4.5: Seventeen Prompts

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“Ten Minute\(^{94}\)” Writing PROMPTS\(^{95}\):

1. Be bad: Write a bad essay. Attempt writing badly.

2. Dear “Dead Person.” Write a letter to someone who has passed away.

3. “Watch Your Language.” What are the words you love, or the phrases you wish would come back in fashion?

4. Inventory: What are your favorite things? Favorite movies, musicians, stores, foods, etc.

5. Address your people: “My fellow classmates, …”

6. Write two sides of one story. Think “he said – she said.”

7. Speak Your Truth: Give us 5-10 of some of your own unique beliefs.

8. Dear Abby: Write an essay modeled on an advice column.

9. Examine Your Past: Find an old note or journal entry (or email message) & analyze it.

10. Show Them Some Love: Tell us who your friends are and why they are a part of your life.

11. Blow Your Budget: You’ve come into ten million dollars – How do you spend it? Be specific!

12. My Family: Write about the members of your family. Describe each person.

13. New Student Questions: If there was a new student in class and you could only ask that person three questions to get to know them, what would you ask them? WHY?

14. The Musical You: What is the soundtrack to your life? Tell us what your three favorite songs are right now and why.

15. Body Parts: If a part of your body (or parts) could talk to you, which part would it be & what would it say?

16. Take anything you’ve written in the last few months and do a remix = switch out half of the words with their synonyms. How does the piece change?

17. Write a letter to your younger self. What would you tell yourself at age 10 or 15?

\(^{94}\)Your instructor may decide that these will extend beyond “10-minute prompts” into a full-blown project.

\(^{95}\)I found these so very long ago, and if anyone knows who created the list, please shoot me their name so I can give them credit.