May 1 -- Glens Falls Writer's Group

Hey Glens Falls Writers Group peoples!

       Well, this Thursday May 1st, which means there's another meeting, 7:00 at the Crandall library. Be there.

       Annnnnd, although I won't be there, nobody volunteered to take over the prompts email. So, I'll do it this week, and also remind you: put it on the dang meeting agenda to get someone to volunteer (or decide you don't need it) for next time. Whoever is doing it, contact me and/or Kay for any help you need.

      Anyhow. Here ya go with some prompts. Enjoy!

      cheers,

-Christopher

1. A crew of air ship pirates must escape Her Magesty's Flying Navy, through deceit.

2. a parasite overtakes a new host, but instead of a full takeover however, tries to negotiate a deal for co-habitation...

3. Six people are left onboard but there's only one more parachute.

4. You walk into your house and it’s completely different–furniture, decor, all changed. And nobody’s home.

5. Describe the room you are in right now in detail. As well as visual, think of things like smells, temperature, sounds, touch, memories, etc.

6. While swimming, your protagonist goes underwater only to emerge in a completely different place from where they started

7. A man's relationship with a spirit who is in love with him. He only talks to her through a medium who is his girlfriend.

April 17 -- Glens Falls Writer's Group

Do you ever feel like life is just a cycle, a twisting void of thought and inspiration, with writing meetings stuck in it intermittently like the arrow pin cushioned Saint Sebastian?

No? Good. Neither do I.

So, we have a meeting this week. Be there or.... well, or be somewhere else, I guess. 

   As usual:   Thursday, April 17, 7:00pm, Holden Room (the big room we usually meet in)

     

      Annnnnd, some prompts....

1. While on vacation, a person comes face to face with the person who kidnapped their child ten years earlier.

2. At the age of 42, a doctor cures a patient with the disease that took their twin back in childhood.

3. A ten-year-old comes home from school and heads out to the backyard to play with their beloved dog. They finds the dog sitting on a branch, twenty feet up, in a big, shady tree.

4. You wake up one morning, and you're (literally) an animal. 

5. Imagine it's 100 years in the future. Write a letter to your local state representative describing what things you would like to see improved in that society.

BONUS POETRY PROMPT!

6. Write an ode to a common household appliance.

April 3 -- Glens Falls Writer's Group

Hello yon Glens Fallzian Writers of Group,
      Meeting isith this week, scoundrels!
     Thursday, 7:00, Holden Room (the big room we usually meet in)
      And despite it me being ME who is sending out the meeting newsletter, I actually HAVE prompts this week (you can bring a prompt to simply read at the beginning of the meeting for general commentary, or print it out as your full submission)

1. Find a picture and write down the words that you see, hear, smell, touch and taste from it.

2. Describe an object in your life that serves no purpose but which you can't bring yourself to part with. Tell us why it's so important to you.

3. Describe one of the ways you played when you were a child. What did you play with? Were you alone or with a friend? Where did you play?

4. Write to the prompt, "Not far down the road, there is a..."

GFWG Newsletter February 20th

Hey All! Writer's Group is this week!

      

Thursday, Feb 20th, at 7:00 in the Holden Room at the Crandall Library.

      Wait? Writer's group is In two days! Thursday!

      Golly, that's soon. How about some prompts like this:

1. An author is not given instructions on a manuscript until it is too late for them to do a good job by the deadline, and so instead the author writes a story about how they will murder their editor.

2. Some lazy bum has only one job: to send out an email. They don't. Write why. And what you'd like/plan to do to them.

3. Poetry Prompt: Write an ode to a leader/boss/parent which sounds lofty but is really just cutting them down to size and listing all their horrible attributes.

Inspiring Quote: “I never put off till tomorrow what I can possibly do the day after.” -Oscar Wilde

    See you Thursday!

   cheers, -Christopher

GFWG Newsletter February 6th

Once again, I'm down to the wire. For those of you who work well under a deadline, this is the impetus. For those of you who panic yourselves into writer's block, don't worry, we won't flog you for having nothing written (were that the case, I'd have to give myself a few lashes..) So....love is in the air...maybe we can beat the winter doldrums with a little creativity....(thanks to Chris for getting my butt in gear)

QUOTABLES Words to shift your mind into overdrive...

