Month: May 2014

Writing Prompts for June 2014

IMG_4436Wow, it’s been a busy two weeks. I had a wonderful time preparing for and presenting a workshop on journaling and creative writing at the College Association for Language and Literacy conference at Humber College this past Thursday. I found the research for the workshop very informative, and learned a lot more about the benefits of keeping a journal. I have no excuse now to not include journaling as part of my writing process, though I am going to be easy on myself if I don’t write in it every day.

I managed to complete the first edits of the writing fiction book for pre-teens and the fantasy novel for middle readers, too. I have LOTS to do yet, but I’m feeling good about what’s been done so far.

Here are some writing prompts to keep you creating in June.

1. Use one, some or all of these words in a poem or story:

  • jewel, creature, sky, hope, river, crackle
  • statue, storm, wall, hole, keep, shudder
  • tower, hum, grass, footprints, cache, throw

2. Here are some opening sentences for you to try:

  • “Sit here!”
  • Some trees were just meant for climbing.
  • The hallway echoed with our footsteps.
  • The planks were worn and cracked.
  • There was a reason why no one ever told me to trust my instincts.
  • I thought I’d faced my worst day ever, but I was wrong.

3. See if any of these titles inspire a story or poem:  Wind Haven, Shelter, The Open Door, Marnie’s Magic, Tempest House, Dragon Boy, Danger Pay, Restless Winter

4. What scene can you imagine happening around these dialogue excerpts?

  • Can we stop here?
  • No, we need to keep going
  • Why?
  • It’s dangerous.
  • I don’t see anything.
  • It’s in the air.

 

  • Shouldn’t we report this?
  • I don’t think so.
  • But …. Oh, I see what you mean.

 

  • That’s the last time I’ll tell you.
  • Yeah. Right.
  • No. Honestly. It is the last time

5. When you were a child, did you make wishes on stars, or birthday candles, or Thanksgiving turkey wish bones? Do you remember what you wished for? Were any of your wishes granted? What do you wish for today? Answer these questions for yourself and then answer them for your character. Consider turning one of today’s wishes into a goal and make a list of what steps you need to follow to have that wish come true. Start working on the first item on that list soon.

6. Here’s a list of some fun events that are celebrated during June. Can you think of a story that you could write around one of them? National Donut Day, Richard Scarry’s birthday, Ballpoint Pen Day, Fly a Kite Day, National Fudge Day, Garfield’s Birthday, Soap Opera Day, Johannes Gutenberg’s Birthday, Chocolate Pudding Day, Meteor Day, Superman’s Birthday. Actually Meteor Day and Superman’s Birthday are on the same day, June 30th. No surprise, I guess. 🙂

Hope you have a creative week ahead!

I’m currently editing, Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Pre-Teens. If you would like to know when the book comes out, please fill out the following form. I promise that you will not be bombarded with spam emails, just the odd thing that I come across that you might find useful, a couple of sample chapters as I work through the project, and my newest writing prompts.

 

And Now the Fun/Work Begins!

New JournalThe first draft of Writing Fiction: A Guide for Pre-Teens is finished. Whew! It’s printed and covered in a bright red folder–and it’s going to stay there for the next couple of weeks. I’d love to start editing right away, but the material is too fresh for me to be remotely objective or clear-sighted about it. So a break is in order.

So what’s on the agenda in the meantime? I’m finally revising the sequel to The Dragon’s Pearl, The Dragon’s Revenge, that I wrote last summer. I’m three chapters in and, thankfully, enjoying the process. As much as I love the writing process, I’m never so in love with what I write that I can’t change it, or cut it, or find something missing that needs to be added.

Actually, I enjoy editing. I like finding all those pieces of clunky writing, and I don’t feel remotely ashamed of having written the awful things in the first place. That’s what first drafts are for. What makes me feel good is figuring out how to make something better or cutting the bits that are beyond saving. I hit Delete and think, “This one’s for you, reader!” Yeah. I like editing a lot.

I’m also working on a conference workshop presentation for fellow college teachers called “Finding Quiet Space with Pen and Paper – Tips and Tools for Journaling and Creative Writing.” What do you think about journaling? I find it a great way to get my day organized so that I can actually picture some creative time in the rest of it. Journaling also helps me deal with negative thoughts, worries and just mental clutter. If I write in my journal first thing in the morning, my writing goes much better later on. The messy thoughts are dealt with for the day, so creativity comes easier. I sometimes write before I go to bed, instead. The writing calms my thoughts, and, if the day hasn’t been particularly creative, it makes me feel as if I have honoured the writer in me for at least a small part of the day.

