New Blog Location

Hi everyone. Because of some problem with spam and some other limitations with this blog set-up, we'll be moving the daily writing prompt to a new location starting on January 1, 2010. We'll post a link here when everything is ready. The new site will be more powerful and hopefully easier to use. We're taking the rest of 2009 off, so enjoy the season and check back toward the end of the month for more details. Hugs!

Writing Prompts for November 23, 2009

Game Time
The stadium felt ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Take in a sporting event today. Now write!

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Erma Bombeck said, "Anybody who watches three games of football in a row should be declared brain dead."

INKDrop:
Some writers have the luxury of sticking to their favorite subjects and writing obsessively. Others must write about subjects they have little or no interest in studying. We should make a list of our exquisite obsessions and plan to write about them more. If more people spend more time sharing our interests, we will have to spend less time writing about their interests.

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 22, 2009

Open
She couldn't believe they were open, so ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
There is a business near your home you've never patronized. Go there now and see what they have. Then write.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Publilius Syrus wrote, "Count not him among your friends who will retail your privacies to the world."

INKDrop:
So you're a writer, eh? It's your job to find the story, tell the story, and then most annoyingly of all, sell the story. What privacies are you prepared to retail to the world? To what lengths will you turn art into business? We should be prepared to know where the art ends, and where the business begins.

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and write a novel in eight days! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 21, 2009

Winter Wait
It was cold sitting there, but ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
We need to go find a public bench someplace and sit, and wait, and watch. Then write.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
An anonymous writer said, “Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of room at both ends”

INKDrop:
What has love made you do? What will it make you do? Your characters may or may not share the same views on love as you. Whenever we approach the subject of love, we need to pay attention to the details, like sitting in the middle of the bench, without allowing our own authorial views to color the scene and distort our characters' beliefs.

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul). Nine days left, can you make it?

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 20, 2009

Fill 'er Up
I didn't want to stop there, but it seemed ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go buy a package of gum or mints from the clerk at the ugliest petrol station in your neighborhood. Tell us about him or her.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Peter Rose once said, "I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball."

INKDrop:
Often, the most famous people we know are so passionate about their craft, they would do anything necessary to continue doing it. How passionate are you about writing? Is it a nice diversion? Is it something you must do? Is it something that turns your days and nights into a nightmarish obsession? Based on your passion, can you imagine where it will take you?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 19, 2009

Unfolding the Map
The map was so much larger than he remembered it, and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Grab a map of your town, close your eyes and point. Now go visit the place where your finger landed. Describe.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Christopher Columbus wrote, "For the execution of the voyage to the Indies, I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps."

INKDrop:
Christopher Columbus ran into the Caribbean Islands without a map. Not bad shooting there Chris! Where have you ended up by accident? List some good places and some bad places. Create a character who stumbles into a place quite by accident and then jot down positive and negative outcomes. Which seems more likely?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 18, 2009

Booty
Her captive seemed ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Probably encouraging you to go out a capture a slave is a politically incorrect thing to do, so how about you run out and capture an item that will serve you well? What did you decide to claim? How will it serve you?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Ezra Pound writes, "A slave is one who waits for someone to come and free him."

INKDrop:
Ezra Pound, never being one to notice how incredibly stupid he is, defines slaves as people patiently enduring until salvation arrives. What groups of people actually do this and how do you feel about them? What do you endure? What constitutes salvation in your mind?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 17, 2009

In the Mist
We could barely see the outline of a person toward the top of the waterfall and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Time to get wet. Find a water feature near you ... waterfall, fountain, local pond, or maybe you only have access to the shower. What are the benefits of the place you found?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Lucretius in an astonishingly literary vein writes, "From the heart of the fountain of delight rises a jet of bitterness that tortures us among the very flowers."

INKDrop:
It's a glass half empty kind of day. What is your fountain of delight? What causes your jet of bitterness? What tortures you even among the flowers?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 16, 2009

Bunk Beds
Plotting her evil plan, the imp stared at the lower bunk and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Head off to the furniture store and shop for bunk beds. What type of person would love to be sleeping in the top one?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Joan Rivers jokes, "I blame my mother for my poor sex life. All she told me was 'the man goes on top and the woman underneath.' For three years my husband and I slept in bunk beds."

INKDrop:
A dangerous INKDrop today! What's going on in your bedroom that ends up in your writing? Do you create characters with essentially the same bedroom mannerisms as you, or do you let them do things you've only read about on the internet? Today let's live dangerously and have our characters be a bit more free than we might be ready to grant ourselves.

