March Moonlight Writing Prompt

Below is a beautiful relaxation video with moon pictures and other relaxing images of a peaceful earth.  Enjoy it while you write.

Fiction Prompt:  Put your character in moonlight and write a scene where the character reflects on his or her conflict.

Creative Nonfiction Prompt:  Write about a memory of moonlight and what you remember in the moonlight.

Poetry Prompt: Write a poem of 12 lines or less that takes place in moonlight.  However, nowhere in the poem or title will you mention the words "moon" or "light."

In Memory of Sylvia Beach

Upon reading the Writer's Almanac today, I learned that it is the birthday of book publisher Sylvia Beach, who ran a lending library in France during World War II.  To learn more about Sylvia Beach, please read the Writer's Almanac at this link:


http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/

I like Ernest Hemmingway's description of Sylvia Beach.  It is quoted from The Writer's Almanac as this:

"Sylvia had a lively, sharply sculptured face, brown eyes that were as alive as a small animal's and as gay as a young girl's, and wavy brown hair that was brushed back from her fine forehead and cut thick below her ears and at the line of the collar of the brown velvet jacket she wore. She had pretty legs and she was kind, cheerful and interested, and loved to make jokes and gossip. No one that I ever knew was nicer to me."

Writing Practice Prompt:  Think of someone you know and write a short description like the paragraph above.  Or create a new character starting with a paragraph similar to the one above.  Notice that there is one comparison to an animal (Hemmingway observes "brown eye's that were alive as a small animal's," but you can pick a specific animal for comparing one aspect of the person to).  Make sure you describe something about what the character might wear, and put in a personality trait (like "make jokes and gossip").  And of course, add in anything else you would like.



Poetry Prompt: FIRST write out a paragraph like instructed above.  Then make it into a poem, just a simple poem that describes someone, but try to make the last line surprising.

What's in the bag?

Fiction Prompt: This character in the picture is going to give something to your character. It is in one of the bags. What is it? Why is that person giving it to your character? Write the scene when the character receives the surprise.

Poetry: Your prompt today is to write about a gift you received in a short poem of 10 lines or less.

Prompt in Honor of International Women's Day

When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die. -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Because it is International Women's Day, I offer the quote above from Eleanor Roosevelt as our daily creative writing prompt. 

Key word:  Contribution

Personal Reflection Prompt:  What kind of non monetary contribution, big or small, would you like to make in the future? Why?

Fiction Prompt:  Invent a story about a character who is on a mission to make a contribution to someone or a cause through his or her actions.  What is the contribution?  Why does your character want to do this?  What conflicts does your character encounter when trying to do this? How do they get resolved?

Essay:  Write a short essay of 500 words or less about if you agree with the quote or not and state why you do or don't agree.

Poetry Prompt:  Write a poem about a contribution the universe is giving you today.  Maybe it is the gift of sunlight, time with a friend, the discovery of something beautiful, etc.

Random Words

Today is a "random word prompt" day. I got this idea from playing Poetry Poker with my poet friend Liz last weekend.  There are lots of ways to play with a random set of words.  I'll list some words and you make a choice from the three prompts below. 

1.  Pick 5 words and make a sentence with those words and only forms of those words.  You can make nouns plural, put in personal pronouns, prepositions, etc.  But stick with the root of the 5 words you choose.  That sentence can be the opening line of a story or poem.

2.  Pick 1 word that prompts a memory that makes you want to write.  Write about the memory.

3.  Use all the words in a poem.  You must use all the words, but you can also use other words, too.  Keep your poem under 20 lines.

Here are the words:  peppermint, fly, mountain, ruin, satin, polka dots, star, drip, spin, powder, blade, scream 

Happy Birthday, Dr. Suess! This one's for you!

"Don't cry because it's over.  Smile because it happened."  Dr. Suess

Today I offer 4 prompts for you based on this quote.  I hope you like them.  Please feel free to leave some feedback. 

1.  What positive things have happened in your life that make you look back and smile?  Make a list of 5 of them.  Then pick one and write about it. 

2.  Make a list poem.  The working title can be, "Why I Smile" or "What Makes Me Smile."

3.  Story starter:  There is a character who has not smiled in a week, but today, the character smiles.  Write the story. 

4.  If you are working on a novel and already have a character, reflect on what makes your character smile.

                          

A Quote from Lord Byron

If  I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad.  -Lord Byron

Prompt:  What must you empty from your mind today to keep from going mad?

I suppose that sounds a bit dramatic. 

Your second prompt option: Use the line below as a first line as a poem or story or memory, and go with it. 

"At the river, we wept. . ."

This prompt was inspired by a Lord Byron poem.  You can read it here:

http://englishhistory.net/byron/poems/babylon.html