As I've mentioned, I regularly run micro poetry and prose workshops every spring and fall, newly retitled Max's Writers Cafe. They're free, hosted by Hampton Public Library, and held entirely online. We have five fall sessions coming up (ages 18+, free, but registration is required for each individual session via Eventbrite).
For more details about how this works, and to enjoy more prompts, check out previous blog posts in this series:
We write for ten minutes per prompt, so set a timer and see that if it works for you. For me, having a short, set time gives me focus. I don't expect to finish it during that time, but it can help me get started. Ten minutes also feels like a welcome break, a treat for myself between other tasks—so especially if you're stressed and short on time, you might enjoy a creativity break!
So, here are some more prompts that I've created for your enjoyment! Try making a poem or piece of flash fiction, or even exploring your current protagonist's feelings on any of these subjects (to include in your work in progress, or just for greater depth). You might be surprised by what comes out!
Long Time: Think about time’s duration. What makes time long? Is a long time a good time (or not)? Time separated from someone can be painful, but can make reunion all the sweeter. Long-lasting relationships and connections provide meaning—good or bad. For long-lived beings, time might move at a different pace. Or explore an expression: “It’s been a long time.” “Longtime companion.” “A long time ago.” “A long time coming.” “Long gone.” “Long time, no see.” “Longtimer.” “Long-standing.”
High-scoring tiles: K, J, X, Q, Z: These are
the letters that earn 5-10 points in the crossword-style word game Scrabble.
Try writing a poem using some of these letters! Bonus points if you write an acrostic, in which the first letter of each line, read
vertically, spells something out—using at least one of these letters.
The Shadows: What lurks in this old house, behind
this mirror, in the back of your mind? Think about what would scare your
character the most if they entered an old house that had clearly seen better
days. At night. Alone. Because they heard a distant scream and wanted to help. Alternatively,
write a ghost story or something uncanny; the ghost can be positive if you
prefer; the story can be happy or touching—or scary or sad.
Motive/Motivation: We all need it: motivation to
create or get through things; motivation for our characters to drive the plot.
It’s also the “motive” in a mystery. In the moment of acting to save someone
(including ourselves), we don’t often have time to stop and think about why.
But afterwards the realization can be all-important. Focus on motive or
motivation in some way.
Who Was I? Your character wakes up after a long absence from
themselves. Maybe they were under a sleep spell for a century, or in a long coma.
Maybe they’ve been deep undercover for so long that their prior self seems like
a distant memory. Maybe they had amnesia, were possessed, or underwent a magical
disguise or body swap that temporarily turned them into someone else. Or maybe
they’re recovering from something (physical, mental, or both), or awakening to
new revelations about themselves, their life and how to live it. How do they
experience who they were then, in the context of who they’ve been recently
and/or who they want to be now?
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Under byline Adele Gardner, Max's poetry collection Halloween Hearts is available from Jackanapes Press:
https://www.jackanapespress.com/product/halloween-hearts
Themes of Halloween, horror, Edgar Allan Poe, and Ray Bradbury. The press has seasonal discounts.
Max Jason Peterson has two stories in the new anthology Coastal Crimes 2: Death Takes a Vacation from Wildside Press.
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