EMERGENCY PROMPTS Thank you for paying your AWA dues! We offer this resource to you in appreciation. Your contribution allows us to continue supporting writers and workshop leaders like yourself. We hope that these prompts are there for you in times of need on days when you are pressed for time to prepare and getting it all done before the workshop or retreat feels impossible. May the writing sparked be strong and memorable! Prompts for AWA Affiliates 1
Prompt: How did you lose your feet? Shared by Karen Buchinsky This quote is from David Sedaris, Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002. I love it because it is ridiculous. Writing time 15 minutes I use this prompt in workshop with incarcerated women. The writing is very touching. Prompts for AWA Affiliates 2
Prompt: What we hold in our hands Shared by Karen Buchinsky I ask writers to feel they are holding something in their hands. Is it heavy? How big is it? Is it soft or hard? Begin by describing what you are holding in your hands. Writing time 15 minutes I first heard this prompt from Sue Reynolds and it never fails. Prompts for AWA Affiliates 3
Prompts: When only a little writing time is left Shared by Karen Buchinsky A. I ask writers to call out five random letters, then everyone writes letters in a column, for example: A N H F P Tell writers that each letter must be the first letter of a line. Writers may use a word, phrase or write a complete sentence. Prompt encourages writers to use new and different words we would not have otherwise thought of and/or to use them in different ways. B. I bring a list of very obscure words. Each writer is asked to choose one, to make-up a definition for it, then to use it in a sentence. This is a fun exercise and excellent to have in your pocket after a particularly intense write, or in a group of group of reluctant or beginner writers to put them at ease. I got this prompt from Kathy Dunn, AWA leader, Amherst, MA. Prompts for AWA Affiliates 4
Prompt: Trees Evoke Writing Shared by Lane Goddard I have found that trees are evocative for many people. For each of these prompts, I first ask writers to settle comfortably, close eyes if they wish, and take a few deep breaths. A. From memory or imagination, think of a tree. See its size, its breadth, its branches. Does it have foliage? Picture in your mind its surroundings the air, light, temperature. Hold this tree in your mind s eye. Begin writing. B. Imagine yourself or a character as a tree. Feel the air on your branches, your roots in the soil. Begin writing as a tree. Prompts for AWA Affiliates 5
Prompt: 14 Japanese words that English needs Shared by Jan Haag Pick one or two and write into them: tsundoku: constantly buying books that accumulate but never get read shibui: a scowling face or miser-like behavior, but also something that is charming precisely because it is understated and low key shoganai: literally, it can t be helped, but also expresses a conviction that there s no point in complaining if a situation is out of one s control kuidaore: to go bankrupt because you spent all your money on food and drink mottainai: literally, what a waste! Expresses regret over this waste natsukashii: a happy look back at a past memory for instance when looking at old pictures from childhood otsukaresamadesu: literally, it s been tough and you must be tired ojama-shimasu: said when you enter someone else s house, signifying that you know you are going to be a bother and apologize in advance itadakimasu: literally, I humbly receive, said before every meal, expressing appreciation for all the work that went into the meal that is about to be eaten mono no aware: to connote a pathos engendered by a sense of the fleeting nature of life. Accepting this impermanence can lead to a sense of joy in the present moment, however insubstantial it may be, and even a recognition that beauty and intransience are two parts of a whole Prompts for AWA Affiliates 6
kogarashi: the withering wind that comes at the start of winter and blows the last leaves off of the trees wabi-sabi: the imperfect, incomplete and transient nature of beauty, such as wood that gains a mellow patina over time, falling autumn leaves, or a chipped vase shinrinyoku: literally, forest bath walking through the forest and soaking in all the green light komorebi: sunlight shining through the leaves of trees, creating a sort of dance between the light and the leaves. https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2016/11/03/untranslatable-japanese-words/ Prompts for AWA Affiliates 7