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” 
― William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well

“Once I pulled a job, I was so stupid. I picked a guy's pocket on an airplane and made a run for it.” 
― Rodney Dangerfield

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” 
― Winston Churchill

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” 
― Gloria Steinem

CONTESTS AND OTHER SUNDRY ITEMS

Freelance writing website

http://www.freelancewriting.com/freelance-writing-jobs.php
Why not parlay your talent into a career? Worth a look...

Mobius Poetry Magazine
http://www.mobiuspoetry.com/

Reader's Digest 100-word True Story contest

http://www.rd.com/sweepstakes-prizes/your-life-contest/
 Entries must be received by March 14th. 5k grand prize and publishing in Reader's Digest magazine.

PROMPTS

An open gate. Does it represent an opportunity? Coming home? A long forgotten memory or a favorite place or time?  How does this picture make you feel? Sad? Happy? Does it make you long for summer? See if you can't draw out a few words for this lovely Vermont vista.

Written Prompts

Imagine you know you will be canonized as a saint after your death. It's already written in the stars, you've had a window to the future. What would you have done to deserve sainthood? Saved a life? Discovered a cure for cancer? Are there events in your life, things you've seen that would push you to nominate someone for sainthood? All religion aside, what does it take to elevate someone above others?

Describe baking a birthday cake. The sounds of the spoon against the bowl. The smell of the vanilla extract, the radio playing in the background, the hiss of the sugar as it pours out of the cup measure. Use all your senses.

Until February 6th....

Remember a writer writes, always.


Think Spring...

Debbie

GFWG January 2nd Newsletter

Talk about your Hail Mary...Sorry I've been lax on this month's newsletter but hey, we've all worked under crushing pressure before....and Christmas intruded on my free time sooo...it is what it is. I will imitate the Romans in brevity.....

QUOTABLES Words to shift your mind into overdrive...

“Being an author is having angels whisper in your ear - and devils, too.” 
― Graycie Harmon

“A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.” 
― Samuel Johnson

“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything good.” 
― William Faulkner

“There was a moment when I changed from an amateur to a professional. I assumed the burden of a profession, which is to write even when you don't want to, don't much like what you're writing, and aren't writing particularly well” 
― Agatha Christie

CONTESTS AND OTHER SUNDRY ITEMS

William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing contest
2014 Competition opens January 1st..

http://www.wordsandmusic.org/competition.html


The Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest
All entries must be postmarked July 1st, 2014. There is a $10 fee to enter but, hey, it's the Saturday Evening Post. Worth a look.
http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/fiction-contest

No Entry Fee Poetry Writing Contests
A good list of contests with some hefty prizes to be had. 

http://creativegenius.hubpages.com/hub/Poetry-Writing-Contests

PROMPTS

All we are saying is....what? What are we saying? What does peace and/or equality mean to you? Does it mean equal wages for men and women? Does it mean foiling terrorist plots overseas? Maybe it means a silent prayer in an empty church, a quiet spring morning spent in a breakfast nook with a cuppa and the paper..give me your interpretation in prose or poetry..your choice 

Written Prompts

Imagine you are a falling leaf...where would you go, where would you land? Would you be blowing about in a blustery autumn gale, drifting gently along to land on a sidewalk. Raked into a pile of your leaf friends?

A charm bracelet is often filled with personal meaning for the wearer. Describe your charm bracelet and what it would have hanging from it...of course a charm bracelet would be a bit girly for our writer guys....how about what mementos you might have in your wallet...

See you January 2nd!

Remember a writer writes, always.

Happy New Year!

Debbie

GFWG Newsletter for the Dec 19th Meeting

   The writer's group is next week. Excitement! Even the newsboy on the corner feels the hairs on the back of his neck prickle when the rush of a writer en route soars by.

      
     Hey, Want a short SHORT fiction competition? 500 words or less? The Gover Prize for Very Short Fiction is upon us.
     The deadline is January 10. We're meeting next Thursday the 19th, so if you brought it in THEN, you could get feedback from us for it when we meet again on January 2nd, and so you could clean it up and submit it. What a great idea, huh? You betcha. See the bottom of this email for details.*

     Want prompts? Okay. We got prompts.

1. Things around town keep disappearing

2. Two groups of knights have a mounting quarrel which looks like it is about to turn to bloodshed, write how someone steps in and resolves it through talk/diplomacy

3. A suspenseful horror story/scene which centers around holiday lights

4. you haven't decorated the house for the holidays, but the neighbors just did. You realize they stole your decorations you do it.

