Category Archives: 365 days of writing

Writing Prompt: Day 227

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227.jpgDay 227 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Give your character a chance to be young again.

Shannon: “So what are you saying, it’s like some kind of summer camp for adults?” I shrugged a shoulder.

“Basically, but instead the summer is all about team bonding. That’s all you guys have to worry about, just have fun and get to know each other again. None of you are allowed to quit until you finish this program. It’s in your contracts,” our manager Kim, explained, revealing more information about our real destination.

“It’s not going to work,” Elise shook her head and stared out the window, “Why do we have to drag this out?”

I pressed my lips to the side for a second, not knowing myself if this could solve anything, but then we pulled up to a sign and I heard the shock in the other three before I felt it myself.

“Camp Borrelli,” Jade whispered under her breath. It was the same camp where we had first met as kids.

“So will you give it a chance,” Kim smirked, already knowing eveyone’s answer.

Erin: Waking up in tiny bed under the roof of parents is an unsettling feeling. Not just because when I went to bed I was thirty and woke up thirteen, but because it seems wrong. Waking up to my mom slaving over the stove to make me pancakes was wrong. Saturday morning cartoons instead of the news was wrong. No alarm was wrong. Being taken care of instead of taking care of everything was wrong.

Or was it? Maybe this magical week or, day, or whatever it was could be a blessing in disguise. I decided I would cherish it.

Give your character more youth.

Writing Prompt: Day 226

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226.jpgDay 226 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Explain a character’s tattoo.

Shannon: I got a tattoo of a star on my foot a few weeks after my grandmother died. I’d never lost someone I was so close to up to that point, and I had never permanently marked my skin either. On a whim one night, when I couldn’t stop thinking about how we’d never share another memory together, I decided to get it done. I didn’t want to forget her so I made her memory a part of me. The image makes me want to look up every time I see it. And when I look up I remember I’m alive, and I remember I’ve got someone watching over me.

Erin: I wish that I could say the little flower on my wrist meant something, but it doesn’t. Which is annoying because it takes twice as long to explain. When I try to say there is no meaning it takes about twenty minutes to explain to the questioner that I am hiding some deep dark secret. Sometimes I make up a fake story to ease the experience.

Your character has a meaningful mark, tell us about it.

Writing Prompt: Day 225

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225.pngDay 225 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: What is your character’s favorite season?

Shannon: I love the summer. There’s nothing better than realizing you no longer have to snuggle into a warm jacket. Then when your skin is exposed, the world becomes your own personal heater. Plus the water warm up too, and you can swim, another one of the many perks of summer life.

Erin: I’m one of those weird people who loves winter more than any other season. The beauty of a city blanketed in white, glistening powder makes up for the life-threatening driving situation. My warm morning drinks tasted so much more satisfying. If I could spend my life wrapped in sweaters and blankets I would. I can’t get enough ice-skating and skiing. To me it truly is a wonderland that time of year.

What time of year does your character love most?

Writing Prompt: Day 224

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224.jpgDay 224 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: What are your character’s biggest insecurities?

Shannon: I’ve always been insecure about my height. I guess it started when I was younger, and taller than all of the other kids in my class, which maybe wouldn’t have been so bad if I was boy, but as a girl it wasn’t ideal. There were times when I felt out of place, and I felt like some kind of freak show. I wanted to blend in, but it’s hard to hide when you feel like a giant. Nowadays I don’t feel so out of place, because more people have caught up, but I still have moments when I’m afraid to stand up and I’m afraid to stand out.

Erin: She had the weirdest things she was embarrassed about: her laugh, which was adorable; her hair, which was a beautifully texture; and her demeanor, which warmed everyone around her.

What does your character worry about?

Writing Prompt: Day 223

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223.jpgDay 223 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Other than wisdom, what comes with age?

Shannon: As I’ve gotten older I’ve grown a better understanding of the people around me. There are so many different types of people in this world from my friends to my family, and they all take on life in different ways. Their differences and similarities never cease to amaze me. Though I’ve gained understanding, I’m still learning from each path I cross.

