Friday Writing Prompt: A Positive Post a Day

In the month of September, I challenged myself and my Facebook friends to write one positive post every day in September.  Facebook seems to be a place to complain, air grievances, and just generally vent.  While I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing, I do believe that the energy we send out to the Universe is what we get back.  Hence the positive post a day challenge was born.

For today’s writing prompt, I challenge you to write something positive every day.  This could be a post on your Facebook, on Twitter, or in your journal.  It could be something you’re happy about, something good that happened, something you’re grateful for, or a positive quote.  The only limitation is that it must be positive.

Happy writing!

Friday Writing Prompt: Fortune Cookie

I’ve always wondered who writes fortune cookies.  I wonder if there’s some big database, or if the person running the restaurant orders specific ones.  I’ve had all sorts of fortunes in my cookies ranging from the trite to the profound.  It seems like a lot of effort for something most people throw away.

It got me to thinking about fortune cookies in general.  Have you ever kept one of the fortunes?  As a matter of fact, I carry two around with me in my wallet.  They’re looking a little worse for wear, but they’re important to me.  I don’t remember how long I’ve had them or how I got them.

These are the fortune cookies in my wallet. I think they make a good reminder.

Today’s writing prompt:  Have you (or your character) ever kept a fortune from one of those cookies?  Why or why not?  Do you (or your character) even read them?  As an added bonus, here’s a website where you can generate a random fortune.  Mine was “You can open doors with your charm and patience.”  Patience yes.  Charm?  Apparently they haven’t met me!

Have a great Friday!

Friday Writing Prompt- Travel

I love to go new places and see new things.  I’m more of an adventure type vacationer than a relaxing type vacationer.  That’s not surprising, considering that I don’t relax well.  Trying to relax can actually be stressful for me.

I have so many places I want to see.  So, for today’s writing prompt… imagine you had an all expenses paid vacation for one week, and could go anywhere in the world.  Where would you (or your character) go?  What would you (or your character) do?

If I had to pick one thing, I think the first place I’d want to go is Hawaii.  I’d love to hike the forests and see the waterfalls.  I’d love to sit on the beaches and snorkel off the coast.  Of course, maybe I should pick Alaska.  Or Ireland…  I could go on and on.

If you’re interested in hearing more about places I’ve been and things I’ve seen, just click here!

Friday Writing Prompt: 5 Senses

We use our 5 senses every day to perceive the world: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. In writing, most writers struggle to engage all their senses. As writers, we show or tell about sight and sound but miss some of the other things we register without much thought. Is the room hot, cold, or comfortable? Are there any odors in the air, pleasant or unpleasant? Less common, but still a legitimate question: does the air have a flavor?

So, for today’s writing prompt. Write about what a day would be like for your (or your character) if you lacked one of these senses. Don’t go for one of the easy ones like sight or sound, but try to imagine lack of taste, touch, or smell. What would the absence of these things mean for you (or your character)? Then, if you’re up for an extra challenge, write about a day or scene paying extra close attention to one or more sense. Instead of talking about what you or your character see or hear, pay attention to smell, taste, or touch, and how these things change as you (or your character) move through the day.

Friday Writing Prompt- Never Say Never

I’ve recently started running for exercise.  I always said I’d never run unless someone was chasing me.  With a chainsaw.  Probably a bloody chainsaw.  But I hate exercise, and I determined that running is the most efficient form of exercise.  I tried it awhile ago, stopped, and restarted.

Is there anything you’ve ever done that you said you’d never do, either positive or negative?  That’s today’s writing prompt.  Write about a time you (or your character) did something you (or the character) said you’d never do.  How did you (or your character) feel about doing it?  Why did you (or your character) say you’d never do it and why did you (or they) change your (their) mind?

Friday Writing Prompt: Wayback Machine

For today’s writing prompt, we’re going to do something a little different.  We’re going to take a little trip in the Wayback machine.  Think back to around the time you were 16, and answer the following questions.  If you’re working on a character, put that character in the machine.

1.  What was your favorite band/ music?

2.  Who was your big crush (either celebrity, real, or both)?

3.  Favorite book and/ or TV show?

4.  Favorite beverage?

5.  Best Memory?

I’m going to answer for me, just in case anyone was curious.

1.  The Beatles

2.  I honestly don’t remember having a big crush, but I was dating a great guy named Richard at the time.

3.  Watchers by Dean Koontz, Watership Down by Richard Adams, Behind a Mask: The Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott (yeah, these are still on my list).  Show?  Cheers, maybe.

4.  Iced tea.  I loved iced tea.

5.  My best memory was my 16th birthday party.  We had a pool party at my house, and between snacks, being surrounded by my friends, and acting silly, it was a really good time.

Friday Writing Prompt- I’m Getting Around To That!

How many of us have said, “I’ll get to that tomorrow.  Or Monday.  Or when X happens.”?  I suspect every one of us has done this, with the best of intentions.  The thing is that tomorrow or Monday or X comes and goes and we don’t get around to it.

Last week, I wrote a post about goal setting, and I know I’m not the only one who deals with this.  I recently read a great article on why, when we mess up on our diet goals, we shouldn’t wait until Monday to get back on the wagon.

With that being said, it put me in mind of a perfect writing prompt.  Write about a time that you (or your character) put off something important.  It doesn’t have to be earth shattering, just something important to you (or the character).  Diet, exercise, writing, a new hobby, getting a dog, volunteering.

On a related topic, why do you suppose most of us put things off that are important to us?  In part, I blame our busy schedules and the Internet.  But it has to go deeper than that.  Theories, anyone?

Friday Writing Prompt: The Blahs

How’d you like to go for a swim in this? That would cure the blahs, for sure!

Have you ever had the blahs?  I had them earlier this week, where I just didn’t feel like doing anything.  It wasn’t really laziness or not feeling well.  The best way to describe it was that I felt… blah.

So, onward to our writing prompt.  Write about a time that you (or your character) had a case of the blahs.  How long did it last?  What did you (or your character) do about it?  How did you (or your character) eventually snap out of it?

For me, I ended up taking some Ibuprofen and a hot bath.  With a good night’s sleep, it cured the blahs completely and set me up to face another day!

Writing Prompt: Addiction

Many of us have either struggled with addiction ourselves or know someone who has or is.  On that note, today’s writing prompt.  Write about a time when you (or your character) struggled with addiction or watched someone they love struggle with it.  Write about your (or your character’s) feeling and what you (or your character) did or didn’t do.

Friday Writing Prompts- Quotes

Take a quote and write about it, either from your perspective or your character’s perspective.  I’ll suggest a few here and then give you a few of my favorite websites for quotes.  You can pick a random quote or search for a quote on a particular topic.

“I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.” -Khalil Gibran

“People fear death even more than pain. It’s strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over. Yeah, I guess it is a friend.”- Jim Morrison

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.” -Albert Einstein

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