Category: Writing

Don’t despair! Here are some fabulous prompts to get you through the month.

New York builders​

Persuasive task:
This is how buildings were made in the past. 
Is this a safe way to build skyscrapers?
Compare it to the way skyscrapers are built today.
Which is the best option?
Convince your audience to take on your opinion.

Narrative task:
Write a story to discuss how these men ended up here.
Is it safe?
What happens when they need to get off the steel bar?
How did they get there?
Why are they there?

Mystery Cave

Persuasive task:
Try and convince someone to either go into or to not go into the mystery cave. 
What adventures or dangers might await them?
What should/shouldn’t they?

Narrative:
Write a narrative story about this cave.
Where does this cave lead to?
Where is it located?
Why would someone enter it?
What are they looking for?
What happens once your character goes inside?
What adventures/ dangers might await those who enter the cave?

Ladder in the sky

Write a narrative story using this image as your prompt.

Think about it
Where does this ladder lead?
Who is climbing the ladder?
What is at the top of the ladder?
Why was the ladder created?
Does the character climb the ladder?
Does something climb down from the ladder?
How did the character find the ladder?
What is special about the field the ladder is in?
Who does the character meet at the top of the ladder?

Dangerous road sign

Write a narrative story to using this image as your prompt.

Think about it
​Will you write a narrative from point of view of the travellers or the monster?
Where does this road lead?
What is the dangers on this road?
How does that affect people who drive on the road?
What is the monsters feelings about people driving on the road.

Spy Mouse

Write a narrative story to using this image as your prompt.
​
Think about it
What is this mouses story?
Why it it there?
What happened to lead it to this moment?
Who does the mouse work for?
Why does the mouse need the cheese?
Does it safely steal/ retrieve the cheese?
What is the problem in this story?
Who is the villain?
Who is the hero?

Giant dog

Write a narrative story to using this image as your prompt.
​
Think about it
Why is the dog so large?
Is the dog being friendly or aggressive?
How does the person feel?
What caused the dog to be so big?
​What caused the person to be so small?

Clever prompt ideas from Two Teachers One Blog

Source: 20 Writing prompts to engage your students in their writing – Two Teachers One Blog (weebly.com)

Just go with the flow and write your heart out.

January Journal Prompts — All the Delights

If you are an avid reader or just a Sunday morning browser, I’m pretty sure you have seen this [sic] before. So what does it mean? Caution, you could offend someone by sicing (?) them.

For instance,

“If you’re reading an article (a great habit to keep, by the way) in which the author is quoting another writer or citing a title, you might see the word [sic] inserted somewhere in the text:

The cartoonist cast back to another strip he had drawn in 1972 as a contribution to a compendium called Funny Aminals (sic).
— David H. VanBiema, People, 27 Oct. 1986″

Note the spelling error, aminals. Sic usually , “appears in parentheses or brackets, sometimes with the letters in italics. In this context it means “intentionally so written.” On its own, sic means “so” or “thus” and can be found in phrases such as sic transit gloria mundi (“so passes away the glory of the world”) and sic semper tyrannis (“thus ever to tyrants,” the motto of the state of Virginia).

What is denoted by sic is that the word or phrase that precedes it occurs in the original passage being quoted or name being used and was not introduced by the writer doing the quoting. Sometimes the quoted text contains an error of grammar or spelling, but other times it might not contain an error at all, but some kind of language or phrasing that might be unexpected.

In the instance above, the comics collection is facetiously titled Funny Aminals, with the consonants of the familiar word animals transposed. The insertion of sic indicates that the title has not been altered or corrected for VanBiema’s article, nor was it an error introduced by VanBiema.”

So it was an intentional error after all. Did the writer quoting the reference know this, or was he just pointing out an “obvious” error. Caution. Some authors are quite protective of their essays and may take offense at some unappreciated correction. But now you know what [sic] means. Right?

Source: How to Use ‘Sic’ | Merriam-Webster (merriam-webster.com)

Source: https://lessonsforenglish.com/ways-to-say/ways-to-say-for-example-english-phrases-examples/

1. Something you’re passionate about

Have fun and write something you love. Let it all flow out of you. Connect with your heart and what is important to you.

