Writing Prompt #22
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
As writers, many of us seek to understand human behavior. Whether conscious of it or not, our work is tied to the theories of psychology. For this prompt, explore Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s model of the five-stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. Write a 500-word third-person p.o.v. scene for each stage as your character deals with an important loss (the loss does not have to be of a person). Let each scene be its own discrete piece. Which stage reveals the most about your character? What does each stage reveal?
Please let me know if you use this prompt and how it works for you!
Writing Prompt #21
Spring is well underway, which, at Open Road Writing, means it is time for writing prompts!
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
Fairy tales are filled with animal helpers: fox, frog, dog. Celtic and Native American cultures, among others, reference totem animals as spirit guides. Consider what helper animal/totem animal your protagonist may have. Even if the animal doesn’t speak (a la fairy tale helpers), what does your character hear from the animal? Write a 750 word first-person p.o.v. scene in which your character encounters and acknowledges the animal. You may find it useful to read about the qualities a variety of animals are thought to have. Want to dig deeper into this relationship? Re-write the scene from a third-person p.o.v., or if you’re feeling particularly creative, write it from the animal’s point of view.
Let me know how this prompt works for you!
I study and practice the craft of writing for multiple audiences and purposes. Through my experience in public relations, grant writing, and academia, I have acquired the ability to create text that garners results. I hold a MA in English literature and a MFA in Creative Writing. Having taught nearly 900 students in classes ranging from business writing to creative writing, I believe in writer-centered instruction as the most effective way to empower my clients. 
