Writing Challenge #10 An Age-Old Story With a Twist

WRITING CHALLENGE #10

Today I want you to take a common story theme and create a twist.  You don't have to use the dragon example, but create something unexpected.

Writing Challenge #9 If I Could Turn Back Time

WRITING CHALLENGE #9

Use the following sentence as an opening or a closing for a story.  

"He (or she) would give anything to turn back the clock five minutes."

Writing Challenge #8 New Planet

WRITING CHALLENGE #8--With Pluto being all over the news in the last week, I figured this one would be great inspiration for this week.

You can do just a description of the planet or create a story about the first mission to this planet.

Writing Challenge #7--Inspired by Music

WRITING CHALLENGE #7

I find I always have a song stuck in my head.  Sometimes I don't mind, but other times it's annoying.  Here's a chance to put those words to good use.  Have fun, and I can't wait to read how music inspires you.

If you have a difficult time trying to work from the lyrics, try just playing a song and freewriting until you are inspired.  

Writing Challenge #5--The Strange and Unusual

WRITING CHALLENGE #5 

Write about the most unusual place you've ever been or the strangest thing you've ever seen.

Last summer, as many of you know, we drove from Idaho to Wisconsin.  In addition to the usual stops, Yellowstone, Devil's Tower, and Mount Rushmore, we also found a few places off the beaten path.  

We saw a bison lying right next to the the boardwalk and a sign saying stay on the path (trust me, we did). 

We saw the Jolly Green Giant, all 60 feet of him.  

This Lincoln Memorial, which is Lincoln's head on a pile of rocks. 

 My favorite place on the whole trip was the Field of Dreams in Iowa.  You really do drive for miles through cornfields until you reach a baseball field.  It's where they filmed the movie (one of my all-time favorites), and you can actually play on the field.

The strangest thing we saw on our trip was definitely the mold graveyard.  When they make giant signs like ice cream cones or statues to sit out front, they use giant molds.  When they are finished, this company just throws the molds out in a field.  There were thousands of them.  Some were put together and standing; others were lying in pieces.  This place was both fascinating and creepy, especially my mouse friend here.

You don't have to go far to find the unusual.  This fishy fellow is a resident at the Boise Aquarium.  He cracked me up with his huge teeth!

I can't wait to see what you have found!

Writing Challenge #4--Photo Prompt

Thank you to all of those who have been playing along.  I'm sorry I haven't responded to your individual stories.  I will try to do that this week. 

WRITING CHALLENGE #4

For this week we are going to use photos to inspire our writing.  Choose one of the following and create a story around it. 

FYI, I do not know where that particular zipper is, but I found this artist who is creating giant zippers and "unzipping the world."  You can see her work here: http://justsomething.co/this-japanese-artist-is-literally-unzipping-the-world/

Writing Challenge #3--Taste of Summer

As much as I enjoy spending the school year with all of you (and I do!), I love summer break.  There's just something so wonderful about having days with absolutely nothing planned, as well as those fun vacations and new adventures.  I love all the possibilities! 

WRITING CHALLENGE #3 

What says summer to you? This week is your challenge is to describe summer. This can be done as a poem, as a narrative description of your favorite vacation or a typical summer, or a fictional story describing the perfect summer. The choice is yours.

Don't be afraid to have fun.  This is my summer to-do list.  I had fun being creative and doodling. I know my artistic ability isn't stellar, but it makes me happy :)

I was looking through some photos of past summers that inspired a summer poem.  

Summer Is..

Relaxation

A break from stress

Hours to read and write and enjoy

Time with family and friends

Activities

Biking, hiking, fishing, swimming, and

Sports—most days, all summer 

In the heat

Travel

To places both familiar and new

Road trips together

Adventure awaits

Celebrations

Some every day and others substantial

A birthday or afternoon ice cream just because

Savor each moment

Days 

Are long but they feel so brief

There just aren’t enough minutes to soak it up

Before it all ends

 

Start with a Character--Writing Challenge #2

I hope you're enjoying your summer so far. We've been kind of lazy, but that's nice, too. Thanks to those who played along last week.  I loved reading your stories!

WRITING CHALLENGE #2

For this week's challenge, you are starting with a character. Choose one or more of the below characters and create a story around him or her.

Writing Challenge #8

I'm sorry I'm behind posting challenges.  Having limited Internet on our two week trip really threw me off.  I'm slowly getting back on track after being gone over two weeks.  This week's challenge is a story starter.  I used #97 on www.creativewritingprompts.com.

You wake up, go to the bathroom, and look in the mirror.  A different face stares back at you.  Start your story there. 

As always, post it to Dropbox or email me at mrs.Schuette at gmail.com. Here's a sad summer thought for you, we start school three weeks from today!  Actually, as sad as I am to see summer end, I'm looking forward to a fabulous school year :)  

Writing Challenge #7

This is going to be a quick challenge. I'm in California, and have limited Internet access. In honor of my trip to Disneyland tomorrow, your challenge is to write something that takes place at an amusement park. It can be your own experience or a fictional piece.

