Writing Prompts
So, I’ve been doing a little something I wanted to let you all in on. I have an app on my phone that gives me a word of the day and I’ve been free writing a bit each day using that word as a prompt. Some of the words are incredibly obscure and it’s challenging to use them in context. It’s really interesting to see what I come with when most of the words on my word a day are words I’ve never heard before (how many times can I say ‘word’ in one sentence without adding ‘to your coven’?).
I want to encourage each of you to join me. Write a bit each day; it can be original, fan fiction, poetry, whatever, just get the words onto paper. Sometimes all it takes is getting started and the words just won’t stop.
Swiped directly from the dictionary.com website (the app I use) is the word of the day.
fou·droy·ant
/fuˈdrɔɪənt; Fr. fudrwaˈyɑ̃/ Show Spelled [foo-droi-uhnt; Fr. foo-drwa-yahn]
–adjective
1. striking as with lightning; sudden and overwhelming in effect; stunning; dazzling.
2. Pathology . (of disease) beginning in a sudden and severe form.
Origin:
1830–40; < F, prp. of foudroyer to strike with lightning, deriv. of foudre lightning < L fulgur
The fireworks display was foudroyant, layering the sky in blues, yellows and reds.
I dare each and every one of you to sit down and write 500 words that are foudroyant. Or, if foudroyant doesn’t work for you, how about some music for inspiration. I (just now!) turned on my iTunes, put on shuffle and the first song that played was (and this seriously couldn’t amuse me more) Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel.
Go google the lyrics and bust out a one shot dedicated to Cecilia. Pull it up on youtube and listen to it on repeat while you write. And then be glad iTunes didn’t pick one of the songs off my kids CD’s (Oh, Susanna, anyone? No? How about London Bridge?). Try picking a lyric and using it as the foundation for your story, or the opening dialogue.
Then, after you’ve written your foudroyant fic about Celilia, post it at MVF and let me know; I’ll come read and review! And so will everyone else. **gives evil eye to anyone thinking about not reviewing**
There are a ton of sites that exist for the sole purpose of writing inspiration, dozens of Lj’s that have a daily prompt, or several daily prompts. Download a word of the day app onto your phone or set your iTunes to shuffle. Seek inspiration in everything you do. Test your own limits and push your boundaries. You will only grow as a writer.
And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find out that you like pushing yourself.
♥SB
PS – Do you see our new word of the day widget?????
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