5. children have overthrown adults and are ruling the house/company/country/world

    For poetic forms, this time let's prompt the Bop.
The Bop is a form of poetic argument consisting of three stanzas. For specifics, go here: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5773

  

     That's it. See you next Thursday, the 19th, 7:00, in the Crandall Room!

     * The Gover Prize, named after groundbreaking author Robert Gover, awards an annual prize and publication in Best New Writing for the best short fiction and creative nonfiction. Entries limited to 500 words or less.
     The Gover Prize includes:
     $250 to Gover Prize Winner.
      Finalists published in the upcoming Best New Writing edition.
Please use our submission portal to enter your story: http://www.bestnewwriting.com/BNWgover.html
or visit www.BestNewWriting.com for details.

GFWG Newsletter

Hard to believe another year is almost at an end. The holidays are nearly upon us. Thanksgiving is a particular favorite of mine. I mean who doesn't like to stuff themselves with good food...(supermodels may now put their hands down)...I'll try not to be trite with the writing prompts this time but I admit I am a slave to the conventional..

QUOTABLES Words to shift your mind into overdrive...

“I write for the same reason I breathe ... because if I didn't, I would die.” 
― Isaac Asimov

“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” 
―Anne Frank

“Don’t give people what they want, give them what they need.” 
―Joss Whedon

“Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.” 
―Stephen King

CONTESTS AND OTHER SUNDRY ITEMS

NanoWriMo

It's that time again. Make the pledge to write a little each day, see how close you can come to the 50k goal.

http://nanowrimo.org/

L Ron Hubbard Presents Writers and Illustrators of the Future

A contest for writers and illustrators alike. It looks to be held every year though I couldn't find any dates on it. Still worth a look.

http://www.writersofthefuture.com/contest-rules

Writing in Wonderland
With contests ranging from Sitcom writing to Screenplay writing, this blog has a little something for everyone, including such whimsical challenges as a Halloween poetry writing contest sponsored by the Salem Writing Arts foundation and a link to the annual Amazon Novel writing contest.
http://writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/2013/06/17-writing-contests.html





AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT



CINDY DEES
First published in 2002, author of 40+ romantic suspense, thriller, and epic fantasy novels, Cindy is a great source of inspiration to me. She interacts with her readers and fellow writers constantly, giving advice, writerly wisdom, taking polls, and answering questions, something I find quite refreshing in such a self-absorbed world. Check her out here: https://www.facebook.com/cindydeesauthor
and here: http://cindydees.com/






PROMPTS
I feel there's a story in this photo prompt of a graveyard overlooking a farm in Fort Ann, NY. It almost prompts me to write about it myself...but I have way too many stories on my plate as it is...the rest of you, however, have at it!

Written Prompts

Okay, remember what I said about being trite? Wellll, because it's November....write a short piece, poetry, prose, what have you...about what you're thankful for (god, sounds like I'm right back in fourth grade..) I'll just leave this here....

Write a one shot about the one that got away....the turkey that is.....try to imagine what the lucky gobbler is thinking....

Imagine, now this can go either way, imagine if you were able to look out a window and see into the future or the past. Describe what you would see, the setting, the people, how they are dressed, what vehicles they're using, their clothes. What if someone from the past were to look out a window and see 2013, how would they describe it? You get the picture...any form is fine. The key here is to put yourself in someone else's shoes..

Until November

Keep on keeping on...

Debbie

October Newsletter

Summer is gone, Fall has arrived. My favorite time of year! In honor of such a fun season, I'll try to make this newsletter a bit playful. Next meeting is October 3^rd in the Holden room. Sharpen those pens and pencils, brew a mug of spiced cider and get those creative juices flowing!

QUOTABLES Words to shift your mind into overdrive...

