12 days of Christmas Writing Prompts

Imagine 12 days of Nothing but writing! What a gift that would be. Why not gift yourself a little more time for writing in the  New Year?

Here is to 2015 and countless hours of writing and creative activity!

For your 12th day, why not set some writing goals for yourself? Include the time you will spend each week and some product goals. Will you have a novel draft at this same time next year? A new screenplay or two? A collection of poems? Or will you have just written enough to be happy with your writing self?

Set some goals and give yourself the gift of writing!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Don

Twelve Days of Christmas (Writing Prompts!) Day 11

Merry Christmas Eve!! 

For today's prompt, let's play with a little magic. Remember that Magic the holidays once held for you as a child? Bring it back for a character. A mystery package has arrived. What is inside? Who is it from? What can a gift reveal your character? And how might a little holiday magic for your character be a gift to you?

12 Days of Christmas (Writing Prompts) Day 10

Yeah, yeah, yeah. My true love gave me some lousy writing prompts...I get it. Who cares? Why did I sign up for this mess of crafting twelve writing prompts for free? Who needs writing prompts anyway?!

Oh well, Merry Christmas!

Here is day ten, for you crazy writing enthusiasts!

Today let's slow it down. Too often we rush the best parts. Sit down with your character. Just you and your main character (or a character that you want to know better) and have a pint of beer, a martini, or a cup of coffee with her. Ask whatever questions you want, describe the character's every detail you see, and --as if you were a journalist-- ask some hard questions and then just sit back and listen and record. What you learn might surprise you!

(To "holiday" this up add a little spiced rum or brandy to the eggnog!)

12 Days of Christmas (Writing Prompts) Day 9

On the 9th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

Another writing prompt!!

For this 9th prompt, let's try a prompt I use in my "Conflicted Characters" workshop. Imagine a restaurant scene with a character you're working with and stick with her from the order to paying the bill, for fun, to see what how your character deals with conflict, have the waiter deliver the wrong order. 

(To add a holiday element, just have scene around the holiday...how does your character deal with the season and words/tips exchanged?)

12 Days of Christmas (Writing Prompts!)

For the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Yet another writing prompt!

Lights Out!

What would your holiday be like without lights. Not just Christmas lights, but any electricity. How might your holiday (or your character's holiday) be different, perhaps simpler or more difficult?

12 Days of Christmas (Writing Prompts) Day 7

On the 7th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, 7 writing prompts!!

Here is day 7:

When was the last time you wrote a letter to Santa? Do it now. Write your Santa letter! (Did you know all the Santa letters that get mailed are delivered to North Pole, Alaska? I once answered Santa letters for a volunteer project in college.) 

Twelve Days of Writing Prompts for Christmas!

On the 6th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me. 12 free writing prompts!

Here is day 6:

Let's try a little non-fiction today. What the best gift you ever received for the holidays and why? What about the worst? What was the best gift you ever gave? And finally, if you could give one person anything, who would you choose and what would the gift be?

12 Days of Christmas (Writing Prompts!) Day Six!

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

Six writing prompts!

Write furiously for five or ten minutes on the following:
Your character finds a wrapped present / package sitting at his/her front door. There is no return address or label. And inside is something mysterious and old. Set up the scene. Show the house, the front door, the package, and take us through the process of discovery. Go! Write like mad!

12 Days of Christmas Writing Prompts (Day 5)

 Day 5 of Don's Christmas Prompts

Celebrate the Holidays with 12 Writiing Prompts!

Nothing fuels a good story like a missed opportunity for love or the romance that never had the opportunity to flower. Imagine the character you're working with encountering his/her true love, but the circumstance of their meeting precludes them from having meaningful communication. Create the scene. Listen to the two talk around the topic. Let body language and/or the unspoken words reveal the tension.  

For the holiday seasonal element please do not add mistletoe! (Avoid the holiday  cheesy!!)

12 Days of Christmas Writing Prompts (Day 4)

12 Days of Christmas Writing Prompts

 Day 4 of Don's Christmas Prompts

Celebrate the Holidays with 12 Writiing Prompts!

Here you go!

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me 4 writing prompts!

The Greek root of dialog is "through" (dia) "meaning" (logos). We can delve into the meaning of our stories and the the heart of the conflict within our characters through dialog. This prompt is aimed at helping you listen to your characters. 

Imagine your character meeting a stranger on the street, in a store, or in the woods (any location). The person says, " I can see you are..." Now let the two speak, and you the writer only listen to them and record the conversation. Trust that this stranger will see something in your character that you did not. Dialog: through meaning. 

To holiday this prompt up, have the stranger looking like a dedraggled Santa. 

12 Days of Christmas Writing Prompts

12 Days of Christmas Writing Prompts

 Day 3 of Don's Christmas Prompts

Celebrate the Holidays with 12 Writiing Prompts!

