June 29, 2014 Prompt #58 This week’s Sunday Shape-Up lets you shine like the star you are. Instructions For 10 minutes, jot down phrases, dialogue and images that come to mind when you hear the word star. Re-read what you’ve written and circle a phrase or sentence that stands out. Next, underline a phrase thatContinue reading “Sunday Shape Up: Star”
Category Archives: Fill In The Blank Prompts
Double Double (Toil and Trouble?)
June 25, 2014 Prompt #54 Sometimes, a successful story is the result of careful planning, clear outlines, and a well-conceived structure. Other times, random play generates surprising results. For today’s prompt, we are going to play. Instructions Choose a section of a story or essay you’ve written that is about a page long. Or chooseContinue reading “Double Double (Toil and Trouble?)”
Summer Solstice Ritual
June 21, 2014. Prompt #51 After dinner with friends tonight , I marked this longest day of the year with a walk to Wonderland Lake. There, redwings chattered, the foothills reflected themselves in the water, and two mallard chicks paddled behind with their mother. On the path home, I nearly bumped into a mule deer.Continue reading “Summer Solstice Ritual”
Developing Character
June 20, 2014. Prompt #50 To write effectively about characters, it’s crucial to thoroughly develop their fictional lives. Once you have a clear sense of who they are, you’ll be able to better write dialogue for them and describe their gestures, expressions, and habits. How does your character entertain herself, how does he dress, whatContinue reading “Developing Character”
I Don’t Remember
May 20, 2014 Prompt #20 Today’s prompt turns yesterday’s “I Remember” exercise on its head. “I Don’t Remember” motivates you to write about loss, failure of memory, and what we repress. Use it to remember, connect, and observe. When I’ve taught this exercise in my workshops, there’s often a lightheartedness about what our mind choosesContinue reading “I Don’t Remember”
Imagined History of a Lost Object
May 6, 2014 Prompt #5 Before Getting Started: Pen or Keyboard? Before I launch today’s prompt, I want to talk about writing vs. typing. Through out this blog, you’ll see instructions such as “Write the phrase on a fresh piece of paper” Which raises a question my students frequently ask: “Is it better to writeContinue reading “Imagined History of a Lost Object”
Opening Lines
May 4, 2014 Prompt #3 Getting Started For many writers, staring at a blank page or empty screen is daunting. Some wonder, “What should I write about? What will people think of my story?” Others ask, “How do I begin? How do I shape that all-important first line?” My advice? 1. Turn off your innerContinue reading “Opening Lines”
What If?
May 2, 2014 • Exercise #1 This first exercise gives you a series or words and phrases to work with. I suggest printing the text below on a sheet of lined paper or typing it onto a fresh electronic page. Once you’ve finished that, start your 10-minute times and fill in the blanks with a shortContinue reading “What If?”
Ellen Orleans 