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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Writing Prompts for October 19, 2009

Too Big
She wanted it big, but this was ridiculous, and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
The gazebo is an enduring symbol of out door beauty and peace. Go visit one and write about it.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Philip Johnson writes, "All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space."

INKDrop:
Look around the space you're in now. Does it cuddle, exalt and stimulate, or depress, anger, and violate? Either way, it will make a wonderful descriptive piece. Add emotional value to the objects there and what do you get?

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 18, 2009

Roadside
He might have looked cool, but really ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Visit a motorcycle store or go find one on the streets and write about what makes them a symbol of excitement, freedom, and danger.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Brock Yates writes, "I admit to wasting my life messing around with fast cars and motorcycles."

INKDrop:
So the question becomes, what are you wasting your life messing around with? After they put you in the box, and they're summing you up at the eulogy, what will they say you loved? What will they say you spent your time on? What will they say was the result of your passions? Is that how you want to be remembered? 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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Writing Prompts for October 17, 2009

Kisses
She looked into his eyes and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go find a public display of affection and add to the story.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
“Your heart is my pinata,” jokes Chuck Palahniuk.

INKDrop:
Love hurts, love heals, love moves the plot forward and gives your characters goals. What traditional and non-traditional views of love do you bring to your writing and how will you avoid trapping your characters with your own views?

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 16, 2009

Mmmm pizza!
So far the best thing about Earth was the pizza, and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
You saw this one coming: Go for pizza. Then write!

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Steven Wright jokes, “There's a pizza place near where I live that sells only slices. In the back, you can see a guy tossing a triangle in the air.”

INKDrop:
When you run a pizza parlor, you need your recipes, your ingredients and your team. As a writer you already have your recipes and your ingredients. Who is on your team? If you don't have a large team, do you have a quality team? When it's time to distribute your work, how will your team help 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 15, 2009

Odd Companions
Gawd these guys are driving me crazy, she thought, as she ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
You've seen it a million times. Do it again. Go rent Wizard of Oz with the plan to write another part of the story. At least two successful Broadway shows have begun this way; why not you?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
"Ding dong the witch is dead."

INKDrop:
Dorothy's house kills one of the wicked witches. Today you should muse about a moral dilemma. Does it make sense to you to eliminate evil in the world by killing it off? You're going to have terrible things happen to your characters; where do you stand on violence against the evil in them?

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 14, 2009

Open 24/7
I'll just ride my scooter down to the liquor store since ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go for a drive late at night and pay particular attention to the lighting and the signs. What different impressions do you have of your neighborhood in the dark rather than the day?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Frank Langella wrote, "Each of us needs something, food, liquor, pot, whatever, to help us survive. Dracula needs blood."

INKDrop:
What do you need? Look around you and make a list of what you absolutely couldn't live without. Then spend some time thinking about what that means about 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 13, 2009

Waitress
He told her, "Just stand out on the sidewalk with a tray, and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go enjoy a meal and engage the waiter in a meaningful conversation. What did he or she have to say?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Bryan Miller writes, “The disparity between a restaurant's price and food quality rises in direct proportion to the size of the pepper mill.”

INKDrop:
Most writers carry around very large pepper mills. We have all those tools our middle school English teachers gave us. Similes, metaphors, alliteration, enough adjectives and adverbs to send our peppered red fishes back to the sea. What kind of writer are you? One who uses the big pepper mill and fills your writing with spice, or one who uses the little pepper mill preferring prose with mostly meat and potatoes?

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 12, 2009

First Dance
The flew across the dance floor and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Sneak into a wedding. Return and write!

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Germaine Greer writes, "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

INKDrop:
Few writers escape from telling the tales of love. How will you use love, romance, and eternal bliss to your advantage? How can you use the opposites of unfaithfulness, sordid affairs, and eternal boredom as tools to help you with your stories? Open your mind to exploring both sides of love when writing today.

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 11, 2009

Sorcerer's Apprenctice
Her diminutive stature wasn't about to stop her from ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Call up somebody smarter than you and take them to lunch. What's on their mind lately?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Famous basketball coach Bobby Knight once said, "All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things."

INKDrop:
So, why do you keep writing? Start a journal entry today with "I keep writing because..." and see where you end up, and then, here's the scary part, go share this with a reader. Ask them if they knew this about you. (Hopefully they're already keenly aware of your passion for our obsession.)

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 10, 2009

Elephants at Sunset
They liked watching the sunset together and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
The multi-armed figurine is a staple of some Eastern philosophy. Go find one near you and describe it in detail. Why so many arms?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Fran Lebowitz wrote, "Your life story would not make a good book. Don't even try."

INKDrop:
Joking or not, the question is, would your life make a great book? Examine the critical incidents in your life and imagine them distilled into a book. Another question, would your day today be worthy of a short story? Have you done something today worthy of a beginning middle and end? What was your point of no-return today?

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 9, 2009

Frozen
The residents of the city on the hill buried in ice were ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go find a snow globe or some other winter-esque accoutrement. Describe.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Thomas Berger writes, "Why do writers write? Because it isn't there."

INKDrop:
You create when you write. You bring a universe into existence. You are the God of that universe. What are the key tools and warning signs you follow so as not to abuse your power? When do you know you've been an amiable god, and a vengeful one?