“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”  ~ Douglas Adams

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” ~ Ernest Hemmingway

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”  ~ Stephen King

“Writing is like sex. First you do it for love, then you do it for your friends, and then you do it for money.”  ~ Virginia Woolf

CONTESTS

2014 Writing for Peace – young writers contest

Not so much for those of us at the other end of the age scale but something to pass on for those of you who know writers age 13-19. Inspire the passion of writing in a young mind!

http://writingforpeace.org/young-writers-contest/2014-contest-guidelines-2/

No Fee Poetry Writing Contests
For my fellow writers who write poetry, a whole list of no-entry-fee contests for 2013 into 2014.
http://creativegenius.hubpages.com/hub/Poetry-Writing-Contests#



Erma Bombeck Writing Competition
Normally I wouldn't include fee based contests because the chance for fraud is so high nowadays but the contest is in honor of one of my favorite humorists and it seems legitimate. The fee to enter is $15 and it's sponsored by the Washington Centerville Library in Centerville, Ohio where Erma lived with her family.
http://www.wclibrary.info/erma/index.asp


PROMPTS
Another photo based prompt one of my favorite parks during my favorite season. Juckett Park in Hudson Falls has been the centerpiece of the struggling town for many years.

Written Prompts

For all the poets, and maybe some of the non-poets just to be brave. Write a haiku about your favorite....favorite what? Favorite anything, your pet, favorite vacation spot, favorite dessert, favorite person, etc. ….you get the picture..

Write a one shot about getting stuck in an elevator with your worst enemy....or your serious crush...gee that sounds kinda teenager-ish....or your boss...

October is the month for ghosts stories. Write your own ghost story but use an unusual or funny setting like “The Haunted Bathroom” or “There's a ghost in my sock drawer!” Whatever the case, make it scary AND funny!

I don't want to overtax anyone so I'll sign off and see you in October!

Psst..let's make October bring-a-writer-friend month! Let's swell our ranks!

Peace out!

Debbie

September Prompts

Glens Falls Writing Group....

     ...where good stories come to die, and some, like Charlemagne, await to rise again in our greatest need.

    And where someone made the mistake of asking me to help with the prompt/newsletter.

    Hi! Chris Baldwin here! I'll try to be brief (failing so far).

First. Next meeting: Thurs., Sept. 19. One week. So get typing. (and we're meeting in the Crandall room, which is the smaller room)

You want some prompts? Here's some prompts.

1. write about someone you'd love to see put in jail, but write it from a character's POV, not yours.

2. The streets were deserted. Where was everyone? Where had they all gone?

3. She'd/He’d never noticed a door there before.

4. Use the words "errand, words, see, fell, touch, through" in a poem (or at least some of the words).

5. Write something about the photo above.

    No get on the stick! Write write write!

August Newsletter, Introductions and Prompts etc.

Greetings,

Most of you know me as a newcomer to the GFWG, coaxed into joining by my friend and co-worker, Kay Hafner, (thank you, Kay!). In light of Kay's re-entry into college to further her career, knowing her work load will allow little free time for creative writing, she has asked for other members to take over writing the GFWG newsletter,. In that respect, myself and fellow member Chris Baldwin have volunteered our time. We hope to live up to the quality Kay has established with her informative content and inspiring words.

Deborah Austin

QUOTABLES Words to shift your mind into overdrive...

“A writer writes..always” ~Larry (Billy Crystal) “Throw Momma From the Train”

It is perfectly okay to write garbage—as long as you edit brilliantly.
- C. J. Cherryh

It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.
- Robert Benchley

Writing is its own reward.
- Henry Miller

CONTESTS

The 2013 Assent Publishing “ROGUE WRITING” Contest by BAD DAY BOOKS

All subgenres of horror, thriller, suspense, and apocalyptic fiction accepted
http://assentpublishing.com/BadDayRogueWritingContest.aspx



The Family Circle Fiction Contest *ends Sept. 16^th!
 fictional short story of no more than 2,500 words (typed, double-spaced and page numbered on 8-1/2 x 11 paper),
http://www.familycircle.com/family-fun/fiction/fiction-contest-rules-2013/

PROMPTS

Since I am also a photographer, I would like to try a photo based writing prompt. Write a short story, ficlet, poem, haiku or what have you based on this photo.. to give you a boost..this is Utica State Hospital, an institution shut down in the '80's...

~In light of Glens Falls' recent Chalkfest, an exercise in description. One sidewalk square was allotted for each chalk artist. Using whatever form you wish, describe what you would draw in your square.

~Dialogue enhances a story, great dialogue can make it sparkle. Write a short exchange between a man on death row talking to his wife (children, mother, best friend, etc. you get the idea) for the last time.

