Fall 2022
September 1
Write a story based off a song of your choosing.
Song to story
September 6
Two-sentence horror story
Write your own 2-sentence horror story! Consider experimenting with:
Subtlety/Implication
Metaphors
Making the ordinary uncomfortable/unsettling
Existentialism
Rhyme
Different POVs
or Humor
September 8
Picture prompt
Write a poem inspired by the attached picture! Feel free to use any poetic structure, rhyme scheme, etc.—whatever is the right fit for your piece.
September 15
Nonsense
Write anything! A poem, a story, whatever. But while doing it, give a starring role to NONSENSE!
Make up new words
Focus on feelings and general ideas
Don’t worry about specifics
Trust the creative mind of your reader
Make new word combinations!
Think: "The Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll
September 22
Genre mash-up
Combine two of the following literary genres:
Science fiction
Fantasy
Dystopian
Western
Bildungsroman
Speculative fiction
Magical realism
Realist
Use one of these words to inspire the resulting story:
Exchange
Morning
Asphyxiation
Ring
Applause
Sailing
Sensitive
Pattern
Hypocrisy
Emergency
September 29
2nd person POV
Write a story about a “new initiate” using 2nd person ("you") or 1st person plural ("we").
Optional: Rewrite the scene in a different POV to compare/contrast.
October 20
Metaphors
Write any piece you would like using one (or more) of the following one-word prompts, keeping a metaphor(s) at the heart: Near; Sleep; Reach; Lost; Play; Forgotten; Ash; Unearth; Cusp.
November 3
Author spotlight: John Okada
Take inspiration from the writings of author John Okada!
Writing in third person limited like Okada, write a story that concentrates on a matter of emotional turbulence; examples include but are not limited to abuse, war, a first kiss, or a surprise party—note that “emotional turbulence” does not have to be a negative experience.
In this story, consider elements of Okada’s style: dialogue with/without quotations, lengthy sentences without commas, stream of consciousness, reflections on society, repetition, characters as embodying a perspective/feeling/concept, and so on.
Never read Okada's work? Click here for some excerpts from his famous novel No No Boy.
November 10
Experiment with worldbuilding! Write a story about a city that isn’t supposed to be there…