What do you want?
Set your timer and write for 15 or 20 minutes. See what comes up for you.
If this prompt is too “open” or vague for you, how about this:
What do you want to do today? If you could do anything you want. . . what would you like to do today?
You can answer for yourself, or as your fictional character would answer. This might be a fun way to get to know your fictional character(s) a little deeper.
Above all, have fun with this prompt!
Using the same scene you wrote about for Prompt #108, write from the other person’s point of view. All inner thought, motivation and drama come from the secondary character’s point of view.
Or take any two characters: First write from one point of view, then write from the other person’s point of view.
Today’s writing prompt is inspired from “Falling Down the Rabbit Hole” by Emily Hanlon, December 2007 issue of Writer’s Digest magazine.
Using an incident from your life, or your fictional character’s life, write a scene from your point of view (or, your fictional character’s point of view). Use dialogue. Inner thought is what defines point of view. The other character in this scene speaks and acts, but the reader doesn’t know the secondary character’s thoughts. All the inner thoughts belong to the point-of-view character.
Basically, you are writing about an argument or a fight, or a heated debate between two people . . . yourself or your fictional character, and a secondary character, using dialogue.
So far, on The Write Spot Blog, the prompts have been nice and easy. How about challenging yourself with a pantoum?
Pantoum is the Western word for the Malayan pantun, a poetic form that first appeared in the fifteenth century, in Malayan literature. It existed orally before then.
The Western version of the pantoum is a poem of indefinite length made up of stanzas whose four lines are repeated in a pattern: lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are repeated as lines 1 and 3 of the next stanza.
___________________________________________________________ line 1
___________________________________________________________ line 2
___________________________________________________________ line 3
___________________________________________________________ line 4
___________________________________________________________ line 5 – same as line 2
___________________________________________________________ line 6
___________________________________________________________ line 7 – same as line 4
___________________________________________________________ line 8
___________________________________________________________ line 9 – same as line 6
___________________________________________________________ line 10 – same as line 3
___________________________________________________________ line 11 – same as line 8
___________________________________________________________ line 12 – same as line 1
The final stanza has a twist: The second and fourth lines are the same as the third and first lines of the first stanza. The first line of the poem is the same as the last. This way, every line is used twice.
Click on comments below to see samples of pantoums.
From the October 2014 issue of Writer Magazine, “Writers on Writing,” Roxane Gay:
“Writing, at its best and truest, can offer solace and salvation for both readers and writers.”
Marlene’s Musings: Sometimes we want to read something good, just like we want comfort food. We need you, Writers, to do your best to create those words that soothe and settle us.
Use the prompts sprinkled throughout The Write Spot Blog and Just Write!
The funny thing about rock bottom is . . .Photo by Breana Marie
Start a sentence with “The way I found out about . . . ” and go from there. Write! Just write.
Write about your favorite food or drink and the last time you had it/them.
Photo of fruit salad, prepared by Meals From The Heart at the French Market in New Orleans. If you go there, go to this Cafe. Seriously good food. The BEST gluten-free crabcakes!
I facilitate Jumpstart writing workshops in Petaluma, California and here, online, with you. People new to writing have a hard time saying “I’m a writer.” So did I, until my writing teacher, Pat Schneider, made me say it out loud.
And now I’m encouraging you to say it out loud. Come on. I’ll say it, too.
I am a writer.
Again, louder. I AM A WRITER.
There now. . . and if you weren’t able to say it louder, fake it until you make it.
No need to fake your writing. . . Just fake having confidence in your writing.
And now . . . select a prompt and Just Write!
Today’s prompt: Life is just a . . .
Set your timer for 15 minutes and finish the thought. . .
