Category: Prompts

Weekly prompts are displayed here

Prompt for 11.16.23

The road to authentic art is through the self. More specifically, it lies through the heart, not the head. Your loves, your hates, your scars, glories, fears, losses, triumphs–your heart is the heart of the matter. Heart is where the art is. ~ Julia Cameron in the Vein of Gold

What is changing in your life right now? What are you bidding farewell to? What are you welcoming into your life? What is constant?

Writing Prompt for 10.19.23

In an annular eclipse, the moon is at its furthest point from the Earth in its orbit, and thus does not block all of the sun in our sky. That’s why it’s called a “ring of fire” eclipse—you can see the edges of the sun framing the moon (with proper solar protection, of course). This recently occurred on October 14, 2023.

In Tucson, though, only about 75% of the sun was covered by the moon — not enough to see the “ring of fire”. I was outdoors watering and kept cleaning my glasses. My two cats were behaving oddly, and I felt like my eyesight was off, perhaps like a moth stuck in a smoke-colored bell jar until I realized it was the eclipse. I had lunch with girlfriends later that day and listened to many reactions from the eclipse.

What were you doing at the time of this eclipse, where were you, were you able to capture the “ring of fire”? Describe what you saw, felt, or any reaction to or experience of a solar eclipse.

Thursday Writing Prompt 10.5.2023

CONFIDENTIALITY

In my recent blog, I wrote about story and the gift of sharing and possibly, most important, listening. I’m sure we all have experienced someone sharing a confidence and “Please do not tell anyone.” Well, I will confess, I’ve been guilty at not always keeping that confidence. (I’m 73 and still have to work on that!) Are you able to keep a confidence? What is important for you about keeping a confidence? For someone else-for you, too?

Thursday Writing Prompt 9.21.23

This prompt ties in a bit with yesterday’s blog post regarding painting and writing, how they coincide in artistic conduct.

Paint Chips are a favorite of mine to begin a write, a warmup, something that can lead to a bigger piece. Names of paints are fabulous. I can spend a long time in a hardware store in the paint section. These names can lead to a story or poem, or just a title for either. Over the years, this exercise was used numerous times with our writing group.

I have randomly pulled four chips from my stash. If you can work all four into your poem or story, great, or one may catch your eye and may be the only name you need. Perhaps something recently happened in your world that you can tie the name(s) to your experience or memory that might represent an emotion, or action.

Cowgirl Blue, Summer Harvest, Sky Glass, Candy Floss,

An example from a writers group evening follows:

Sand Dollar                Perfume Haze           Breakfast Biscuit                   Mist Spirit

Cliffs, stones and dunes reflect miles of

   weathered and worn shores.

Mists of spirits rise tall over a shape of a sand dollar

  and perfumes of haze tuck tight against cottages.

Breakfast biscuits warm, the whistle of wind taps gently,

  a field mouse skitters into a hole.

Let’s see what you can do!

Thursday Writing Prompt 9.7.23

When writing about place, one can often unknowingly assume the reader is aware of its description because we ourselves are so familiar with the location. Instead, write about where you live, using vivid geographic details, describe the people, the events that occur there, etc. Read what you’ve written more than once and decide if a stranger would be able to visualize your “place.”

Thursday Writing Prompt 8.24.23

Here is Part 2 from the 8.3.23 prompt.

On this night, there was a full moon. Each new moon has a name. Work into your story the name of the moon, and month and make it relevant to the night in question, either at the beginning, middle, or end of your story. Your choice.

If you have written, or writing, we invite you to send your story to be posted at a later date with your permission. We would love to share and discuss how prompts get the flow going and how your thoughts fall on paper.

Please send to Sally at her email, writerspocket@gmail.com

Thursday Writing Prompt 8.3.23

A woman in her early fifty’s roars into the local medium-security prison parking lot. She hauls items from her car, screaming and tossing these into the bed of a black pick-up truck. Security lights come on and all focus on her. What happens next?

Write a story, 750 words or less. My next turn to post a prompt on 8.24 will be Part 2 of the prompt.