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 15, 2009

Motel
Oddly, the place seemed completely abandoned, and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go on an excursion to a really cheap or really fancy hotel and document what you find there of interest.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Augusten Burroughs writes, "But I can also write in crappy motel rooms, while standing in line, or sitting in the dentist's chair."

INKDrop:
The environment we choose to create literature within probably plays a role in its final form. Do you find yourself writing at the kitchen counter surrounded by dishes? In a fully dedicated writer's office? In a cheap motel room? How do your emotions and your words change as you change writing locations?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 14, 2009

Nobody Home
I stopped by the trailer, but nobody was inside and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
We make fun of trailer parks all the time. Take a trip through one today and look for something positive there.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Hilary Swank said, "I don't know what I did in this life to deserve all of this. I'm just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream."

INKDrop:
Where you're from can change the appearance of where you're going. How does your past color the writing you do?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 13, 2009

What?
He couldn't believe she said it, and yet ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
The stranger on the bench! Go to a busy place and sit uncomfortably near somebody and (of course) eavesdrop ... or better yet ... start up a conversation with them. What did you hear?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Murphy's Law states, "Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch it to be sure."

INKDrop:
We all accept certain things we hear as true without investigation. The nightly newscast is primarily designed to deliver you a list of the aberrant behaviors of the day and we often accept on faith that the list is somehow relevant in our lives. What news items are you pondering today that probably will never affect you in any way?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 12, 2009

The Tree
The tree stood alone as if it were out of place and we ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go find some nature amidst the concrete of human existence. Spend some time writing about it.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Ogden Nash in the Song of the Open Road writes: "I think that I shall never see / A billboard lovely as a tree. / Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, / I'll never see a tree at all."

INKDrop:
Sometimes we write to glorify or vilify humans amidst the oceans and trees, and sometimes we do the same with them surrounded by steel and glass. How much nature will nurture your characters? How much of your own view of the natural world do you bring into your stories?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 11, 2009

Neighborly
She didn't care if the whole neighborhood knew, so ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Time to observe the neighbors! Find a convenient spot to observe your neighbors in action. What are they up to now?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Mignon McLaughlin writes, "Few of us could bear to have ourselves for neighbors."

INKDrop:
Community building of some type is essential for most authors. What relationships do your characters have with other characters? What does their neighborhood look like? Where would they like to live if they moved? What would they like to do to change the environment around them? Do you agree with your characters choice of friends and acquaintances?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 10, 2009

Too Perfect
She'd tried a bit too hard to be perfect and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Visit a local college or university and hang out in the student union. What do you see of interest?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
John Ciardi writes, "A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in the students."

INKDrop:
How has education benefited you as a writer? What has it done to inhibit you as a writer? Examine the role education plays in the lives of the characters you create and discover how your own views of higher learning color their views.

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 9, 2009

Campbell's
Oh she liked soup all right, but this was becoming ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go buy a can of Campbell's soup and create a work of art with it. Tell us (or show us) how you did.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Andy Warhol said, "An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have."

INKDrop:
Make a list of the things you absolutely couldn't survive without. Then make an additional list of things you wouldn't want to live without. Where on your list is the process of writing? Could you live without it? Why do you live with it?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 8, 2009

Blake
She peered through the opening and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Pick a famous painting you enjoy and write about it and why you like it today.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
William Blake says, "Active evil is better than passive good."

INKDrop:
Do you believe some people are evil? Can good exist without evil? Is passive good better than active evil? How have you used good and evil to a positive extent in your writing? How have you used it sloppily without considering the important role each plays?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 7, 2009

Wingman
I could hear the buzzing and knew ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go find an insect. Write about it.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
"If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive." American Quaker saying.

INKDrop:
Some of us are terrified of spiders, or snakes, or weird sounds in the dark, or planes, or the girl working in the next cubicle. What phobias do you have? Which ones would make for a great character in your own writing?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 6, 2009

Big Bug
It was maybe the biggest one she'd ever seen and she ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go find something big. Really really big. Abnormally big. What did you find?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Bill Gates is quoted as saying, "There are no significant bugs in our released software that any significant number of users want fixed."

INKDrop:
Which bugs in your work are you unwilling to admit to creating? Which bugs would it take a significant number of complaints before you fixed them?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 5, 2009

Making Do
It was a crummy place, but it was all there was, so ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Find a relaxing place in the midst of chaos. What makes it peaceful? What creates the chaos?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Robert Bork writes, "A society deadened by a smothering network of laws while finding release in moral chaos is not likely to be either happy or stable."