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 8, 2009

Unique
She began to realize her choice to remain tattoo free was ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
You're off to visit the underworld today. Visit a music shop or a tattoo parlor and tell us what you found. If you come back with a "Hello Kitty" tattoo on your butt cheek, don't send me the bill.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Blaise Pascal in "Lettres Provinciales" writes, "I have made this letter longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter."

INKDrop:
Ahhhh, editing. You hate butchering up your child and yet you have your readers to think about. You want to believe they love everything you jot down because it came from you. It's precious and perfect. Yet hand it over to an editor and they immediately turn it into a blood bath. The best ones cut it down to half its original length and you can't even tell without comparing it to the original. The worst ones change the meaning and purpose behind your intent. Grab a short piece you've written lately and examine every word. Try crossing things out and recasting sentences with active verbs to reduce the overall length. Tell the same story in half the space.

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 7, 2009

The Cabin
We crawled along the ground to find it ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Halloween is just around the corner. Do you plan for it early? Late? Not at all? Go visit a retailer and study the Halloween displays. What does it say about your neighbors?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
George Ade in his Fables in Slang wrote, "After being Turned Down by numerous Publishers, he had decided to write for Posterity."

INKDrop:
Most everything I write these days will probably be for Posterity. It's my favorite publishing company since they joyfully accept everything I do. With the literary and book publishing world changing so quickly, traditional publishing seems more and more like an anachronism each day. How do you decide what is worth sending to an editor, and what do you decide to drop onto a website or blog and offer up to the world for free?

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 6, 2009

Lookout
Waiting for their arrival, she ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Find something "science-y" in your area and stop by for a visit. What did you discover?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Edwin Powell Hubble in The Nature of Science writes, "Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure science."

INKDrop:
We can only perceive with five (maybe six) surprisingly unreliable senses. Write with all the sights, sounds, smells, textures and tastes you can dare to include and your readers will experience your story in their bodies as well as their minds.

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 5, 2009

Camouflage
Trying to hide didn't seem to be working out, so the next option was ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Army Surplus store, hardware store, kitchen supply house, automotive supply, adult book store. Go to a retail establishment you've never entered and have a good shop. What items exist you never knew about and how would they change your life?

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy writes, "Avarice, envy, pride: Three fatal sparks, have set the hearts of all on fire."

INKDrop:
Today we examine what role avarice, envy and pride play in our lives. They're not front page evil like we imagine they once were and might on occasion be helpful to us. Then ask yourself, if complicating issues of money, time, location, and personal obligations could be magically lifted from your life, what would set your heart on fire?

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 4, 2009

Umbrella
At this point, the umbrella seemed superfluous and ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
The local coffee shop, your coat closet, the back of your car ... these are the places you'll find an umbrella. Go there now and report your findings. Better yet, carry an umbrella around all day with you and describe the reaction.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Marcus Fabius Quintilianus writes: "Prune what is turgid, elevate what is commonplace, arrange what is disorderly, introduce rhythm where the language is harsh, modify where it is too absolute."

INKDrop:
Your readers hope to have a lovely time reading your work ... a lovely short time. So wasting their time with extravagant and poorly edited writing will make them unhappy. Find a piece you've written lately and chop it up. Yep, take everything out that's not the bare bones skeleton of what you wrote. Find out what you really said without the art. In the midst of beautiful prose, did you also tell the story or convey the information? Now gingerly decide exactly what bits of beauty should be restored to the piece. (Hopefully all of it!)

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!

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 3, 2009

Posing
We could see they wanted a certain look, so they ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
There's a bridge someplace near you. Go there and hang out. Take photos and notes. Return with your adventure story about life at the bridge.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
John Gardner writes in The Art of Fiction: “We care about what we know and might possibly lose, dislike that which threatens what we care about, and feel indifferent toward that which has no visible bearing on our safety or the safety of what we love.”

INKDrop:
Create a character sketch today in one of two ways: Either, make the character resemble somebody you love and then have something horrible happen to them; or, make the character resemble somebody you dislike and then have something wonderful happen to them. Examine your inner-editor's attempts to resist you and learn to combat the resistance.

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!

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 2, 2009

C'mon In!
Hiring a trumpeter to announce her arrival seemed ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Find the nearest public work of art and describe it.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Woody Allen said, "If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative."

INKDrop:
Try writing something today that is innovative. Be a different kind of writer for half an hour. Don't worry about being awesome; just try a new approach. Toss out all those rules in your head and try something dangerous, or weird, or fun. Then decide what is successful and what failed in your new attempt.

Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters group there for more virtual inspiration and literary camaraderie.

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 http://www.mammothgardens.com/inksters

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 1, 2009

Mayan Princess
Arriving about a thousand years too late, she ...

Artist Date or Field Trip:
Go visit a tourist attraction in your neighborhood and write about it.

Literary Quote of the Day (unverified from the web)
Mark Twain writes in "How to Tell a Story": "To string incongruities and absurdities together in a wandering and sometimes purposeless way, and seem innocently unaware that they are absurdities, is the basis of the American art, if my position is correct."

INKDrop:
You have incongruities in your own life. Every time your ire rises, you can speak passionately on absurdities surrounding you. You can be purposeful and innocent all at once (I hope). Grab your pen and your notebook and make some "American" art right now. You might as well, none of your neighbors are bothering to try and they might like to read what you've put together.

Join Second Life (it's free) and check out the INKsters for more virtual inspiration.

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 http://www.mammothgardens.com/inksters

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