Finding Writing Prompts

Sometimes, the most difficult part about writing is finding something to write about.  Here is an excellent site to help battle writers' block.

Maybe you haven't read enough books yet to have a good grip on the different genres you prefer to read about, and that is OK! Just as reading a wide variety of genres will help you figure out what you like to read about, one of the best ways to figure out what to write about is to just start free writing. Maybe something scared you when you were little. Write about the senses you experienced while you were living through this moment in life. Don't just think about the obvious visual images that come to mind. Think about the abstract senses like what kind of smells come to mind, as well. Are you the kind of person who thinks of Christmas everytime you smell a scent of pine? Write about the furniture of your memories. In other words, the stuff that makes you recall your memory most vividly.

Students: Write three paragraphs describing one of these moments using the five senses of vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Post your paragraphs in the comments section below. Think of ordinary things in extraordinary ways. For example, what makes the desk in the picture below interesting compared to a standard desk?

Journal of Dreams

  Have you ever wanted to learn what last night's dream said about your future? Did you know that there are common dreams that every man, woman and child has in his or her lifetime that can be caused by external environmental factors like stress, guilt, love, and happiness? Did you also know that you dream every single night and just don't always know it? That's right, I said every night. The thing is, most people forget their dreams minutes after they wake up because of every day distractions. Well, guess what? There is a way to record dreams right after they happen. This link will take you to a very helpful website to help get you started. You can keep a journal right next to your bed to write in right after you wake up. I call this a dream journal, and it is very effective.

  It will take some discipline at first to remember to write in your journal, but after a few entries, you might begin to notice a pattern. Weird, isn't it? Now, here is another spin to this assignment: We will be making short stories out of these dreams in a later unit, but for now, get some Zzz's and enjoy your rest and let's see what your brain can create while you are sawing logs. You might be surprised what will begin pouring out of your pen. It very well could be the next best seller.