Prompts

Writing Prompts for the week of January 25th – 29th are:

The Prompts:
1.) Share one piece of great advice you’ve received from someone who knows stuff…

2.) Write a series of tweets that ultimately end with a line that I actually tweeted on Friday night: “And then I sat on those remaining in the pack…and pulled the glowing sticks from under my ass.”

3.) Gregory MaGuire (author of books like Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister) is wildly popular right now (as is the musical Wicked). Write your own “re telling” of a classic fairy tale.
(inspired by Alecia from Savings & Stewardship)

4.) Luck, or divine intervention?
(inspired via email by Angie from Seven Clown Circus).

5.) Muffin Tin Monday…on Thursday? Every week Michelle hosts a carnival where you’re invited to link a meal you serve your kids in muffin tins. It’s kind of cute actually.
(inspired by Michelle from Muffin Tin Mom).

An ongoing list of all the prompts we’ve used in the ol’ workshop so far…I didn’t think them up all by myself. I’ve been inspired by countless bloggers, web sites, friends, and personal experiences. Can I be too lazy to site them all? Because I am:

1. Write about a time you hid from someone, or a time you disguised who you really were.
2. List 10 things worth saving then choose one of those things and write about it.
3. What did you do before we had the internet?
4. My 10 biggest fears.
5. When I’m upset…
6. Weave a poem that contains all these lines (in no particular order): “I tie the ribbon in a foolish way”, “the delicious fragility of this travesty”, “where we still laugh and wish”.
7. Write about a memory related to a holiday.
8. Recall a time when you did something to get noticed. Write about it.
9. Begin with “I wish someone told me…”
10. If you could rearrange three things about your life what would they be?
11. What do you love to create?
12. Complete the sentence “I’d walk a mile for a ________.” and continue writing about it.
13. Describe in detail a person who leaves no stone unturned.
14. When out to lunch with co-workers, you bump into a close friend who refers to you by a nickname.
15. Because of its unusualness, the nickname catches the interest of one of your co-workers who asks for the story behind it. Start your story with, “This may come as a surprise, but … ” and end it with, “And that’s how I got the nickname (fill in the blank).”
16. Write about an intense game of Scrabble that takes an ugly turn for the worse.
17. Write from the point of view of a glass at the edge of the table.
18. Describe a typical day during your Jr. High years.
19. Why do you write?
20. When I’m around too much negativity I…
21. You’ve been hired as a writer for “Late Show with David Letterman.” Your first assignment is to come up with a witty, nonpolitical Top Ten list for him to read on air.
22. Write a short essay about your child (and if you have more than one just choose your favorite and if you don’t have kids than just talk about your pet and if you don’t have a pet just talk about your significant other and if you don’t have a significant other than FREAK! Pick one of the other prompts this one is clearly not for you. ps go adopt a cat for crying out loud the humane society is overflowing with them.).
23. Name three people you last emailed and why.
24. How is life different for your children than when you were growing up?
25. Write a letter to the 10-year-old child you had been.
26. Write about a heart that wouldn’t quit.
27. Describe a childhood birthday.
28. Do you have reoccurring dreams? What are they about?
29. Close your eyes, open a dictionary, and point to a word. Does your word mean anything special to you?
30. Lost? How come?
31. If I could take tomorrow off work I’d…
32. Write a letter to someone you miss greatly
33. 10 things I believe in…
34. Put Shaggy (Scooby Doo’s partner) and Batgirl in an elevator and write a 200 word scene.
35. Write about a time you hid from someone, or a time you disguised who you really were.
36. List 10 things worth saving then choose one of those things and write about it.
37. What did you do before we had the internet?
38. You awaken with amnesia in what looks to be an igloo. You have $4 and a rock in one pocket, and a toothbrush in the other. Someone is staring at you. Write this scene.
39. Write a 16-line poem (rhyming or non-rhyming) about a moment from your childhood that changed your life for the better.
40. You’re sitting at work one day and receive a text message from an unrecognized number. The text says,
41. “I have the money and hid the body.” You think this is a practical joke from a friend, so you play along at first. But the more texts you receive, the more you realize that it isn’t a joke. Write the text conversation you have with this unknown texter.
42. 10 of my absolute worst pet peeves…
43. Fictionalize an event that happened to one of your parents, friends, or siblings.
44. Write a haiku about what you see out the window. (if you don’t know what a haiku is click here.)
45. Begin with “I thought I saw…”
46. If I could live in any era of history, what would it be — list 10 reasons why.
47. Write a light hearted piece on how to get along with an enemy.
48. The first time you…
49. The last time I laughed really hard…
50. Forgive and forget…I think.
51. I remember when…
52. Write about something that bothered you this week.
53. Write a poem about a favorite color.
52. Tag! Post and write about the 6th picture from (the 6th folder of?) your Flickr account and then do the same for the 6th picture of the 6th folder on your computer.
53. Are you still friends with you high school friends? Describe them.
54. If you had to star in a reality tv show, which one would it be and why?
55. Describe a time when your pet caused chaos.
56. Allergies much?
57. Worst dentist experience ever.
58. Describe a “new road” you’ve taken in your life.
59.What would you say to a mouse who could talk?
60. Who is the best listener you know? What makes him or her such a good listener?
61. Write or share a letter to Santa.
62. Describe a faovrite Winter memory.
63. Last night it snowed buckets and you are forced to spend the entire day at home with your family…what’s the plan!?!
64. What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten/given.
65. Describe a Christmas tradition that you have started with your own family?
66. Describe a New Year’s where you would have been better off just staying home.
67. What do you do that drives your mother crazy?
68. Share your favorite gluten free recipe (hey, so what if I rig the topics to suit my life…)
69. Close out 2008 with your own TOP 10 list!
70. Describe your latest obsession.
71. Ask a loved one to use 6 descriptive words to describe you and report your findings. How well do they know you?
72. Who was your first bloggy friend? How did you find each other? Do you still correspond?
73. Tell us about your pet! If you have a weird infatuation with your dog or cat we want to hear about it (or if they just plain drive you crazy)…but please don’t compare them to children. It’s just not the same.
74. Describe your significant other’s most attractive quality (on the inside).
75. Tell about a time you stole something.
76. Choose a poem you like. Take the last line and use it as the first line of your own poem.
77. Write about a scary encounter with one of your old professors.

