I had hoped to post more often in May, but I ran up against a challenge that needed my attention and will continue to need it for, at least, the rest of the summer. Everyone knows someone, and now, I’m that someone–with cancer. I’ll be meeting next week with oncologists to talk about the biopsies that were taken during my surgery two weeks ago, and I’ve been prepared to expect a fairly long slog of treatments. I’m glad that so many options are available for me, and am lucky that so much is known about breast cancer and its treatment. I have learned a lot about patience in the last couple of weeks. I haven’t liked it, but I’ve learned. I’ve learned that you should quit trying to do what you used to be able to do or what you think you should do, and just stop, relax and let your body heal. That’s going to be my motto for what’s ahead. Trust the therapies and give my body every chance to do what it needs to do.
I am very hopeful, and I plan to keep creating writing prompts and adding new things to the site. If you’re on Pinterest you can also find me here with lots of writing ideas, tips, inspiration, etc.
Here are the writing prompts for June. I hope you find a story or two and have a writerly month ahead!
See if you can make a story or poem from one of these groups of random words.
- sky, iron, leaf, pillar, red, hunger
- pain, fear, ransom, gold, pool, today
- connect, random, beside, hesitate,joy, meaning
- crystal, white, cold, persistent, steps, struggle
Maybe one of these titles will inspire you.
Backpack Blues, Rising Sea, Summer Camp Mystery, Mr. Quinn, For the Asking, Dragon Throne, Julia, The Wind and the Rain, The Fortune, Treasure Quest, Helen’s Song, Quantum, Ryder, Piecing It Together, Time Travel Isn’t for Sissies, Fire in the West.
Here are some opening lines. What story do they suggest to you?
- Once again I was awake at the crack of stupid.
- Grey clouds scudded across the sky. It smelled like like rain.
- “Benny is lost.”
- That rumble in the distance wasn’t thunder.
- Helen looked up from her laptop. Henry was the last person she wanted to see right now.
- That last arrow was too close.
- “We have to move.”
- Buster whined and pushed my leg with his paw. Then I smelled the smoke, too.
- Henry blew out the candle and we waited in the dark.
- Helen was a collector.
Some random dialogue excerpts. Who’s talking? Where are they? What are they doing and thinking?
You said you were going to help.
I changed my mind.
Where were you yesterday?
None of your business.
I/We missed you.
What do you really know about Henry?
I know enough.
Are you sure?
I saw you yesterday at the park. I waved but you didn’t see me.
You couldn’t have seen me. I never left the house.
Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?
I’m sure.
If you’re trying to figure out the conflict in your story, check out this great post from Janet Hardy: What’s the Problem: The Four Classic Conflict Types.