INKDrop:
Most artists, but not all, can tolerate a good deal of moral chaos, but have little patience for smothering networks of laws. What parts of your life do you allow to be chaotic, and what parts must you have orderly? Why? Do these beliefs force their way into your writing?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 4, 2009

Rear View
She could see the delivery truck from here, and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go find a loading dock, truck stop, or other place where heavy equipment is being used. What are the people like there?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
B.C. Forbes writes, "There is more credit and satisfaction in being a first-rate truck driver than a tenth-rate executive."

INKDrop:
Most of us have a value system of some sort in our heads for the relative value of human beings in our lives and in our writing. Some people are powerful and important, others are weak and replaceable. As you write today, try elevating the lowly and impeding the grandiose. What will be the long term result of your intervention?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 3, 2009

Headlight
The headlamps cast their garish light onto her and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Time for a night time drive through the city again. You're looking to make cool shadows with your headlights. Where did you find the best ones?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings: always darker, emptier and simpler."

INKDrop:
Nietzsche draws a distinction between thinking and feeling. How do you handle these two different human experiences in your writing? Is one more trustworthy? One more important? Try using the same literary tools to convey thoughts, and then emotions. Which is more easily wrought?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 2, 2009

Leaving
Walking out of town, she ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
You're off to find the nearest ghost town, the nearest abandoned place, or the nearest woman walking. What does the imagery you find evoke in you as a writer?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
In the movie Ghost Town, Bertram Pincus asks Gwen, "Shoes. Your shoes are comfortable?"

INKDrop:
Footwear isn't just for fetishes anymore. The characters in your stories will all select shoes based on the season, their income level, their fashion sense, and their function. Shoes can tell you more about a person than you might imagine. What kind of shoes are showing up in your writing?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is here! Go sign up and catch up! (It's free, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for November 1, 2009

NaNoWriMo
I decided to write a novel this month hoping to ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/ and sign up!

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Go to this page http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/forum and scroll nearly to the bottom. You'll find the virtual worlds forum. Look for the Second Life thread. There we are!

INKDrop:
I'm going to have another novel done on November 30. Are you?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 31, 2009

Condemned
We weren't about to go into that house until ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Happy Halloween! Don't know if it's a big deal where you live, but in many places this has become THE big holiday for drunken adults. Visit a costume shop and see what's going on and see what things you could become.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Anna Held writes, "Costumes and scenery alone will not attract audiences."

INKDrop:
Here's the hardest question most writers ever ask themselves ... mostly because the answer might result in you needing to change! What WILL attract audiences to your work? Really. Sit down and write about this and make an action plan for changing the lives of others with your art.

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 30, 2009

Lift Off
She felt the pull dragging her toward heaven and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
You might not be able to find a hot air balloon on short notice, so stop by the grocery store or card shop and grab a helium balloon. Attach a note to it with your e-mail address and let it go. Describe your feelings as you watch and wonder.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Demetri Martin writes, "Another term for balloon is bad breath holder."

INKDrop:
Demetri uses a joke to turn a good thing into a bad thing. How about you do the same thing today in your writing? Make your favorite character do something evil. Find something you adore and write about it in awful terms. Then, just before you leave the writing desk sad, do the opposite and write about something awful in glowing terms. Which is easier?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 29, 2009

Docks
The scene at the back door of the hospital would have been ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Yup! You're off to the back door of the hospital. What are the employees up to when they're not saving lives?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Gerald R. Ford wrote, "For millions of men and women, the church has been the hospital for the soul, the school for the mind and the safe depository for moral ideas."

INKDrop:
Gerald Ford takes the idea of "hospital" and uses it more broadly as a place of healing. Where is your "hospital?" Where do you go for healing?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 28, 2009

Vista
From here she could see ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
You're off to find a beautiful or interesting view. Find a high spot and look out. Describe!

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Helmut Walcha writes, "Bach opens a vista to the universe. After experiencing him, people feel there is meaning to life after all."

INKDrop:
Bach used music to open eyes. How can you use words to open up the senses of your readers? Try creating a description in a scene but avoid using the most obvious sense as the dominant description.

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 27, 2009

Flags
When we told him we needed a few decorative flags, we had no idea ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Head out today to find some flapping cloth. What flag is it? Where is it? Why is it there? Who put it there?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Henry Miller writes, "We have two American flags always: one for the rich and one for the poor. When the rich fly it means that things are under control; when the poor fly it means danger, revolution, anarchy."

