You are on a train in a private compartment traveling from London to Portsmouth, England. You have settled in, the train begins to move when suddenly a stranger enters quickly and shuts the door and says, “_____________________________”.

P.S. You are not allowed to say, “Bond, James Bond.” You will be amazed at how a story can open up with a first few words.

The beauty of a quick prompt, a ‘get-go’ idea, is that before you know it, you are sliding right into a writing about yourself, someone, or something. Look at your paintings and photographs on the walls or on a side table. Do you have a favorite? What about magnets affixed to your refrigerator? What are they? Why do you like them? What do they represent?

Flight of Fancy

Imagine you are relaxing in a hammock under a shade tree. A bird flies overhead and drops a tightly rolled piece of paper containing twenty words onto your lap. What is the message? What do you do?

Writing is an avenue of self-discovery. Often times, personal unearthing talks through the pen, and we aren’t even aware until we read what we’ve written. Try writing a few paragraphs about your favorite place to write and the length of time that usually works for you.  You might learn new information about your writing process.