~I travel a lot for my photography but it's never a grab the camera and go sort of thing. I have to bring my tripod, bag, zoom lens, maybe my reflector disc, macro lens...write an inner monologue for someone packing for, say, a camping trip, a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, a trip to hear the reading of a will, just as long as they're going somewhere...

I'm all about extending the story line of a favorite character either in literature, the movies or on TV. Take one of your favorite characters and write a scene for them. It can be written as a screenplay or a story.

Links  Advice to keep us writers writing.

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2013/06/how-i-self-edit-my-novels-15-steps-from.html

http://janefriedman.com/2013/05/20/infographic-5-key-book-publishing-paths/

http://breathingfiction.com/2012/09/29/neil-gaimans-eight-rules-for-writing/

http://selfpublishingteam.com/25-author-tweet-ideas/

http://jnkhoury.blogspot.com/2013/04/ship-it-like-fedex-what-writers-can.html

How YOU Doin'?

Applause and wishes for good luck go out to Kay Hafner upon returning to college to further her education. Shoot for the moon! We're all behind you, we know you can do it!

Congratulations to Chris Baldwin, a guest artist with command of the center circle in City Park for the recent Glens Falls Chalkfest sponsored by APE.

If anyone has news they would like to have posted here, getting published, going back to school, public appearances, awards they've received, etc. Simply email me at funygirl38@hotmail.com and I will be glad to post them here...We all need a little positive affirmation now and then.

Well, I won't take up any more of your valuable writing time. Any questions, suggestions, comments, please don't hesitate to contact me. After all this is your group, it should be the way you want it to be.

Until next Thursday, Cheers!

Debbie

June Contests Update and Prompts List

CONTESTS

--Toasted cheese Midsummer Tale writing contest:

http://tclj.toasted-cheese.com/contest.htm#amt

The theme of the 2013 A Midsummer Tale writing contest is: Retreat / Encounter.

Summer is often a time when normal routines are set aside. Sometimes it's a time to venture outside one's comfort zone, to encounter something challenging or unexpected. Sometimes it's a time to hit pause or reset, to retreat from overscheduled everyday life. Sometimes it can be both. For the 2013 A Midsummer Tale Writing Contest, write a story—fiction or nonfiction—of retreat and/or encounter.

Deadline: June 21

--Writers Tribe Review

https://writerstribereview.submittable.com/submit

Writers Tribe Review is a multi-genre online literary magazine that accepts unpublished works of: drama, fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, creative critical essays, graphic shorts, hyptertexts, multimedia, original artwork, and photography. Please do not submit excerpts from larger pieces, unless otherwise stated in our call for submissions.

We're currently collecting submissions for this Fall in: The Humor Issue

All entries must pertain to this theme. (We're not saying that humor is an issue, but we wish to issue humor. Yes.) Each piece should be no more than 3,000 words. 

Deadline: Submissions are due on August 30, 2013, at midnight.

--Links to a variety of upcoming contests:

http://www.fanstory.com/page/writing_contest/writing_contest.jsp

PROMPTS

--Inspired by the book Buried Life; write whatever inspires you about one of these statements

     Before I die I want to:

     --write a novel 

     --have a party with fake alcohol...and see how many people act like they're wasted

     --spread my father's ashes in the lake where he drowned

--Taken from toastedcheese.com, June 2012:

A vintage silver Mercedes.

He left a $100 tip for a $6 meal.

Her pessimism about the world evaporated.

Use a fern, a red balloon and pearl earrings in a short story or poem.

Describe a strange museum.

Write about a piece of bad advice.

Write about not following conventional wisdom.

Write about something that was once alive.

"Look me in the eyes."

"He has the personality of an earthworm."

Is the glass half empty or half full?

Use the following words: 

--child, clinging, first, black, newly.

--wild, burnt, go, time, whip

--hill, danced, entire, rather, makes.

--abuse, thin, truth, points, elements

May prompts

May prompts

--Imagine you're a songwriter & write the track list for your first album (toasted-cheese.com)

or

--Take a character from one of your stories and examine his or her iPod playlist. What 10 songs best describe the character?

