Writing Prompt: February 7, 2014

Write about surprise.

Complete the following sentence:

Nothing could surprise me more than…. __________________________________________________.

Explain why this is so. What would you do if this actually happened? What could you do to make it happen?

Writing Prompt: February 6, 2014

Write about your worst nightmare.

What is the absolutely worst thing that could happen to you? Now, write a fictionalized scene—a page or so, and have that happen to a character. Does your character find their way out of the dilemma? If so, how? If not, what happens next? Write about the consequences.

Writing Prompt: February 5, 2014

Write about ecstasy.

No, I’m not talking about 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, but don’t let me stop you if that’s where you want to go with this. I’m more interested in having you write about a time you experienced delight, bliss, or elation that wasn’t drug-induced. What were you doing? Who was with you? How long did the “high” last? When thinking about the experience, can you recreate the feeing?

Writing Prompt: February 4, 2014

Write about relief.

We all have times when we feel relieved about an outcome or experience, something that did or did not come to pass. When was the last time you “breathed a sigh of relief?” When did you feel comfortable again after worrying about something?

Writing Prompt for February 3:

Write About Your Shadow

Yesterday was Ground Hog day. According to tradition,  if a  groundhog,  comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep and sees his shadow, it is six more weeks of bad weather; if it is a shadow-less day, spring is near.

We all have a shadow side, but most of us would prefer to keep it tucked away, out of sight. In honor of the groundhog, today is a day to write about your shadow, the side of yourself, you would prefer not to look at.

Give your shadow a name and write about it as if you were an outside observer.  What does your shadow look like? How often does he or she visit? How do friends, co-workers, or family members react to this personality? What would your life be like if this shadow had more of a voice?  Create a character sketch based on this shadow.

Writing Prompt for February 2

Write about your happiest memory.

When did it happen? What was going on ? Who was with you? Why did this person, place or thing make you happy?  How long did the happy feeling last? Does just thinking about this memory make you happy? Are you generally a happy person?  Why or why not.

February prompts will be about feelings. From love to hate, writers need to consider our own feelings as well as those of the characters we are developing.  Whether we are aware of it or not, our feelings motivate our actions. If your character is filled with sadness and grief, he will behave differently than someone who is full of  lust or hate.  Often, we pay no attention to our feelings and either ignore them or anesthetize ourselves so that we don’t have to feel them.  Knowing more about your own feelings will help you develop yourself as a writer as well as the  characters you write about.

Writing Prompt for February 1:

What feelings are you currently hiding?  Why are you keeping these feelings to yourself? What do you believe would happen if you expressed one or more of them?

Writing Prompt: January 31, 2014

100 years from now, how would you like to be remembered? What legacy would you like to leave behind?

Speak Your Truth, Write Your Story

Ask me about Writing Workshops: Write Your Story Memoir, Writing as a Pathway to Healing Trauma, Free Yourself to Write, and How to Plan Your Novel. Email me: jan@janfishler.net or call: 530-264-5105

Buy my adoption memoir: Searching for Jane, Finding Myself Kindle edition on Amazon.