Tag Archives: 365 days of writing

Writing Prompt: Day 72

Posted on by
2

72.jpgDay 72 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a character’s dream.

Shannon: “You were in my dream yesterday,” I mentioned, hoping he’d bite.

“What was it about,” Evan questioned.

“We were running around on roof that we weren’t supposed to be on and there was this random tightrope between the buildings. I walked onto it with no fear because I knew you wouldn’t hop on, so I could distance myself from you. Your eyes went wide and you started begging me to get down, but instead I started messing with you and acted like I was going to fall a few times. For whatever reason I knew I was in complete control, but you didn’t trust me.

That’s when I looked down and suddenly gravity started affecting me again and I tried to walk back, but I fell and I tried to grab your hand but just barely missed. Then I started free falling and about the time I should have made impact with the ground I woke up. So what I’m getting at is that you basically killed me,” I joked.

“No you basically took a stupid risk, and I couldn’t save you,” he corrected.

“And we were parted forever,” I added dramatically.

“And immediately reunited in real life,” he reminded me. “How I’d prefer it, if you ask me.”

Erin: I don’t think that my dreams are unrealistic. I just want life to be easy again. I’m not sure when life became so hard, but I do know who is making it so. Brady is the root cause for my frown most days. My argument with him has become a daily routine. When he touches me, my heart sinks. His smile no longer controls my own. Two years ago, I’d have said he was the start of my dreams coming true. Two years ago, I would have been wrong. So, while my dream includes a husband in most versions. The only consistent is that I am happy, and Brady no longer makes me happy.

They say when you write something down it is more likely for a dream to manifest in life, what should be written down for your character?

Writing Prompt: Day 71

Posted on by
2

71.jpgDay 71 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write a character inspired by a day of the week: Sunday.

Erin: Mom was always a good protector of us kids. She made sure that we were filled up with everything we needed. She had food on the table without any help and little appreciation. She made sure our souls were just as happy as our bodies were. When I was feeling down I always knew she would be there. And she was. She was a perfect place to land, so I did fall into her security frequently.

Shannon: Sunday is very peaceful. She can calm any storm of emotions you can throw at her. You won’t see one sign of fear on her face as she battles different demons. She’ll breathe in your troubles and teach you to do the same until they all dissipate back into the universe. In her own quiet way she’s the strongest person I know. The thought of carrying on without her can make you a little anxious to continue on, but you know she’ll return, and that promise is enough to keep you going.

And our cast of seven is complete!

Writing Prompt: Day 70

Posted on by
2

70.jpgDay 70 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write a character inspired by a day of the week: Saturday.

Shannon: Saturday is quite refreshing. He’s a person you can just relax with, because he doesn’t have any expectations. He’s a free bird who just wants to spend his time going with the flow. He’s the type of organizer who sets the destinations, but not the rules. Time spend with him is never wasted on anything but your own desires.

Erin: He was a free spirit. I never knew what a day like him was going to lead to. We could be talking a spontaneous road trip, we could be recouping in bed for half the day, we could be going to a party, or we could be doing something that I’m not knowledgeable about yet. He didn’t know either, because he was free from everything including hard-fast plans.

Second to last day of our week writing, Saturday!

Writing Prompt: Day 69

Posted on by
2

69.jpgDay 69 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write a character inspired by a day of the week: Friday.

Shannon: Friday is the best. She’s the most encouraging person I’ve ever met. She makes you feel like anything is possible, and you have all the time in the world to make your dreams come true. No one has a bad thing to say about Friday and she has nothing bad to say about anyone else. She does everything in her power to make sure everyone is having a good time, and we all appreciate her for looking out for us.

Erin: She was the best of times, even though she was going at 100 miles per hour at all times she’d find time to slow down just enough to have a laugh. That’s why I loved her. She reminded me that every once and a while even in the middle of a complete mess it was okay to slow down. We deserved to slow down. We deserved to live the life we wanted, not as an afterthought, but as a priority.

Friday! Work weeks stop, but we don’t stop writing.

Writing Prompt: Day 68

Posted on by
2

68.jpgDay 68 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write a character inspired by a day of the week: Thursday.

Erin: There were times when he felt important. He felt important because everyone lit up when he walked into a room. The only problem was he was walking in a room and that meant his brother would be walking in shortly after. When they smiled at the sight of him walking into a party they were really smiling at the notion of the boy who was sure to be hiding somewhere close.

Shannon: Thursday is a bit of tease. He shows a lot of promise of a wild adventure, but never follows through. He’s actually pretty calm and laid back, if he could be honest with himself. I think he wants more excitement, but for some reason he can’t seem to create it for himself. He needs a spark to ignite him, otherwise he will just stay still.

Halfway through our character week.

Writing Prompt: Day 67

Posted on by
2

67.jpgDay 67 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write a character inspired by a day of the week: Wednesday.