(writersdigest.com)

--Write about a mirror or other polished/reflective surface (toasted-cheese.com)

and/or

--Write about a reflection in the mirror. (davidrm.com)

--Change the color in a common phrase, e.g. "Green as night" (toastedcheese.com)

or

--Write [a poem] about the color red or another color. (Some ideas for brainstorming: How does the color make you feel? What things do you associate with that color?) (creative-writing-now.com)

-----------

--Use a phrase in a foreign language

and/or

--Listen to some music from a non-English speaking country

and/or

--Write an accent

--Write a dialog scene using only quotes from movies

or

--Write an interior monologue

Use a made-up expletive

Use the following words:

--combination, song, entrance, heat, hanging

--brown, swaying, massive, swell, moment

--cigarette, seemed, amongst, mercurial, stomach

--passage, unrestricted, busk, coastwise, outasight

--river, close, bats, inside, increased

--connector, wrenching, counterweight, overtired, capriccioso

(toasted-cheese.com)

-----------

Poetry prompts:

--Write a poem about yourself in which nothing is true

--Write a poem about something or someone you lost

--Write a poem using all of the following words: exquisite, visit, glisten

(creative-writing-now.com/creative-writing-prompts.html)

----

Free Writing Prompts:

--Use the following phrase as a focal point to write from:

   "The stain will not come out..."

--Using the following phrase as a starting point write for 20 minutes without self editing:

   "Collapsing under a canopy of green…"

Prose Prompts:

--Write two pages (500 words) with the scenario of a character urgently needing to get in contact with a family member.

--Write using the adage, "these things happen in threes."

(davidrm.com)

April Prompts

APRIL PROMPTS

Passed along by Montana from Writer's Digest--writersdigest.com/prompts:

The Terrorist Attack: The snow storm across the nation shut down many businesses and people went home early. The business where you work had closed for two days. Although you turned off the computer before going home, when you returned to work, your computer had been very active while you were away—plotting a terrorist attack. You now find yourself tasked with stopping the attack. 

There's Something You Need to Know About That Night: You’re searching through your closet and find an old stuffed animal or doll from your childhood. It starts to bring back a warm memory of a specific night that’s near and dear to your heart. Suddenly, your stuffed companion begins to talk and says, “There’s something you need to know about that night.” Write this scene.

What Happened to Your Pants? Pretend you are a recovering alcoholic who falls off the wagon while attending your high school reunion. Start your story with “I hadn’t had a drink in nearly 10 years” and end it with “If only I could remember where I left my pants.”

A Suicide Note: You are helping out at a charitable center by organizing donated items. When searching through an old suitcase, you find a suicide note dated six months prior. What’s peculiar is that you know the person. What’s even more peculiar is that the person is still alive. Write the story about what happens when you pay that person a visit and ask him or her about the note.

You Are the Arch Nemesis: A movie hero steps out of your television and proclaims that you are his/her arch-nemesis. Write about what happens.

From the ToastedCheese.com archives (April 2012): Sorry about the quantity. I culled some but it was hard to choose. 

Write about a map (real or metaphorical).
The gray tones of winter gave way to a gentle tide of green.

A restaurant with its own herb garden.

The glint of light on broken glass

He considered a woman running barefoot sexy.
Use the following words: know, roof, quick, crowd, discarded

Write about a childhood nightmare.

Write about an increase in temperature.
She enjoyed the sensation of fear.
A backpack tucked underneath an azalea bush.

A character with an unusual style of beard/mustache.

A freshly sharpened pencil.

Use the following words: flakes, floor, future, front, filled

Write about two or more people doing something in unison.

Incorporate a famous quote from a movie or TV show.

A character with poor table manners.
A character must make a choice. Write the scene two different ways.

Start with the lyrics to a popular song & turn them into a story.

Find a nice place to sit & think about your WIP for 15-30 min. Then write!.
Use the following five words: repeat, through, college, kamikaze, breeze.

Fill in the blanks: "Never ______ with a _____".

Use the phrase (thx Neil Gaiman) "Events are cowards. They run in packs."

Write the same scene in 1st, 2nd & 3rd person.

The perfect day job for a writer is...

Start with a line from a favorite poem.

Imagine winning a writing award. Outline the steps you'll take to get there.

Record yourself reading your work aloud. Listen to it, then revise.
Use the following words: absorb, lines, welcoming, anger, bends

Write about creating a monster.

Write about two options that are bad for different reasons.

Go write in an unusual location.