Prompt: Quotes from modern books Shared by Jan Haag Choose one and write into it: I want you to remember who you are, despite the bad things that are happening to you. Because those bad things aren t you. They are just things that happen to you. Colleen Hoover, from Hopeless It s better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not. André Gide, from Autumn Leaves Get busy living, or get busy dying. Stephen King, from Different Seasons The thing I realize is that it s not what you take, it s what you leave. Jennifer Niven, from All the Bright Places Home isn t where you re from, it s where you find light when all grows dark. Pierce Brown, from Golden Son No person, no matter how important society has deemed their relationship to you, has the right to denounce you for who you are. Tyler Oakley, from Binge In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. Albert Camus, from Lyrical and Critical Essays In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. Anne Frank, from The Diary of Anne Frank Prompts for AWA Affiliates 8
It is a great misfortune to be alone, my friends; and it must be believe that solitude can quickly destroy reason. Jules Verne, from The Mysterious Island Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart. Haruki Murakami, from Kafka on the Shore The goal isn t to live forever; the goal is to create something that will. Chuck Palahniuk, from Diary If we wait until we re ready, we ll be waiting for the rest of our lives. Lemony Snicket, The Ersatz Elevator All endings are beginnings. We just don t know it at the time. Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven Prompts for AWA Affiliates 9
Prompt: Tree visuals Shared by Jan Haag Write into the trees below and see what shows up. The dark boughs reach out above me and encircle me like arms. I feel the assurance of being recognized, as if something powerful and protective is aware of my presence... I am never alone in this forest of elders, this forest of eyes. from The Island Within, anthropologist Richard Nelson Prompts for AWA Affiliates 10
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Prompt: Poetic Inspiration First Lines Shared by Kate Hymes Wallkill Valley Writers New Paltz, New York wallkillvalleywriters.com khymes@wallkillvalleywriters.com I read lots of poetry. I am constantly on the lookout for poems or lines of poetry to offer as invitations to write. After a warm-up exercise, I always begin with poetic inspiration. A. I use whole poems, poems no longer than one page, usually less. I tell writers I sometimes use whole poems because a single poem has many places of entry, surprising and unpredictable ones. I tell writers to listen, to make note of--a line, a phrase, or image that sparks imagination or memory within them. Then I ask them to write whatever comes up, especially if they have no idea why the poem brought them to this starting place. This poem is effective in a workshop where writers tend toward memoir. I recommend not using it for first workshop meeting. why some people be mad at me sometimes they ask me to remember but they want me to remember their memories and I keep on remembering mine. Lucille Clifton Prompts for AWA Affiliates 12
Writing time 15 minutes B. Lines from poems by Remica Bingham-Risher: 1. we become what we live 2. Women are burdened/ with consequence 3. The bruises I can t remember 4. This is the worst kind of love story 5. Things I carried into the world 6. I will not leave or plead 7. My doctor has become a priest 8. So I become my blinding self Writing time 15 minutes Prompts for AWA Affiliates 13
Prompt: Two Pages Shared by Kate Hymes Wallkill Valley Writers New Paltz, New York wallkillvalleywriters.com khymes@wallkillvalleywriters.com A great find has been the pocket size book, two pages by Abigail Thomas. It lists approximately 300 prompts: the third is always a list of words with no apparent relationship to one another. If I am running short on preparation time, or find myself at a loss for a prompt, it is my go-to resource. I don t lead a workshop without it. I read three prompts (one page from two pages) to writers, ask them to let to the select one of the three, then write. Sample starters: 1. of ten years of your life, using only three- word sentences 2. of pure gossip 3. with pillow, convertible, and ice cube Writing time 15/20 minutes depending on size of group and length of workshop I use two pages prompts as invitation to second write. Prompts for AWA Affiliates 14
Prompt: Things You Bury Shared by Kathleen Olesky Managing Your Muse Newton, MA oleskyk@me.com I ask everyone to take a few minutes and make a list of things you bury. Then each person reads their list aloud and everyone writes down all the suggestions. Some examples of what people list: seeds, bulbs, trauma, memory, bones, dead pets, treasure, jewels, bodies, feelings, anger I suggest writers choose one or more (or all) of the suggestions. Writing time -- 15 minutes The writing has been very rich. Also some writers chose to include all of the suggested buried items. It affords a wide range of responses from the emotional to the concrete. I recommend using this as a second prompt. Prompts for AWA Affiliates 15
