We might feel tired of being stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make the best of things! For our first writing prompt of the quaranTEEN voices series, let’s think about the silver linings of these strange times. Choose one of the prompts below to jumpstart your imagination and see where it takes you. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Prompt 1:
Years from now, people will read about this specific time as an important part of the world’s history. That means students will study this in school! Write a history book entry about this period in history. How does it end? Write your ideal ending! What changes in society were a result of this stretch of time? How does it usher in the next period of history?
Prompt 2:
A great way to get an idea for a story is from the world around you. Look outside your window. Who do you see? What are they doing? What mood do you think they’re in? Imagine where they’re coming from and where they’re going next. Write a short scene of this moment in the character’s life. You can write in their voice and imagine that they’re telling you about their life, or you can have them interact with someone else. Remember, you’re the writer: you can make up whatever you want about this person!
On Wednesday we’ll send out a few ideas to help you revise your pieces. Sign up to share your writing and listen to other teens at the Open Mic here! Please note: the open mic is for teens only.
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Prompt #1 Revision
Now that you have your history book entry, imagine you’re making a movie about this time period. Who would be the main character of your movie? Maybe they created positive changes for the future (Ex: an invention, a law, or a scientific discovery). Or maybe your character is born after 2020 and grows up in a post-coronavirus world. What is the world like for them?
Prompt #2 Revision
Make a list of things you see outside your window besides your character. What do those things look like? What do they sound like? Do they have a specific smell? Add in sensory details to paint the picture for your reader. Then, write about how your character responds to these details. For example, if your character walks by a food truck, do they like the smell and get hungry, or do they not like the smell and walk faster down the street?
Be sure to sign up for our newsletter HERE to receive weekly prompts and other virtual youth writing opportunities right to your inbox! On Wednesday we’ll send out a few ideas to help you revise your pieces. Sign up to talk to J. Courtney Sullivan and share your writing with other quaranTEEN’s on Friday HERE!