Writing Exercises

I used to write writing prompts and writing exercises daily and weekly for my site, Word Grrls. These are my posts from that site. I will add fresh writing inspiration now and then.

There are 1,788 posts filed in Writing Exercises (this is page 6 of 179).

Can you Master the Art of the Humblebrag?

I know humble bragging isn’t a new concept. I’m sure there have been other words to describe it, like false modesty. But, I found humblebrag used as a word in a post on CNN Money. If a word can make it there, seems it’s working it’s way into the language and worth knowing.

So I found out more… there is an upcoming book about the humblebrag. Need a guide or tips: The Art and Science of the Humblebrag. Almost all examples of humblebragging are from celebrities (movie and TV stars in the US). Which really just shows how much power the media gives them. I’m sure there are people who could come up with humblebrags of real cleverness but they are seldom heard.

Of course, spellcheck isn’t accepting humblebrag as a word (two words would be fine, but as a compound word…). Will humblebrag make it as a lasting word or just be another fad word?

I think bragging sucks, don’t get me wrong, but I get it. What I hate about a humble brag is that people try to come off like they aren’t bragging. It’s people not being honest about their intention. Just tell us you are at an exclusive party. Don’t hide it behind a complaint about your dress not fitting.

Why do you think so many people humbly brag?

That is a question I constantly ask myself after reading a really good humble brag. It’s people wanting other people to envy them. I have realized that people do most things so they can tell other people about it. It’s all validation.

via The 50 Funniest ‘Humble Brags’ on Twitter «TwistedSifter.

 

Get Inspired by Tess Kincaid

This blog is dedicated to the enjoyment of poets and writers, for the purpose of honing their craft, sharing it with like-minded bloggers, and keeping their muses alive and well.

Instructions

1) Write a poem or short vignette using the picture featured in this post as your inspiration. Feel free to take the image to use for your post.

2) Link back to Magpie Tales from your post.

3) Sign up in the Mr. Linky list, linking directly to your post, AFTER you’ve posted.

via The Mag.

10 Day Letter Challenge

10 DAY LETTER CHALLENGE

10 day letter challenge

day 1. write a letter to your past self.

day 2. write a letter to your your future self

day 3. write a letter to your parents

day 4. write a letter to your siblings

day 5. write a letter to your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend/love/crush

day 6. write a letter to your best friend

day 7. write a letter to a stranger

day 8. write a letter to someone you’ve been thinking about lately

day 9. write a letter to someone that changed your life

day 10. write a letter to yourself

via 10 day letter challenge – Heck Yeah Tumblr Challenges!.

Modern Chain Mail

modern chain mail

Do you remember old fashioned chain mail, the promises of fame fortune and death threats to you and your family (loved ones)?

Modern chain mail has taken a new twist. Now we have to reply, friend and follow people in order to save the world or at least save the life of someone deathly ill or suicidal.

At least these are easier to ignore. It was kind of spooky not sending on those old, retro chain letters. I always did feel creepy about throwing them out… just in case something did happen.  These modern chain letters all sound just too phoney to me. How can I possibly save this boy from committing suicide just by passing this along to strangers, from strangers. So I don’t feel even a twinge of creepiness.

But… could you use a modern chain letter and come up with a really creepy story, something unique?

The Adventures of the Wilderness Family

This is the family adventure movie I remember – even more than 30 years after watching it with my Dad, brother and sisters in the movie theatre. The scenes I remember most involve a grizzly bear attacking the cabin, orca whales bobbing their heads up while the family float on a flat shelf of ice and struggling to build something to shelter themselves once they land, alone in the wilderness.

There are three movies in the series. I don’t know if I ever did catch the third in the series but I well remember the first two. I have watched them again, on TV, but seldom manage to be in the right place and time to catch them. I would enjoy seeing all three and showing them for my nephew and nieces who are now the ages we (my own brother and sisters and myself) were when we first watched the adventure.

I have to admit I have a huge interest in survival type of stories, including end of the world scenarios and crash landing type things like the Swiss Family Robinson. But, there are not a lot of great survival stories for the whole family to watch which are also not taken down into the genre of silly/ stupid comedy. The comedy really spoils it for me. I’d rather have the suspense and the science behind the survival of the family.

If you have seen a great family adventure survival type of movie write about it in the comments below. There must be other great family movies out there, without the over done humour.

How would you write about a family who get caught out in the wilderness? How would the whole thing start, just another camping trip gone wrong, or something more dramatic and unique?

Play a Game that Begins With…

From Facebook this morning:

Let’s play a game. I have been given the letter “D” by Name not included

Something I hate: Dumbasses

Something I love: Dreams

Some where I have been: Detroit

Somewhere I’d like to go: Dubai

Someone I know: Dianne Bushell Best film: Devils wears Pradha

Like my status and I’ll give you a letter.

The idea is you are given a letter by the person who had this posted on their Facebook page. Then you find answers for each of the topics but they must start with the letter you were given.

Something I hate: rudeness

Something I love: red

Some where I have been: Revelstoke, BC

Somewhere I’d like to go: Russia

Someone I know: (I can’t think of anyone with an R name. Will probably come up with something an hour after I post this).

Best film: (I’m not that into film).

The Horror of Being Possessed

5. You have been possessed by the devil! How do you deal with this and how do you make every effort to keep your soul possible? Feel free to go in a different direction from other possession movies.

via Free Creative Writing Prompts #66: Horror.

I don’t watch horror so I don’t know about the typical possession in a horror movie. I’d write about the feeling of seeing yourself and not being yourself. Have you ever looked down at your own hand and felt it was not your hand? Some one else had taken it over. It’s a creepy feeling. You can become fixated on your hand and convince yourself it really isn’t your hand. Of course it is. Once you break your concentration on it everything goes back to normal. That’s how I would write about possession, sort of a self possession.