Prompt: Living Will Shared by Sue Reynolds Inkslingers www.inkslingers.ca sue@inkslingers.ca Write a piece where you leave or bequeath pieces from your life to other parts of your life. The things being left to others can be more or less tangible; the others that are the recipients of your gifts can be people or less embodied entities. Don t be afraid to loop back and revisit things inside the poem/piece. Writing time - This is best with 15 to 20 minutes to do the exercise. Prompts for AWA Affiliates 16
Prompt: The Brown Paper Bag Shared by Pat Schneider www.patschneider.com About once in every ten-week session I bring in a brown paper bag with several of the same thing hidden in it, and when it is time to write I tell them, I m going to give you something and I want you to hold it and see what in your memory or imagination it calls up. Then I walk around the room and put into each person s hand one to each person without any direction at all. For this to work one needs to use surprise and a little drama let it have a touch of magic. I use very common things: round slices of carrot (they have circles that suggest the cosmos! or grandma!); potatoes (one woman wrote the funniest sexy piece I ever got from a writer from a potato! go figure!); an onion, a railroad nail, a regular nail, a screw (boy, did that one give us some writing!); pieces of bark from a sycamore tree; acorns; pieces of penny candy the list of possibilities is endless. After we share our writings, I may talk a bit about how there is story in everything, if we simply allow memory or imagination to rise from the unconscious. Prompts for AWA Affiliates 17
Prompt: The Remembered Song Shared by Pat Schneider www.patschneider.com I ask people to make a list of things they can say by heart: I give them a few seconds for each suggestion: the words of a familiar song; a popular song from youth; a bit of religious or traditional litany; the pledge of allegiance or a schoolyard chant; items in a favorite recipe (anything else that comes to my mind). Then when they have a list I suggest that they choose one, and write the first line of the remembered piece, then something in response, then go line by line and write something in response to each line. End with the last line of the remembered piece. Prompts for AWA Affiliates 18
Prompt: The Fantasy Shared by Pat Schneider www.patschneider.com This is one of the most powerful prompts I know, and should be used only when a group is well established and participants feel safe with one another. It is well to remind people that the writing is the most important thing, and if your space permits, if they need to go on writing after you call them back, they may go where they can do that, and return to the group any time someone else is not reading. In my home, I need to tell people ahead of time that we are going to do a very quiet exercise, and so please if you are going to leave your chair for writing, wait until everyone is beginning to write. Then I begin the prompt with, If you are comfortable closing your eyes, please do otherwise just let them have a soft focus. I may do a little centering time to call them into quietness in their own bodies ( Be aware of your breath how it moves through your body. How it cleanses and refreshes -- list parts of the body.) (Pause) Then I say: In your memory, go back to a time when you were standing in a doorway. (Then I ask only these three questions: How tall are you, in relation to the door? (That will establish relative age); Where is the light coming from? (That will establish day or night, indoors or outdoors); Is anyone near you, or are you all alone? (Then I say, very quietly, If anything is happening, let it happen. When you are ready, very quietly pick up your pen and paper and write whatever comes. There are no end of places : in a familiar, comfortable chair; in the back seat of a car; in a city, looking into a store window; under a tree; in a bedroom (where is the light coming from? Are the bedcovers straight, or wrinkled? Is anyone else there, or are you all alone?) What is important here is that you not offer any action just place them in a place familiar to them. Because this calls up deep memory, often painful, it also frequently calls up tears when reading. I have copies of a little poem that I hand out only when someone apologizes for crying, or I think they are embarrassed by it. Prompts for AWA Affiliates 19
I pass it out face down and tell them not t read it until I read it aloud to them. SONG The fist of my soul has opened. Look, what rain it held so long. -- Jennifer Modell Prompts for AWA Affiliates 20