Here you go!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Writing Prompt 3!

This is a piece of a prompt I use for a workshop I teach called "Writing in 360." A character can't be fully developed unless she lives in a world that is also fully developed, and that means the "setting" exists in 360 with the character immersed within that world. How do you do this? Start here:

Go for a walk outside with your character. Use your character's senses to help describe the world around her as she walks/stops/runs. Think about the sphere she exists within, and include everything around that sphere: above, below, front back, right, and left. Think in terms of how footfalls sound on the ground, noises of the surrounding, smells, etc. 

To "Christmas" up this prompt, add snow! (Or for a climate change Christmas like much of the world is sadly facing, a lack thereof!)

12 Days of Christmas Writing Prompts

2nd Day of Christmas Prompt

Celebrate the Holidays with 12 Writiing Prompts!

Here you go!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Writing Prompt 2!

This is another prompt I use in my "Crafting Conflicted Characters" Workshop. Write for 5-10 minutes describing what is in your characters refrigerator. (And why not add some eggnog to make it festive!)

1st Day of Christmas Prompt

Celebrate the Holidays with 12 Writiing Prompts!

Here you go!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Writing Prompt 1!

Get to know one of your characters.

What is on the dresser in your character's bedroom? (Write for five or ten minutes capturing only the visual details of what your character has on his/her dresser.)

11 more to follow!

Stay tuned!

Why I'm accepting the "Know Your Privilege Challenge"

From Survival International

My friend and colleague Professor EJ David has created the #KnowYourPrivilegeChallenge and I've accepted that challenge. Essentially the challenge, unlike the ice-bucket challenge, isn't about dumping cold water on your head and being goofy for a great cause like ALS, this challenge is about examining ourselves and our life situations and acknowledging the privileges afforded to us. This challenge is about recognizing the inequality that exists in our society at so many levels.

As a part of this challenge I am supposed to name three privileges I have thanks to my identity and then name and donate to a non-profit or organization working to address the inequality that exists due to that privilege.

I am fortunate that Dr. David chose to limit this challenge to just three privileges, because as a white male America, it is far to easy to recognize the obvious fact that I could never name all the privileges given to me due to me just being born! So here we go with just three!

1. WHITE MALE AUTHOR ----- this is me. There is no escaping this truth, no matter how much time I spend out in the midnight sun of Alaska. I write. I am a Caucasian male. For centuries the publishing world has smiled upon the bearded pale faces such as my own. I don't need to name names, right? The publishing world is still dominated by males, males get published more, make more, get more reviews, etc. My friend, best-selling author Jodi Picoult has been vocal about this. The opportunities for writers of color are even fewer and farther between.

So the first organization I will donate to is the Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation (VONA). Founded in 1999 by Elmaz Abinader, Junot Díaz, Victor Díaz and Diem Jone, Vona's mission is to develop emerging writers of color through programs and workshops taught by established writers of color. 

2.  EMPLOYED WITH HEALTH INSURANCE --- I've got a job that comes with health insurance. Both of these are privileges. The job helps me eat and be able to afford a safe and warm place to live here in Alaska, and along with the job I have the benefit of an insurance policy that provides me health insurance. So many people in our country and around the world don't have any of these privileges. One of my favorite Alaskan organization helping people in the most basic of medical care on the other side of the globe is the Alaska Sudan Medical Project. Friends and former students have traveled to Sudan to help people suffering in one of the most remote and impoverished regions of the globe. A simple glance at their website and a peek at what they are doing will help you appreciate many of the very basic privileges you yourself have by the very virtue of your reading about this challenge! I will be donating to the Alaska Sudan Medical Project. 

3. MEMBER OF "CIVILIZED" SOCIETY --- our western, first world, mindset is that we are civilized, other poorer countries are "developing," and that if any tribal or indigenous groups remain they are "primitive" or "uncivilized." Only a handful of small tribal societies continue to exist on our planet. I am privileged that my way of life and entire existence as a human being isn't threatened by genocide, disease, or assimilation in the way these small pockets of humanity are. We must do all that we can to protect these tribal people. So many of the very privileges we enjoy have come at the cost of tribal people for the past ten thousand years, and it is time we recognize their plight and do all we can to ensure their protection; therefor, I will be donating to Survival International, an organization dedicated to protecting the lives, land, and futures of tribal people around the world.

Passing along the #KnowYourPrivilegeChallenge --- I challenge the following individuals to take this unique challenge! No ice or cold water necessary!  Tiffany Zulkosky, Libby Roderick, Professor Ron Tavernier, Andre Jacobs, Professor Meilin Chinn, and Ariel Tweto --- as well as any other friends, family, or colleagues who are willing to examine the inequality and privileges that come with their identity! Join us in the challenge! 

Quyana! (Yup'ik for "thanks!)

Don