If you’ve got some tips for helping develop the journaling habit or some thoughts on the benefits of keeping a journal, I’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, I hope you have a creative week ahead!

P.S. Word likes “journaling” spelled with one “l”. WordPress likes it with 2. The word doesn’t exist in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. I realize that turning a noun into a verb isn’t everyone’s cup of tea in the first place, but if you’re not totally against the word altogether, how do you think it should be spelled?

 

 

 

Mailing List Catch-Up

Draft Cover for Writing Fiction: A Handbook for Pre-Teens
Draft Cover for Writing Fiction: A Handbook for Pre-Teens

Well, the race is on. My goal has been to finish my draft of Writing Fiction: A Handbook for Pre-Teens (working title–open to suggestions) before 100 people signed up for my mailing list. Today, I sent a thank-you to the 71st person to sign up. Thanks for the motivation! I have three chapters to go and the first draft will be completed.

This is also a shout out to Paige, Taylor and Emily who signed up for the list in mid-March. When I sent your thank-yous and bonus links, the emails bounced back as unknown addresses. If you’re a spambot, no problem, but if you’re wondering what happened, please try entering your email addresses again. My “reply system” is simply me at the computer, so I’m happy to give it another try.

I’ve played around with the cover design, making it match my previous book, Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens. I’m debating about whether or not to keep the photo of the keyboard on the cover, and instead, to switch it for something like the photo below, thinking it might be more in keeping with the age group, but knowing that no matter what the age, keyboards are a reality of life, and … well … you get the idea. Decisions, decisions ….

Now back to the writing. Hope you have a creative week ahead!

If you would like to know when the new book comes out, please fill out the following form. I promise that you will not be bombarded with spam emails, just the odd thing that I come across that you might find useful, and, perhaps a sample chapter or two. 🙂

School Supplies 3

Writing Prompts for May 2014

IMG_2877
Peonies after the rain

“Tra la it’s May” goes the song, but it’s been hard to feel very “Springy” with gloomy skies and rain for the past few days–and forecast through the weekend. I hope these writing prompts help nudge your creativity into flower, whether you are waiting (not so patiently) for some green to finally show in your trees or whether your roses are already in bud. I’ve included a photo of my peonies to remind me that warm sunny days will eventually arrive.

1. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem:

  • phone, wire, mail, cloud, window, yesterday
  • glow, green, star, string, hand, wave
  • bird, blue, alarm, fence, soil, partner

2. See if one of these opening lines will spark a story idea:

  • “Captain, we have a problem.”
  • The screen went black.
  • “You’re awfully quiet, Henry.”
  • No TV for a month!
  • I was sure he’d said the tunnel would get wider before we reached the cave.
  • The last sunset of the summer always made me happy.
  • Whatever had happened here in the past was bad, really bad.

3. Maybe one of these titles will inspire a story or poem: Where Were You at Midnight?, Finishing Last, Subway Nightmare, The Cake Box Mystery, Flower Power, Blinding Light, When I Left, Since Monday, The Way things Ended, Beamed Up.

4. What kind of scenes can you imagine around these lines of dialogue?

  • What’s your problem?
  • I don’t think it’s a good idea, that’s all.
  • Have you got a better one?

 

  • I thought that was due today?
  • It is.
  • Then why aren’t you handing it in?

 

  • I thought you were going to give that to Mike.
  • I changed my mind.

 

  • We need to rest here.
  • Why? I thought we were in a hurry.
  • We were. But things have changed.

5. Our local gardening columnist wrote about how we were having a late Spring, reassuring gardeners that plants and lawns would catch up when the weather finally got warm and sunny. Brainstorm around the idea of being late or around expressions such as, late bloomer, Johnny-come-lately, better late than never, it’s later than you think, a bit late in the day, late-breaking news.

I’m currently working on a new book, Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Pre-Teens. If you would like to know when the book comes out, please fill out the following form. I promise that you will not be bombarded with spam emails, just the odd thing that I come across that you might find useful, a couple of sample chapters as I work through the project, and my newest writing prompts.

%d bloggers like this: