Author: Charlottesville Writing Center

Charlottesville and central Virginia's most celebrated writing resource center. Founded in 1996, the CWC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that continually raises the bar for community stewardship in art and education every day.

Writing Prompt 9/2/13

Happy Labor Day!

The second I became a writer at age five (my first job), I was already working for myself. What kinds of jobs have you had over your lifetime? What was your first job? What is your present job? What is a job you wish you had instead of the one you have now? Is work really labor? What is labor? Who labors and who works?
So many questions! Perhaps you can carve out some time today to think about them and write about your loves and labors.

© CWC 2013
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Writing Prompt 8/30/13

Where did the summer go? Write a piece of any length to describe its vignettes and choose from at least five of the following highlights:

1) best garden haul and resulting dishes/ canning/ or baking;
2) best moments with the kids on a trip or at home;
3) worst argument w spouse or friend over something really unbelievably stupid (of course not stupid at the time);
4) a new summer friend you made in person or on line;
5) best day trip (hike, river, ocean, new town);
6) best longer trip (in laws?);
7) new music you discovered;
8) bad news or good news or disappointing news received or delivered;
9) a planned or unplanned major household, auto, or health expense;
10) and the bottom line: the most beautiful moment of your Summer 2013.

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Writing Prompt 8/15/13

Here is something new that I have not tried on this blog. The prompt I’ve tried, believe me, over and over.
What you see is a collage that I made. Hopefully the resolution will be good enough for you to explore it in detail on your screens. The idea here is to use the images and their relationships to spark your own original story or poem. Good luck and I hope you meet with some success with it!

Collage8.2.13

© CWC 2013
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Writing Prompt 8/6/13

Your character’s job probably influences how he thinks. For example, if he is a pet groomer, he probably thinks in terms of breeds, and that fluffy creatures are like people. Likewise, a car mechanic probably looks at the world in terms of how parts fit together and know the insides and outs of a rack and pinion system. Creating the illusion of inside knowledge enriches your characters and story. Here’s the challenge: your character is leaving one job for a new job. He still looks through the lens of the old job as he adjusts to the new one. What kinds of mixed imagery result?

© CWC 2013
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Writing Prompt 8/2/13

Do you have a ritual of activity that you do or must do on the first Friday of the month? Pay bills? Go to the local art shows? Go to church? Visit a friend? What are those things you do on the First Friday of the month? If you have nothing structured, what would you do? What would your invented character do?
(C) Charlottesville Writing Center
2013

Writing Prompt 7/15/13

Shorts

1) Describe your dream life in 3 words
2) Tell the story of your life in 6 words
3) Write a break-up letter in 4 words
4) What are the 7 things you must get from the grocery today?
5) Describe your best friend in 2 words
6) In 8 words, tell how you are going to get rich(er)
7) Write down the tasks you hope to complete this week in no more than 9 words
8) Who are the 5 people you ought to go ahead and call?

© CWC 2013
All rights reserved