAWBERRY JELLO?”
Journal 48
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU
THINK THE IDEAL AGE
WOULD BE AND WHY
Journal 49
“WHAT DO YOU
MEAN THE NEXT
STOP IS …”
Journal 50
IMAGINE WHAT A RELATIVE
WOULD HAVE BEEN IN
ANOTHER TIME.
FOR EXAMPLE: COULD YOUR DAD
HAVE BEEN A PIRATE? WHICH
CHARACTERISTICS MAKE YOU
THINK THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A
SUITABLE OCCUPATION FOR HIM?
Journal 51
IMAGINE YOU COULD BE
ANY CHARACTER. WHOM
WOULD YOU BE? WHY?
Journal 52
BEGINNING WRITER’S OFTEN FORGET TO GO BEYOND SIGHT WHEN
UTILIZING SENSORY DETAILS.
EXPLORE WHAT ONE THE FOLLOWING SCENTS EVOKES FOR
YOU. A MEMORY? A DREAM? AN EMOTION?
CINNAMON
CUT GRASS
•
DAMP PAPER
•
PENCIL ERASERS
•
CHALK
•
WET PAINT
•
TIRE RUBBER
•
HOLLY
•
•
Journal 53
DESCRIBE AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
IN AS MUCH DETAIL (SENSORY) AS POSSIBLE:
1. YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY
2. THE ONE MEMORY YOU WOULDN’T TRADE
FOR ANYTHING
3. AN EVENT/MEMORY YOU WISH YOU NEVER
EXPERIENCED OR COULD FORGET ENTIRELY
Journal 54
DESCRIBE WATCHING SOMETHING
FALL.
SOME IDEAS INCLUDE:
1. FEATHERS
2. LEAVES
3. SNOW
4. RAIN
5. METEORS
6. CHILDREN OFF SWINGS
7. CLOTHES OFF THE LINE
8. A DEFLATING BALLOON
Journal 55
IF YOU COULD HAVE
PERSONALLY
WITNESSED ONE EVENT
IN HISTORY, WHAT
WOULD YOU WANT TO
HAVE SEEN?
Journal 56
IF YOU JOINED THE
CIRCUS, WHAT ACT
WOULD YOU MOST
WANT TO
PERFORM?
Journal 57
YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR
METHOD OF DYING AND
THE PLACE IN WHICH
YOU WILL DIE. WHERE
WOULD YOU LIKE TO
DIE AND HOW?
Journal 58
DESCRIBE YOUR
THANKSGIVING BREAK.
ANY HIGHLIGHTS? ANY
LOWS?
Journal 59
CHOOSE THREE PEOPLE
CLOSE TO YOU AND IMAGINE
IF YOU COULD GIVE THEM
THE GIFT OF THEIR
DREAMS. WHAT WOULD IT
BE? HOW DO YOU THINK
THEY WOULD REACT?
Journal 60
FREE WRITE ABOUT
ONE OF THE
FOLLOWING IMAGES.
Journal 61
Let one of the quotes below inspire you.
“GREAT SPIRITS HAVE ALWAYS ENCOUNTERED VIOLENT
OPPOSITION FROM MEDIOCRE MINDS. ” ~ ALBERT
EINSTEIN
“A GOOD TRAVELER HAS NO FIXED PLANS AND IS NOT
INTENT ON ARRIVING.” – LAO TZU
“WE ARE WHAT WE PRETEND TO BE, SO WE MUST BE
CAREFUL WHAT WE PRETEND TO BE.” ~ KURT VONNEGUT
“IN LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO HIRE, YOU LOOK FOR THREE
QUALITIES: INTEGRITY, INTELLIGENCE, AND ENERGY.
AND IF THEY DON’T HAVE THE FIRST, THE OTHER TWO
WILL KILL YOU.” ~ WARREN BUFFETT
Journal 62
“What if…?”
PICK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING STARTS:
• …CHILDREN RULED THE WORLD
• …THE STREETS ALL TURNED TO RIVERS
• …YOU COULD DESIGN YOUR PERFECT DAY
• …YOU FOUND A MAGIC WAND
• …YOU COULD BE ANYTHING WHEN YOU GREW UP
• …YOU LIVED IN A MUSICAL
• …YOU COULD REDESIGN THE WORLD
Journal 63
Look at the following quotes and write whatever
comes to mind when you read them….
“IF YOUR DAILY LIFE SEEMS POOR, DO NOT BLAME IT; TELL
YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE NOT POET ENOUGH TO CALL FORTH ITS
RICHES.” — RILKE
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be some kind of
library.” — Jorge Luis Borges
“CALL IT A CLAN, CALL IT A NETWORK, CALL IT A TRIBE, CALL IT
A FAMILY. WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU
NEED ONE.” — JANE HOWARD
“What in your life is calling you? When all the noise is
silenced, the meetings adjourned, the lists laid aside, and the
wild iris blooms by itself in the dark forest, what still pulls
on your soul? In the silence between your heartbeats hides a
summons, do you hear it? Name it, if you must, or leave it
forever nameless, but why pretend it is not there?” — The
Terma Collective
Journal 64
EXECUTIVELY BRANCH OUT
YOU HAVE BEEN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES. WHEN YOU GET TO THE WHITE HOUSE, YOU
FIND OUT THAT THERE'S A NOTE FROM YOUR
PREDECESSOR. THE NOTE SAYS "GOOD LUCK," BUT
WHEN EVERYONE ELSE LEAVES THE ROOM THE
WORDS ON THE NOTE DISAPPEAR AND NEW WORDS
APPEAR: "LOOK IN THE BOTTOM DRAWER OF THE
DESK. THERE’S A HIDDEN COMPARTMENT. YOU WILL
FIND MORE INSTRUCTIONS THERE.”
CONTRIBUTED BY: BRIAN A. KLEMS | DECEMBER 2, 2014
Journal 65
USE ALL OF THESE IN A FREE WRITE:
AN UNLABELED CAN OF SOUP
A CIGARETTE PACK FILLED WITH M&MS
AN UNREQUITED CRUSH
Journal 66
WHEN A STRANGER TAPS YOU ON THE SHOULDER
YOU’RE LEAVING YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT AFTER
EATING BREAKFAST WHEN A STRANGER TAPS YOU ON THE
SHOULDER. BUT THIS TAP LEADS TO A CONVERSATION —AND
ADVENTURE—THAT LEAVES YOU WITH ONE ITEM THAT YOU
NEVER THOUGHT YOU’D EVER OWN. START YOUR STORY
WITH “I HATE TO BOTHER YOU, BUT I HAVE SOMETHING
IMPORTANT TO ASK.”
CONTRIBUTED BY: BRIAN A. KLEMS
WRITE A STORY FOR THE TITLE
“THE WALLFLOWER SOCIAL SOCIETY”
WRITE A MURDER MYSTERY THAT TAKES
PLACE ON A TRAIN IN THE 1920S OR 1950S.