Finish this line…

more from The Pocket Muse (Monica Wood)

Finish this line…

“Right after they posted the results, I tried to ________________”

{Courtesy of http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1190262/Cambridge-university-axes-300-year-tradition-posting-results-noticeboard-stressful.html}

+ call my dad

+ get lost in the crowd

+ deny the words in front of me

+ console Becky

+ tear the sheet from the bulletin board

+ avoid eye contact with Roger

+ “your own idea here!”

Share your finishing touches and any story ideas that steam up from the cup of muse. 🙂

A Pocketful of ideas

I finished reading The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood and sizzle with exhilaration for my writing again.

 

OK, so as I read this little pocket-full of inspiration, I took notes, wrote down quotes, writing prompts and exercises then let my own imagination move my pen across the page. I thought I’d share some of these snippets with you:

Some conflict ideas:

• a mismatch between person and place: someone in the wrong house, wrong job, wrong school, wrong church, wrong club, wrong DIMENSION
• trouble getting from Point A to Point B
• trouble being understood
• trouble having something done to you (or for you!)
• trouble talking
• trouble listening

“I really like dialogue between two people who aren’t listening to each other.” ~ Raymond Carver

• winning something you don’t want (a pet aardvark; an outdated set of Encyclopedias…)
• saying “yes” when you meant to say “no”
• a family secret gets out
• a noise – or a silence – that won’t go away

Add some more conflict ideas! I’d love to have an ongoing list…

5 Prompt Friday: Spooky Starts

    5 creepy prompts to get your mind rattled and heart racing:

1. Write about waking up in the middle of the night and your front door is wide open.
   
2.  You hear a child’s giggle coming from your crawl space.
   
3.  Kimberly touched something warm and wet when she reached under her bed.
   
4.  The man across the street is staring at your house and suddenly puts his finger to lips, “Shhh.”
5.  It was 3 a.m and the tapping on the window started again.

What prompts can you share?

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5 Prompt Friday…and I’m guest posting at…

CreateWriteNow – check out my post on journaling and a leave a comment 🙂

and now for your prompts…

1. The first day of training turned out to be her last day on the job.
2.  Always pull your blinds tight, always kiss your kids at night.
3.  With the yellow card in her hand, Millie walked through the door to the post office.
4.  Jackson’s last game ended hours ago.
5.  The whimper she heard came from under the bed.

Have a writing weekend!

5 Prompt Friday

   5 prompts to get your mind and pen moving:

1. “Couples are boy-girl, Mr. Mason,” he snarled at me.
2.  I’m late.
3.  She traced the tissue-soft ridge of his ear, until it was an involuntary movement.
4.  The envelope I’d been waiting for was thin, flat.
5.  “Pick up your feet when you walk, Taylor!”

What prompts can you share?

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Ideas, prompts, advice, oh my! Don’t let a blog post pass you by! Subscribe today! It’s free. ; )

5 Prompt Friday

    5 prompts to get your mind and pen moving:

1. The parking brake was on.
2.  Liam ran against the sleet, sheets of water breaking on his skin.
3.  Her hands were small, nails bitten down.
4. The park closes at sunset.
5.  Mom would read from that journal every night.

What are you writing this weekend? Care to share a phrase, character or setting?

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SUBSCRIBE! Because the gremlins inside my computer said so!

Writing Prompt for the classroom

…or your room!

Your new Roommate!

My young writers’ group gets a kick out of this prompt*:

Fortunately, Unfortunately…

They must start the first sentence of their story with the word Fortunately……. and the second sentence with Unfortunately….

Here are a few examples:

Fortunately, a large box was waiting for me on my porch when I got home from school.

Unfortunately, it contained a dozen wild spider monkeys who would now be living with me!

Fortunately, I made it to class on time.

Unfortunately, I was still wearing my pajama pants!

Fortunately, I won a $100,000 !

Unfortunatley, I am only allowed to spend it on diapers and beef jerky!

What silly or crazy stories can you come up with using Fortunately, Unfortunately? I may give a prize for the goofiest comment!

*This prompt shared by my writing buddy and fellow creative writing teacher, Stephanie. Check out her Young Writers’ Studio!

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5 Prompt Friday

    5 prompts to get your mind and pen moving:

1. The first day of training turned out to be her last day on the job.
2.  Always pull your blinds tight, always kiss your kids at night.
3.  With the yellow card in her hand, Millie walked through the door to the post office.
4.  Jackson’s last game ended hours ago.
5.  The whimper she heard came from under the bed.

What prompts can you share?

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SUBSCRIBE! Because the gremlins inside my computer said so!

5 Prompt Friday

   5 writing prompts to jolt your mind and soul:

1. The lady with the red umbrella stood at the corner again.
2.  Bobby’s blanket still smelled of Johnson’s & Johnson’s.
3.  For a complete examination, please complete this form.
4.  When I talked about him, Jenna’s eyes lit up.
5.  “Dear Jorge, I am breaking up with you. Please give back the prom ticket I bought. Michael needs to use it.”

What prompts can you share?

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SUBSCRIBE! And the Muse Fairies will visit you at night….

5 Prompt Friday

   5 prompts to get your mind and pen moving:

1. Write about turning left instead of right.
2.  That was the year the rain did not stop.
3.  When Mr. Krane came back from the war, the whole neighborhood felt the difference.
4.  Add ¾ cups brown sugar and bake until bubbly.
5.  She recognized the size 8’s outside her back door.

What prompts can you share?

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