Shannon: Wednesday can be a drag. She’s a pretty slow moving gal and and always manages to get in the way, but as soon as you get past her you know you’re in the clear. She can be a bit of a downer at times if you let her suck you into her black hole of depression, but she can usually see the light after a good talk. Then she becomes a beacon of hope, and she can be quite energizing.

Erin: She was finally coming into her own. She had passed through the stage of self-loathing. The loathing of all of the people around her storm had also rolled through. She’d eliminated most of the activities that were draining her of life. She could tell within ten more years she would be even more into her own than she knew possible and that knowledge made her happy.

Hump day of the work week, not really the writing week, but let’s do this anyway.

Writing Prompt: Day 66

Posted on by
2

66.jpgDay 66 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write a character inspired by a day of the week: Tuesday.

Erin: He was my demise. He was work. I tried to put in the effort, but there was only so much one human being could be for another person. I couldn’t be all of the things he was demanding. I would burn out if I continued to give myself to him. There was no end in sight, but I was determined to find one.

Shannon: Tuesday is a pusher. He’s a very efficient guy, because he knows where he’s headed. He’s got a goal and he’s going to reach it because he has the time. He’s not worried about deadlines. He’s getting a head start, and you have to give him some credit for all he’s able to accomplish when nothing else is distracting him.

The only problem with Tuesday is how he can go a bit unnoticed. His presence causes a bit of indifference in those around him. He’s not a bother, but he’s also not a necessity.

Day two of the week, day two of writing about the days of the week!

Writing Prompt: Day 65

Posted on by
2

65.jpgDay 65 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write a character inspired by a day of the week: Monday.

Shannon:  Monday may very well be the most annoying person I’ve ever met, and will most likely ever meet. It’s her lack of fun and need to plan everything out combined that make her nearly unbearable.  She never lets anyone sleep in and absolutely refuses to tolerate any slouchy behavior.

She’s a total buzkill who is always the reason everyone has to leave the party early. I hate how she can never seem to let go and have a little fun. I’ll admit she does have the potential to have a good time, I just wish I could see that side of her more often.

Erin: She was a new beginning. She had promise and hope. My past was behind me and she was ahead of me. The problem was the people behind me were easier and more comfortable than her. She was a challenge. A challenge with promise and a challenge that could change my life. Possibly for the better. The problem was the better only came with the change. Like any sensible human I was afraid of change and I was afraid of her.

It’s day one of a week of characters based off of days of the week. Let’s develop some characters!

Writing Prompt: Day 64

Posted on by
2

64.jpgDay 64 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a dance.

Erin: She danced as medicine. If she was sad she’d blare some jams, and create choreography. When her boyfriend and her were fighting, they would sway and dance to music in the living room until they were cheered up. Anger could be defused by screaming along to a song. Nerves could be calmed, with an upbeat pump up song. Medicine could cure all ailments.

Shannon: “Lindsay told me the truth,” Paul grabbed my arm to turn me toward him.

“What are you doing on this side of the stage? You’re suppose to start on the other side, and what are you talking about?”

“She said you accepted the offer. Did you?” His eyes demanded an answer.

Of course Lindsay would tell him right before we had to go on the stage. She’d made it evident she wanted him since the first day he joined the studio, so when he end up dating me she did everything in her power to try to sabotage the relationship. She also wasn’t thrilled when I got the lead in this number. I guess she was saving her attack for the perfect explosion. I wondered how she even found out. “Yes I did,” I finally admitted.

“So why did you lie to me,” he questioned, angrier than I’d ever seen him before.

“Because it doesn’t have to end. I don’t want it to end,” my voice wavered.

“If that were true you wouldn’t have taken the offer over me. It’s over,” he backed away, shaking his head with a look of disgust.

“So that it?” I felt my own anger arise at how easy it was for him to call it off.

“Isabelle get out there. You’re going to miss your cue,” a stagehand pushed me to the edge of the curtain. The show must go on, my dance teacher’s voice replayed in my head and I attempted to clear my thoughts as I stepped forward. I only hoped Paul would at least try to do the same for what could be our last dance.

I did my routine to get myself into position to wait for Paul. The pause for him to join felt longer than usual, and I started to believe he was going to leave me stranded out there alone. Suddenly I felt myself being lifted up, and I could breathe easily again. His hands were rougher as he squeezed my sides, and he didn’t set me down as gracefully as he did in rehearsal.

I managed to keep my facial emotions under control, but this was turning into a continuation of our verbal fight. We were following the choreography, but the emotions and the feelings behind each move conveyed so much more than any of our performances before. It was a goodbye dance, one that could acknowledge the passion and the formation of a tender bond, while also demonstrating the pain.

I felt the emotions of this dance more deeply than I’d ever felt a dance before. It was empowering to know what it felt like to loose myself in a moment. At the end a tear fell from my eye as we both took a bow, because that moment was over and I doubted it could ever exist again.

Make your character dance, dance, dance, dance.