2. Things that made you smile

Writing about what makes you smile tells you what lights you up. When you’re having a hard day, you can take a look at this and write about something that makes you happy. It’ll turn your day around.

3. Story where you’re the star

We’re all the stars of our own lives, but have you ever written a story where you’re the star? Imagine your dream life and write about it. How does this change the way you think of your life? What changes can you make to make your dreams come true?

4. Write about your beliefs

As you go through life, you’ll faces challenges and pressure. Once you know your beliefs, you can know your values and what principles you want to live by, which will help you when challenges arise.

5. A memory that means something to you

Memories are little nuggets to our souls. We store them for a reason. Reach down inside and determine why you love the memory you wrote down. You’ll learn more about yourself.

6. Your hopes and dreams

What are the things you’d like to see fulfilled? What are the desires and yearnings you’ve had? Often when we reflect on our hopes and dreams for the future, we actually reach those goals and move on, sometimes with little applause. Take time to write your dreams down, and in the future take time to re-read what you wrote. It might surprise you that you reached your dreams you had in the past without recognizing it.

7. A person you admire the most

What are the things you like about this person? Why do you admire this person? Can you bring what you like about them into your own personality?

8. What you love about yourself

We tend to be overly critical of ourselves. Take time to focus on the good qualities you contain and what you love about yourself.

9. The last time you felt happy

Why did you feel happy? Who made you happy?

10. One song that resonates with you

How does this song relate to you? How does it make you feel?

11. What ticks you off

Knowing what you don’t like or what doesn’t ring true to your spirit tells you something about you. After you determine what you don’t like, figure out if you can change your mind about it.

12. Describe your perfect day

If you can plan/orchestrate your perfect day, how would it go? Where would you go? Who would you be with?

13. What people will say at your funeral

What you think people will say at your funeral will tell you how you’ve been living your life. Are those things what you want people to say at your funeral?

14. Characteristics you admire in a person

Pinpointing the characteristics of a person that you like can show you what matters to you in a friendship(s) you’re longing for. Do you have people in your life who have these characteristics?

15. If you had three wishes from a genie

What would you wish for if you had three wishes? Don’t limit yourself.

16. One thing you regret and what you would do if you could change it

Lessons you learn from regrets are priceless. These are lessons that can help you prevent it from happening again

17. A confession

Write it all out. Remember, no one will see this unless you decide to share.

18. Your talents

What makes you unique and what talents do you possess? How are you utilizing your talents in your everyday life, career and/or relationships?

19. A turning point in your life

What events have made a difference in your life? How did that event change your life to where you are now?

20. Your hobby

Write about your hobby and what you enjoy about it.

21. Your insecurities

Why do you have those insecurities and what is the first memory attached to them? What would you say to yourself if you were a friend?

22. A compliment that mattered to you

Compliments can come in different forms. Which compliments have you appreciated lately?

23. How does your best friend describe you?

Try viewing yourself in a third person like your BFF/BF/GF/SO. How would you describe yourself? What are the positive sides of you?

24. A trip you’ve been dying to go on

Where would you want to explore to? How can you get started on this trip happen?

25. The first time you felt loved

Jot down what made you feel loved and why. Do you like compliments more or spending time with someone you love more? Check out The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman to explore more about how you best receive love.

26. A forgiveness letter

Forgiveness is about freeing yourself from being confined in someone else’s prison cell.

27. A letter you would write to your 16-year-old self

What are the things you’d wish your 16-year-old self knew?

28. A letter you would write to your 60-year-old self

What are things you’d like your 60-year-old self to remember from this time of your life?

29. 5 things you’d like to accomplish in the next 5 years

What are the things you want to do with your time in the next 5 years?

30. What you want to be remembered for?

How do you want to be remembered at the end of your life? What emotions do you want others to feel? How do you want to be celebrated? Are you becoming the person you’d like to be?

Final note

My hope is that when you write about these topics that you feel connected to yourself and to your soul. You don’t need to do these questions everyday. Do them as consistently as you can, but if you miss a day, that’s okay! Have fun with these topics and really dig deep.

Source: https://myrelleoliver.com/30-journal-prompts-for-self-reflection/