78. Tell us about a memorable blind date.
79. Other than the birth of a child or your wedding, write about a joyous moment.
80. Write about one of the most difficult decisions you have made in your life.
81. Share the best picture you took last month and explain why it’s your favorite.
82. Tell us about a stray animal you took in.
83. Write a poem for your favorite teacher of all time.
84. Describe someone in your life you wish you saw more of.
85. Write a letter to someone who bothered you this week.
86. Tell us about a lie you told that you later regretted.
87. Choose a task you’d like someone to complete and write a poem asking them to do it.
88. Describe a talent you have.
89. Write a list of ten things on your mind this week.
90. What was the first CD (or record or cassette) you ever purchased? Write about the way that particular album made you feel then. Write about how it makes you feel now.
91. You were recently laid off. Instead of moping around, you’ve viewed it as a chance to start fresh. Pick a new career and write about your first day on the job.
92. List your five most recent favorite things.
93. I’m hungry. Share your very favorite recipe!!
94. If you were starring on American Idol TONIGHT and HAD to sing, what song would you choose and why.
95. Take a picture of yourself right this minute without primping and explain to us why it is you have not washed your hair today.
96. I just asked Pat to help me with a writing prompt so here’s his: “What do you think about the NBA All Star game”…blech.
97. What’s your number one pet peeve? Develop a punishment for anyone caught in the act.
98. Write about something mean you did to a sibling growing up.
99. For your birthday a sibling has decided to have the first six months of your blog printed and bound. Write a forward for the book.
100. Write a 26-line poem using all the letters of the alphabet, where the first line starts with the letter “A,” the second “B,” the third “C,” etc., culminating with the final line starting with “Z.”
101. Start your story with, “In retrospect, I wouldn’t say it was my best idea.” And end it with, “And that’s how I attempted to make this world a better place.
102. What would the truth have done? Write about a time when honesty was NOT the best policy.
103. What made your childhood bearable? Write about it.
104. Write a limerick.
105. Normal is…
106. Describe a memorable camping experience.
107. What’s the best thing that has happened this week?
108. Did you have a childhood hideout? Where? Describe it.
109. Words that hurt me.
110. Discuss an intense game of Pictionary that you spent most of Saturday night arguing with your family about, only to log in to your email account two days later to find 35 emails between said family regarding aformentioned game and rules.
111. Tell about a time you hurt somebody that still bothers you to this day.
112. The one that got away….spill it.
Thank you Kristen from All In A Mom’s Life for those last two suggestions.
113. What inspired you? Write about a time when you were impassioned to write.
114. What happened in the last year? Write about something you can do now that you couldn’t do a year ago.
115. Write about the event that was the end of your childhood
116. I used to think…
117. List ten things you can do in three minutes.
118. Describe a time you allowed your child to do something that you normally would not let slide.
119. I want to become friends with…
120. What are you currently fascinated with?
3.25.09 “assignment”