first thing monday

First Thing Monday #4

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A package arrives at your character’s door (one of your favorite original characters or a new one, it’s up to you) that he or she didn’t expect. He or she takes sees it’s addressed to what must have been a previous tenant because while the address is right there’s no one here by that name … Read more

First Thing Monday #3

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Look beyond your screen. Whatever sentence, phrase or word you see first, use that as the beginning of a story. Maybe you look up at one of the inspirational quotations you have at your workstation and it turns out to be a character’s opening line of dialogue. Perhaps “Tolkien” goes on his own adventure. Or … Read more

First Thing Monday #2

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Write down the most cliche New Year’s Resolution you can think of. Now explore that for your life. What would it take to act on it today? What would be the benefit? What are the potential pitfalls? Who could you trust to hold you accountable without making you feel guilty (as if anyone could guilt … Read more

“First Thing Monday” Begins Tomorrow.

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First Thing Monday

Tomorrow sees the start of “First Thing Monday.” Right now, the intention is for the feature to be three things:

  • A weekly feature at The Life Mosaic.
  • A writing prompt to get your creative juices flowing.
  • An exercise designed to require fifteen minutes of work.

This may fluctuate in the future but for now, anticipate the above recipe.

I enjoy writing prompts. I like receiving them in a class or group or seeking them out on my own and I enjoy offering them to other people in teaching, training, and other spaces like this blog. I think any writing prompt allows one to stretch his or her creative legs to walk to places he or she perhaps wouldn’t otherwise travel. Really, that’s “any” writing prompt. Even the bad ones, the cliche ones, even those can take someone to somewhere new if one is open to it. That said, here’s hoping the writing prompts I offer here aren’t “bad” and seldom dip into the “cliche” pool without intention.

One of the key reasons I enjoy writing prompts is

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Your Monday Prompt #45

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For the forty-fifth Monday Recommendation, write a story revolving around something to do with the number forty-five. Maybe it’s someone’s forty-fifth birthday. Perhaps there’s a murder with a .45 handgun. Possibly it’s someone’s marathon number. See if you can let the number forty-five feed the theme of the story somehow. Careful, though – don’t let … Read more

Your Monday Prompt #44

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(For non-regular readers, I present an original writing prompt every Monday. Here’s one for this week.) Write a story about a character who uses their time in nature for self-reflection. Maybe they’re thinking about their childhood while sitting on a dock. Perhaps they’re turning their marriage over and over while walking a trail. Or possibly … Read more