Erin: I’m looking forward to getting older. Sure, there are down sides like wrinkles and increased health issues. There are also fun things too though. With age comes less concern for what others think, retirement, freedom, and more experience to tackle life with on top of it.

What do the years bring?

Writing Prompt: Day 221

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221.jpgDay 221 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: What is your character’s biggest secret?

Shannon: I’ve never told anyone this before, but I did something terrible once. At the time it was a harmless lie. I was covering for a friend. She wanted a night of freedom from her parents, so I helped her out. When her mom called I covered for her. I said she was in the bathroom, and that she could stay over night so we could finish a school project. What I didn’t know was that she wasn’t getting away for the night. She was running away forever. And what makes that worse, is I still know where she is. I may be the only one, and I’ve never told a soul.

Erin: He’s the reason his dad lost his job.

What have you and your character been hiding from us?

Writing Prompt: Day 220

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220.jpgDay 220 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Be inspired by the Randolph Bourne quote, “Few people even scratch the surface, much less exhaust the contemplation of their own experience.”

Shannon: Sometimes I catch myself feeling bad for flies. Sure they’re annoying, but they can be squished in a matter of seconds and their life is over. What kind of existence is that? Then I realize that mine isn’t so different. We just have different threats. I could die any moment in some freak accident, and what will my life have meant to anyone but myself? Maybe all we can hope for on this Earth is that our lives will be memorable than our deaths.

Erin: Sometimes I like to just do absolutely nothing, but think about my life. It’s a tricky balance though. As I get to thinking, I think about how I’m using my time. Then as I think about my time, I think about how my nothing sessions might be a waste. I haven’t decided yet. I’m only going to have decided the value of the time when it is too late and I guess I have no choice but to be okay with that.

Read other’s quotes then make your own quotes.

Writing Prompt: Day 219

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219.jpgDay 219 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about finding an unknown substance.

Shannon: The smell inside the cave was so strong, I didn’t know if I could bear to go any farther, but I had to find the source. Though the smell was awful, it was original. I couldn’t pinpoint any item even remotely close to what it could be, and I was sure I could never replicate it.

After a long stretch I saw a glow ahead of me, and figured someone had already beat me to the discovery. Though I was disappoint, I wanted see what this person found. Maybe I could help them analyze it. When I got the room my plans changed.

The rock-like substances were glowing. The light wasn’t coming from a person. The cave ground looked as if it had collected a swarm of fallen stars. When I want to pick one up it, the rock repelled away as if my skin was magnet.

Erin: I walked into my last hotel room of the day. To say I was shocked would be a drastic understatement. The purple was everywhere. It was some sort of goo. The slim was not staining or soaking into the fabric though. I scanned my cart to make sure I had the proper tools for such a massive job. I scooped a little on my fingertip. When I put it to my nose there was no scent. I started to speculate but then recited the moto of the cleaning staff, “I’d rather not know.”

What is that, or what does your character think it is?

Writing Prompt: Day 218

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218.jpgDay 218 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Start with the line, “You know how to make a splash.”

Shannon: “You know how to make a splash,” the guy sitting in the desk behind me commented before I could get up to leave.

“I’m sorry, I know I ask too many questions, but I want to understand. I came from a small town and our school was different. Apparently, participation isn’t normal over here?” I bit my bottom lip.

“No, don’t be sorry,” he shook his head. “It’s a struggle enough to get people to care, I think you made Mrs. May’s day,” he pointed over to her, with a big smile. “And yes, until the rest of the class gets used to this, you might want to slow down a little, but don’t stop. I like your questions.”

It felt good to hear him say that, but I couldn’t help but wonder, “You must have some too, or at least something to add. You could join,” I lifted a shoulder.

He got up and looked at me as he grabbed his book from the desk, “That’s the plan.”

Erin: “You know how to make a splash,” my boss encouraged.

“We are 8% higher in price than our competitor. Getting this business is impossible,” I challenged.

“You have worked her for 12 years Linda. I’ve know you enough to know that nothing is impossible for you.”

I knew that he was wrong, but I also knew that if anyone had that faith in my I didn’t want to prove them wrong. “We’re getting this account.”

Make a splash with your day’s writing.