a letter

As your partner was returning home from school, they saw that taped to their front door was an envelope with their name written on it. They open the envelope and inside is a letter saying, "meet me at the bench in the center of town. " What happens next?

script your life

Start with the moment you opened your eyes and script out as much of your morning as you can. Please remember to include setting and stage direction.

Five minute similes.

Please take five minutes and write as many similes as you can for this picture.

CSI

Have your group pick one person that isn't in your group. That person has died. Please describe the situation that took place to bring that person to such an unfortunate death. (cards)

onyourmind

List twenty things that are on your mind today. Once you have your list, put these symbols next to each that apply: I= important F= fun D= dangerous U= useless

polls

Write one poll type question that you would like the class to answer on the sheet of paper that is going around. Then the class will answer it.

picture prompt

expressions

Please find a partner and express yourself according to the expression on the board. The other partner must describe in detail what your face did. :) :( :\ :P

picture + music

Please write about the picture, taking into consideration the music.

Social prompt

Please write down ten topics. Now choose a friend and switch notebooks. Write one way that you are the same, and one way you are different for each topic.

Thinker

I have a couple questions I would like you to consider for today's writing. Should there be a code of ethics for blogs? Should anyone be aloud to post anything they want? If so, how can you trust any of it. Here is a code of ethics that a major blogger came up with.

1. Publish as fact only things that you believe are true. don't post rumors, and if you are guessing that something might be true, tell them that you are guessing.

2. If you are writing about something that exists online, link to it. This allows your readers to judge for themselves the validity of what you are writing about.

3. Publicly correct anything that you found out you are wrong about. If you were wrong, say you were wrong!

4. Don't change anything you have written in the past. You may have people linking to your blogs and if you change them the links will not be appropriate. Instead of changing old blog posts that you have changed your mind about, add your new perspectives onto the bottom as a footnote.

Tell me what you think.

thinking prompt

What does it mean to be an adult? Think about it outside of the stereotype and see what you come up with. (pwrpt)

picture prompt

You write the story of the picture.
Remember just start this story.

questionaire

Questionnaire

three circles

Please draw three circles on your paper a little larger than a quarter. Leave some space in between them. Write the names of three people that are really important to you in them, one in each. Please then draw three connecting circles off of each of those. Write one thing they need, in each of them. Try to be as personal as you can with their needs. Three circles off of each of those. Please write three ways you can help them with their needs each in one of those circles.

video prompt

Please respond to the following video.

rorsharch test

Please write down your first impressions when I show you the following pictures.

Picture Prompt

Please write the story of the picture taking into consideration the mood of the music. (Vivaldi four seasons)

Round Robin

Please start with this sentence. "You are lost alone in the woods." and begin to write a story for it. You then have to pass it to the person next to you and continue their story... continue around until you get your book back.

Picture prompt

Please write the story of this picture.

subject prompt

Please describe what this looks like.

Umami for the mind

Umami is the fifth taste. We taste sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. It can be described as a pleasant taste, or the taste that makes you feel good and satisfied. A warm satisfaction. I would like you to describe a place that you would leave you feeling that way. A place that would be your ultimate happy place, leaving you feeling completely relaxed and content.

Social prompt

This takes a little attention so listen carefully. Today I would like you to pair up with someone. First, describe that person. Second pretend you are that person and describe yourself(them). Third still pretend you are that person and describe yourself (you). confusing and fun!

twenty sentences

Please complete the following powerpoint. Start your sentences with "I hope," then add the words that appear on the powerpoint and complete the sentences.

Scary Prompt

You write the story of the picture.

voice 3

More difficult this time.

Voice prompt #2

Remember to capture their voice!

Voice prompt

Please write a story, capturing the "voice" of this person.

Picture prompt

Please write the story of this picture..

What Kelsey said...

Today, Kelsey, my friend and former student posted a question in her blog and I am interested in your answer.
Do you think some words should be kept private? Or should we reveal our whole selves in order to become closer to others?
What is just yours? Does anyone really know you? Really? How do you choose who does? Do they have to meet a certain criteria? What if your present best friends left, or you went to college without them like Kelsey. How long do you think it would take to trust someone that much? Is there a you that no one else knows and should you let anyone in that deep? Why?

object prompt

Please use the object that I brought into class as the main focus of a story beginning.

social prompt

answer the questions for your partner.

Picture Prompt

Please write the story of this picture.

see what you can see

I am going to leave this up for one minute, and you are going to describe it in incredible detail for nine!

Skeleton Sentences

Please bring these skeletons to life!!

1. He ran down the dark street.

2. He sat at his desk and was really bored.

3. She opened the door and was surprised.

4. He was happy while he ate his lunch.

5. He was scared because the plane was crashing.

SHOW ME DON'T TELL ME

Survey

Complete this survey!!

muse

You, must mirror the mood in the following songs, (Tetsujin, in my head)

words wrods rodws

Please use all of the following words in a small story.
Violent
Muffin
Gasping
Smoke
Beyonce'
Cracked
Insincere
Juicy
Shiny
Float

A day in five senses

Please describe a typical day at the beach. You may only use your sense of sight for the first two minutes, your sense of smell for the next, your sense of touch for the next, your sense of taste for the next, and your sense of hearing for the last two minutes.

Picture Prompt -- Beginnings

Please write the story of the picture.

Social Prompt

pair up with a person that you know that you have never been to their house. Try for ten minutes to guess what person's bedroom looks like.

Charting your life

Today you are going to complete the life chart: rate each entry on a scale of 1-10 for the positives, and each on a scale of -1 to -10 for the negatives. Plot each, illustrate them and pass them in tomorrow. :)

bad day

Please now list the twenty worst things that have ever happened to you and how old you were when they happened.

20 best

Please list the twenty best things that have happened to you and beside them the approximate age in which they happened.

Oranges

Please describe these oranges without using the word orange.

Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are a necessary part of my class. They are ungraded and give my students a chance to experiment with their writing without consequence, a rarity in school. Every student needs a journal that remains in my class for the entire year. Most of my students burn through a couple of these throughout the year, so be prepared to buy a couple extras. There will be a new writing prompt every day.

I do not "do" normal writing prompts... just ask my students.

I will ask every day if there are any students willing to share their writing with the rest of the class. Of the many that share, I will choose my favorite and write it on this site. Just click comments, below, to read the entry, and leave any comment that you might have as well.

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