As always, post it to Dropbox or email me at mrs.Schuette at gmail.com. Happy writing!

Writing Challenge #6

I found another fun site for writing prompts.  This one is www.creativewritingprompts.com There are 346 prompts on the site.  I chose #11 for this week's challenge.  


Choose one set of words to create a mini-story (around 300 words).


#1  Paper clips, principal, lunch box, swing, girl with a pink ribbon


#2   Biology, class card, foreign student, leaf, blood sample


#3   Typewrite, filing cabinet, puncher, clerk, carbon paper, janitor


As always, post it on Dropbox, or email it to me at mrs.schuette at gmail.com  Thanks for participating! Have fun!

Writing Challenge #5

Writing Challenge #5

This week’s writing challenge is to write an entry for a local contest that Boise State Public Radio is hosting.  The contest appears to be open to kids and adults.   Whether or not you enter the contest is up to you, but it’s good practice to try.  Plus, I thought the topic was fun.  We’ve spent our summer so far exploring all that the Boise area has to offer: bike riding and roller blading on the greenbelt, the zoo, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Roaring Springs, and a variety of ice cream choices.  

Here’s the information on the contest:

"One Minute Idaho" Writing Contest!

Write a 120-word description of your memorable, uniquely Idaho experience – for example, your best Idaho travel or adventure moment, your favorite Idaho landmark and why, where you were when you ate your favorite Idaho food for the first time, and so on ... we want to hear your story. Submit it by 11:59 p.m. MST on August 12, 2011.

Three winners will be chosen. His/her essay will be recorded and aired on Boise State Public Radio. Winners will also receive a pair of tickets to hear Ira Glass on November 5 at the Morrison Center in Boise, tickets to the private reception with Ira Glass prior to his public appearance and one overnight stay at a bed & breakfast or hotel in Boise. Additionally, one of the three winners will be selected by Ira Glass and have their story read onstage the evening of Ira's appearance in Boise. 

To see the contest information or to enter, go to http://radio.boisestate.edu/iraglasscontest

As always, you may email me at mrs.schuette at gmail.com or post to Dropbox.  Happy writing!

Writing Challenge #4

Writing Challenge #4 

This week is going to be a little different.  I am currently taking a class on incorporating service learning into the curriculum.  As part of the class, we are looking at service learning projects as meaningful, engaging, learning experiences for both the students helping and the people on the receiving end of the project.  What I’d like to know is what has been the most meaningful community service project you’ve experienced?  Why did you feel it was worthwhile?  How did it affect you?  How did you get involved with this project?   

I don’t want this to sound like a community service report.  I want to hear your personal experience, focused on why it was meaningful.  Get readers to see it from your perspective, and try to convince readers to become involved in the same project.  It doesn’t have to be a full essay, but it should be detailed enough to share your experience.  

As a bonus, this will be one of our first assignments when the school year starts.  If you write it now, you won’t have to write it in the fall.  As always, post it on Dropbox, or email it to me at mrs.schuette at gmail.com.  Thanks for participating!

Writing Challenge #3

Thanks to those of you who played along last week. Our family just switched completely over to Mac computers, so I'm trying to get the hang of posting everything in new formats. It may take awhile to get used to the differences. For this week's challenge, try to include multiple scenes in your writing piece. It can be fiction or nonfiction, but I'd like to see you include either two different places or two different time periods. For example, Little Susie starts out in Boise, Idaho, and then travels to Paris, France. Another example might start out with Bob's childhood, then go to his eighteenth birthday. The trick here is to weave two (or more) scenes into one cohesive story.

I can't wait to read what you write :)

Writing Challenge #2

I'm sorry I'm a bit tardy getting the second challenge up.  Thank you to Carson and Blake for playing along in week one!  I found an awesome site for you to try for your second writing challenge.  The site is http://www.thestorystarter.com/ or for an easier starter, www.thestorystarter.com/jr.htm  These sites will automatically generate story starters. You do not have to use the first one it gives you.  Feel free to play with it until you find one that inspires you.   Some are quite silly, but overall, I think the site is fun.  If you have another idea you want to use, you may do that as well. 

Remember, to have a chance at fun prizes, you need to email it to me or post it on Dropbox. If you would title your file as your name and #2, that would be great. For example, mine would be name nschuette#2. If you post it by the end of the week, you will get two drawing entries. Anything posted after the 21st will get 1 entry. I look forward to reading your pieces! Have fun!

Writing Challenge #1

Welcome to the Summer Writing Challenge!  I'm going to make the first challenge fairly easy as we start summer break.  Your first challenge is to write about a summer adventure.  The genre is your choice.  It can be a poem, nonfiction story or essay about a summer adventure you've had, or a fictional story about the ultimate summer adventure. 

Remember, to have a chance at fun prizes, you need to email it to me or post it on Dropbox.  If you would title your file as your name and #1, that would be great.  For example, mine would be name nschuette#1.   If you post it by the end of the week, you will get two drawing entries. Anything posted after the 12th will get 1 entry.  I look forward to reading your pieces, and I will post my own sometime this week.  Have fun!