INKDrop:
Which flag are you flying? The one that sends the message to the world that you have everything under control? Or the one that signals danger, revolution and anarchy? Why?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 26, 2009

Skeleton
"Here you go," the skeleton said to the little girl and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Stop by the flower shop and find a scary or forlorn arrangement. Create an adventure for it. Who will receive the bouquet and for what occasion?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
H. L. Mencken wrote, "A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin."

INKDrop:
Flowers symbolize happiness and sadness. Good times and bad. What symbols are you using in your writing without thinking about them and assuming your audience agrees on the predetermined meaning? Try adding new meaning behind traditional items such as roses, skeletons, or flying saucers and see how you and your audience resist or accepting the new symbolism.

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 25, 2009

Partners
The cop and the vagabond knew ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go search out an officer of the law. Who did you find, what did they look like, describe how they might react if you committed a crime.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Orson Welles said, "Did you ever stop to think why cops are always famous for being dumb? Simple. Because they don't have to be anything else."

INKDrop:
Think about viewpoint as you move into today's writing. What do the cops believe? What do the bandits believe? What do you as a citizen of Earth believe? Cops spend so much time around criminals they begin to think like they do. Who are you spending time around and how have they influenced your viewpoint?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 24, 2009

Playground
Sitting alone on the giant piece of candy ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go to a pond in your area or a place you frequented as a child and report the impact on all five of your senses.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Gilbert K. Chesterton writes, "The true object of all human life is play. Earth is a task garden; heaven is a playground."

INKDrop:
Assess the amount of time you spend at "work" and the amount of time you spend at "play." How can you increase the amount of play without getting in trouble for not accomplishing your work? Is it possible to build a new life where you are playing and working at the same time? What would that world look like to you?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 23, 2009

Bank
It wasn't much of a town, but there on the sidewalk ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Visit your bank and view it with the eyes of a bank robber. How does your change of viewpoint affect your experience and your emotions there?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Johnny Carson joked that "Anytime four New Yorkers get into a cab together without arguing, a bank robbery has just taken place."

INKDrop:
Writing about the bad guy can be a tempting opportunity to view your character's negative traits, but the experienced writer knows the villain is often the most important character in the plot. As you write today, study your relationship with the bad people and try to find the goodness inside them. Then find the root causes creating their negative behaviors in the world. How can you compassionately portray your character without ignoring his or her evil deeds?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 22, 2009

Props
She opened her box of props and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Head out into your neighborhood on a quest to find a box. It contains the answer to the riddle. Where did you go? Who did you meet along the way? What was the answer? What was the riddle?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Tori Amos writes, "Some of the most wonderful people are the ones who don't fit into boxes.”

INKDrop:
Knowing who you are can sometimes help reduce the time you spend trying to figure out who you are. If I came over and interviewed your friends, what type of box would they put you into and how could I quickly learn about you without ever meeting you? How is the box you are perceived to be inhabiting different than the box you actually inhabit?

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 21, 2009

Required
She wasn't sure she looked forward to it, but nevertheless ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
It's October, go to a haunted house, or find somebody in your neighborhood with plenty of Halloween decorations and report your findings.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Kate Walsh said, “Knitting and crocheting are huge trends right now and many of the latest fashions include knitted and crocheted items or trim. Designer Nicole Miller included a crochet-topped party dress in her latest line. So, grab a few balls of yarn, a needle or a hook and join the fun.”

INKDrop:
Knitting and weaving are literary archetypes. We create tangled webs. A writer is nothing without a comfy crocheted sweater from Shetland wool. Focus your mind on the purpose of clothing and other accoutrement your characters might adorn themselves with and what those items say about them and you.

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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Writing Prompts for October 20, 2009

Sign Here
Standing at the check-in counter, ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go someplace where people are waiting in line. Describe your version of their concerns.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Ralph Waldo Emerson writes, "The world is all gates, all opportunities, strings of tension waiting to be struck."

INKDrop:
Which gates are you going through? Are they open or closed for you right now? What opportunities exist as you go through them? Is life full of strings pulled tight and ready for striking and the production of melody, or is life full of strings being pulled by other and turning you into a puppet? Explain.

Connect:
Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Go sign up! (It's free too, except it will take your soul).

Competition idea: Grab a literate friend or two, agree on the topic today, and write. Maybe 1000 characters (fits in your cell phone notepad), or 500 words (our gold standard), or longer. Then share your work with somebody and ask them to select their favorite effort from today. You might be surprised how much you love winning (or hate losing).

And stop by our old home page and see if we've managed to catch up.

Click image above for full sized version. Permission is granted for unlimited use of this image. It is public domain.
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