Questions and the New Year

Ten days into the New Year, I'm thinking about resolutions I made and how I'm doing on them. (The answer: Great on some, Not So Great on others.)

What if: Instead of making New Year's resolutions, we asked ourselves questions at the start of a new year? Questions make us think about who we are, what we like, and what we don't like. After all, life is a journey of self-discovery, so questions help us discover more about ourselves. When we know ourselves better, we become better writers, too.

In your writer's notebook, play around with answers to these questions, or make up your own questions:

1. If television had never been invented, would you want to invent it? Why?

2. What is something that bugs you? Why?

3. If you lived in a zoo, which animal would you like to be? Why?

4. If you could drink only orange soda or hot chocolate for the rest of your life, which would you pick? Why?

5. If it rained cats or dogs for real, which would you prefer? Why?

You'll notice I asked "why" for each question. Why? Because that's the real question that gets us thinking. Have fun answering, "Why?"

Go Ahead and Exaggerate!

When we exaggerate, we stretch the truth or tell a "tall tale" about ourselves. It's fun to exaggerate in a writing exercise. Here's how:

Write three sentences that describe you. Like:

1. I am strong.

2. I like animals.

3. I am a fast swimmer.

Now exaggerate!

1. I'm so strong, I can lift the sun.

2. I like animals so much, my best friend is a hippopotomus.

3. I'm such a fast swimmer, I can swim from Seattle to Hawaii in two minutes.

Now it's your turn. Go ahead and exaggerate!

A Cat's Point of View

Point of view is a term describing who is telling a story. "View" means to look, so when we talk about point of view we're talking about seeing a story's events through a character's or narrator's eyes.

This is my cat Zoey, and I bet she has a great story to tell. What is she doing, or what is she about to do? What is she thinking about?

Write a story from the cat's point of view. It can be an "I" first-person story, or a "she" third-person story. Have fun being a cat--at least while you write your story!

Holiday Magic

No matter what holiday you celebrate at this time of year--or even if you don't--there's something magical about going outdoors and seeing all the lights.

What if you were a space alien seeing stores, houses, and apartment windows lit up for the first time? What kind of creatures would you think Earthlings were?

For our writing prompt today, imagine you're a space alien. Your ship has just landed next to a brightly lit shopping market, like in the photo above. What are you going to tell your space buddies back home?

Be creative. Why do Earthlings have so many lights?

Holiday Parody

A scary Christmas tree? That's what you get when you say, "Twas the fright before Christmas...." and that's called parody.

What is parody? According to Sarah Ellis in The Young Writer's Companion (a wonderful book), parody is "A humorous, exaggerated imitation of a poem, song, character, or writing style."

Other holiday parodies?

"Jingle bells, Santa smells, ninety miles away...."

OR

"Joy to the world, the school burned down."

Can you come up with other holiday parodies? Think of your favorite (or least favorite) holiday song or poem, and give it a try:

"Rudolph, the snot-nosed reindeer, had a gooey, gobby nose...."

"Frosty the jail man, had a big, big set of keys...."

Have fun poking gentle fun at the songs we hear over and over at this time of year. Who knows? Your parody may become the next big hit!

Opening Doors

Sometimes starting a new story is as easy as opening a door.

If you need an idea for getting started, try using a door in the first sentence or paragraph. Doors are portals, or openings, to the outside world. When we hear a knock on the door, we're interested. When we open a door, we meet--someone or something.

Try using these first sentences to start a story, or make up one of your own. Whom or what will you meet on the other side of that door?

• I opened the door, and....
• When the doorbell rang, Adam ran to be the first one there.
• The door was so low, Uncle Jake had to stoop to come inside.
• I'd never seen a door painted flamingo-pink before.
• Creak!!! I pushed the door open and found....
• The name carved into the wooden door gave me shivers--it was my name.
• The door slammed with such force that Julie jumped.
• I knocked three times and waited. And waited.
• Hello? I'm a 500-year-old door, and I have a story to tell....

Treasure

What does the word "Treasure" mean to you? Riches, gems, gold?

Do you think of buried treasure? A chest full of money? A surprise you find in your pocket? A hidden fortune? A wallet filled with $100 bills?

Or does "Treasure" make you think about a person or a pet? Someone in your family whom you treasure? Your cat that keeps you warm at night ? Or your uncle who always gives you just the right present?

Or do you treasure something more abstract? Time? Beauty? A friend sticking up for you? A kind act on a day when you're feeling rotten?

Who or what do you treasure? What does the word Treasure mean to you? Set your timer for 15 minutes and write about it.