Writing Prompt: Day 63

Posted on by
2

63.jpgDay 63 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a character with bad intentions.

Shannon: I make a living off of sabotaging others, and that’s not an exaggeration. I get paid a lot of money to mess with strangers by causing a few “random” acts of chaos. My employer gives me an assignment much the same as an undercover agent, or so I can assume. They give me a name and where to find the victim, and then a job description of what they’re trying to accomplish. I’ve gotten anything from a simple time-stalling distraction to creating a “fake” bad day for another person. Only it’s all too real for them, and there is no blame pointed back at the people who use my services.

So how did I get into this industry? Well, I found a recruiting card with a website and a password in my jacket pocket once. These people are everywhere, and they’re good at keeping their existence a secret. We go through a little training, but we’re naturally good at this. They scouted us for the job because we demonstrated strong observation tendencies. The policy is based off the fact that strong observers can never be customers, so why not keep them on the company’s good side.

My task for the day was to ruin a woman’s morning at her favorite coffee shop by making everything go wrong. I started with my usual tactics to secretly mess up her order by adding a sour, overpowering ingredient. She took a sip as soon as she got it, and puckered. “This is terrible,” she set it back down. “Make another,” she demanded. “This time don’t use expired ingredients,” she accused the barista in front of the line of customer. I could already tell she deserved everything she had coming for her.

Erin: “What do you think of this one,” Jessica stepped out in the most gorgeous ball gown I had ever seen.

“It’s a little over the top,” Lexus gestured her finger down the back of her throat as she made a gaging noise.

“What are you talking about. It’s her wedding day. It is the perfect amount of over the top,” I defended my sister.

“No offence Jane but you’ve never had the best taste,” Lexus transitioned her idiocy to me.

“It is a ball gown Lex. Ballgowns for weddings are timeless and this is a Vera Wang from this year’s collection. Are you trying to tell me that it is even possible to have bad taste when you are buying a Vera Wang wedding gown?”

“Come on Jessica, are you really the type of bride who wants to be this stereotypical,” Lexus gave up on me and moved on to my normally more impressionable sister.

“What do you mean,” she pulled at the top layer of skirt fabric.

“You are not the type to be a princess bride,” she rolled her eyes. “Don’t you think Gavin would love you in a nice sheath dress?”

“Gavin would love her in any dress,” I corrected. “She is the most beautiful woman in the world to him and even if she wore a garbage bag she would be the only girl he’d bat an eyelash at. Now shut up and at least let her give her opinion before you shut it down.”

“Jessica,” Lex’s mouth hardened into a horizontal line.

“I don’t know,” her hands stroked over the bodice as she looked in the mirror. I knew the sparkle in my sister’s eyes when she pulled back the curtain to show us. The reason there was a somber hesitation was due to her so-called best friend.

“How about you go put on Lex’s choice. We will come back to this one,” I offered. My sister was always the one who needed to see all the options before settling on one. That’s why it was so vital for Gavin to have cared about her and understood her enough to stick through their break. He was smart. Even with her quirks he was a very lucky man.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Lexus continued to stroke her own ego.

When Jessica slipped back into the curtain dressing room I grabbed onto the collar of Lex’s sundress. She looked terrified as I yanked her up and dragged her to the first nook in the wall, out of earshot. “You know as well as I do that Jessica does not have the body shape for a sheath dress. You also know as well as I do that a sheath dress is so far to the left of her style. You want to explain that to me?”

“She’s drowning in that ball gown,” she looked to the ground as she smoothed out the collar I had crumpled up in my sister rage.

“My sister is 5’ 11” she is carrying that dress just fine thank you,” I raised an eyebrow as I planted my hands on my hips.

“You think just because you’re her family you are so much smarter than me. Don’t forget who has been by her side for the past four years of her life,” Lex sassed.

“Don’t you get the distance between us confused with the distance of our bond. I was there for her for the past four years just as you were. I know about the time she was fired, I know about that time she nearly failed physics, oh and I know about how she was dating your fiancé before you ever met him.” Lexus went white. “I’m not only a good listener, I’m perceptive. Jessica told me about your wedding dress shopping experience. You are two beautiful, but different brides. Neither of you is going to take away from the other by both wearing ball gowns.”

“I just,” I could tell she didn’t know what she would say either.

“You’re just going to go back there and keep your mouth shut until you see a smile or a frown come to the face of my precious sister. She loves it, you love it. She hates it, you hate it. This is her day. You are here for support and assurance, not to be the fashion police.” She just nodded.

“Jane look,” Jessica was in tears laughing as we strolled back to the platform.

As she spun in circles I started giggling as well. Not long after Lexus joined in. “Okay maybe that’s not your dress,” Lex chuckled as Jessica shook in a manner that had her body giggling all over. She still looked beautiful, because someone as silly and happy as Jessica could not help but be beautiful. I agreed though, because I knew that was Jessica’s opinion as well.

The goals of character’s should be different. Write about one who may have goals most would consider off base.