March prompts

For the March 7 meeting:
--Use a current popular song as a prompt
--Click the link and pick a photo to write about: http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
--Failing health
--Watching a kitten play with string
--Unexpected visit from an old friend
--"Tell me why."
--"That color is not on the rainbow."
(above prompts taken from the archive at toasted-cheese.com)

Create a character based on the type of car the character owns. Select the car--i.e.: Buick, El Camino, Limo, or use the lack of a vehicle, as your starting point.
(Thanks to Montana for finding this prompt)

For March 21 meeting
--Beware the Ides of March
--Look up "synechdoche" and use one.
--Write about a yearning for something.
--Steal the title of an existing book & use it as a starting point.
--Go to Wikipedia, click 'random article' & write about that topic.
--Being too cold or too hot.
--Out like a lamb.
(above prompts taken from the archive at toasted-cheese.com)

Write about someone discovering a key.
(Thanks to Montana for finding this prompt)

Prompts for February 2013

Feel free to go in any direction these prompts take you. Apply them to any genre or type of writing. Change the gender or any other details as needed. Have fun. Get creative. Let go. Try something unusual. Expand yourself. 

We're aiming for 1,000 words or so max to be read out loud for off-the-cuff feedback (printing is optional but can be helpful), but if it grows (and we hope it does) definitely consider submitting it again for a full critique process. 

February Prompts:

--You inadvertently run an important paper through the shredder.

--A figure in a famous painting begins communicating with an art museum patron. [Extra credit: Make this based on a piece from The Hyde Collection…]

--A man opens his mailbox to find an envelope containing a set of instructions. 

--A lawyer discovers the his client is guilty of the horrible crime for which he was just found innocent.

--While at a family reunion, a teenage brother and sister find an old suitcase filled with money under their uncle's bed.

--A man comes to believe that he is an emissary of God when he survives a plan crash in which all other passengers are killed.

--"And that's when I quit."

(taken from The Writer's Book of Matches by Writers Digest Books)

Look back here for prompts to be added around the last Thursday of each month. 

Past Prompts

Here's a place for the prompts we've used recently. I will be adding more to the blog monthly.

The goal for using prompts is to get creative juices flowing and have fun. Bring in short pieces (1000 words or so) that can be shared out loud (printing is optional but can be helpful) at the start of the meeting for off-the-cuff feedback before the full critiques begin. 

Note: I am finding a lot of prompts aren't gender neutral. Definitely feel free to go in other directions in gender (and age) whenever you feel it appropriate…

prompts taken from The Writer’s Book of Matches from Writer’s Digest Books:

--"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. A lot."
--A teenage girl browsing at a department store notices a wealthy-looking woman casually shove merchandise into a purse.
--"I don't know.... Something about that guy creeps me out."
--At the reading of their father's will, a group of estranged siblings are provided with a string of clues leading to a buried treasure, one clue for each sibling.
--A man takes lunch to his wife's office, and he's told that she hasn't worked there in three weeks.
--A woman contemplating suicide visits a psychic.

--A man aspiring to be a pro bowler loses to his young daughter.

--A gambler at a private high stakes poker game is caught cheating.

--“Thanks for seeing me. I need to discuss something important, and I didn’t want to do it over the phone.”

--Two people are emptying out a deceased relative's house.

--A writer begins to lose the ability to discern between fantasy and reality.

--"I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone, but I guess I can trust you.”

--“This is the most boring party I’ve ever been to. Let’s sneak out.”

--two convenience store employees are stuck at work during a hurricane [original prompt had "blizzard"]

--You are riding a crowded subway [or any other mode of public transport] with a huge wad of cash in your inside coat pocket [or other garment or accessory]

--"I'm here to answer the ad in the paper."

--During your weekly housecleaning you find an unfamiliar cell phone in the cushions of your couch--but you can't recall having any recent visitors. It rings. (Writer's Digest Feb. 2011)

Poetry Prompt: Write a poem with a hole in it. This can be an actual hole (an ode to your holey socks?) or something as nuanced as a hole (or multiple holes) in logic. For instance, try writing a poem and removing all of the verb and adjectives. (Writer's Digest)

--A nosy [person] eavesdrops on coworkers and immediately regrets it. (Writer's Digest contest #44)

Prompts for the Poetry-minded (pretty sure these were from WD but not sure where now)

--Write a poem that take place at a specific time of the day

--Write a poem that includes at least three different flavors and two odors

--Write a poem that begins and ends with the same word

Note: Two photo prompts didn't come through.