Use any of the following to start a piece of fiction or non-fiction:

1.  Lucas sniffed the air.  There could be no doubt about the source of the ………
2. Watching the children gleefully splashing in the rain puddles in the park, Mia half-wished that she ……..
3. The transformation had seemed to come overnight, although she knew it had taken much longer, and now in front of her stood ………

Imagine you are taking a walk down a countrylane in Fall.  Use all of your senses to write about the scene around you.

As writers we often need to call upon our mental archive of information in order to add a little color or additional information to a piece we are writing.  This morning give your mental archive an airing by writing all you know about the following subject.  If you’re an expert on the subject, don’t write a book, about 500 words is fine (unless you find you want to write the book of course!):

(more…)

Describe what you were doing on that fateful 9/11 day 6 years ago.  Did the events of the WTC attack change you in any way?  Write a personal essay about the day as you experienced it, and how it affected you then and now.

Are you an emotional person or not?  What’s your strongest emotion?  Write about your usual emotional state.

Use any of the following to start a piece of fiction or non-fiction.  If you’re feeling like a challenge, rather than just choosing the one that appeals most to you, see if you can actually complete a 500 word piece of writing on all of them (they don’t have to be connected - but of course if you can do that ….go you!)

1. It was humid the last time I saw ………
2. Despite the clinical cleanliness of the rest of the room, there was a dark stain spreading out across ………
3. Putting her hands on her hips, Mildred sighed deeply.  “Count to 10″ she told herself as she looked at the ………

What’s the most useful piece of advice you’ve ever been given.  Who gave it to you, what was the advice, and how has it been helpful in your life?

For today’s exercise describe your face!  You may use a mirror, but you may not use any words such as aged, aging, young, etc.  From reading your description, someone who doesn’t know you should have a good idea of what you look like, and your approximate age (so no telling your age either!).  This is an exercise in show not tell, as well as honing your descriptive skills.  If you’re not comfortable with assocating yourself with the exercise, think of it as character development and you are using your own features for those of one of the characters in a novel you plan to write.

Set your timer for 15 minutes, type the title at the top of your page, and see where the subject takes you - fiction or non-fiction, your choice.

(more…)

Write about your best bargain.  Was it something that you really wanted that was drastically reduced?  Was it something you picked up in a thrift store?  Was it something you found or were given?  What’s the greatest bargain you’ve ever had?