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This is a JANUARY writing challenge with a prompt each day

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This is a JANUARY writing challenge with a prompt each day

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We've all heard the saying: "A picture is worth a thousand words."

It's true!

One picture can spark an idea that can lead to an entire picture book manuscript. Don't believe me? Try it!

I often get ideas for stories by looking at pictures.

Pictures serve as inspiration. And lucky for picture book writers, pictures are everywhere. But there are some places I peruse regularly to get inspiration.

Have you heard of Storybird? Here you will find art samples from talented illustrators worldwide. In other words, there is a goldmine of art at this site. Anyone wanting to delve into storytelling can use the images for inspiration for a story. It's a great writing tool for kids and adults.

Where else can you find images?

How about clipart? Free clipart sites are another treasure trove for writers. Just select a category. Science. School. People. Pets. Surely an image or two will spark a story idea in your brain.

Are you doing any shopping today? Make a pit stop in the greeting card aisle at the grocery store and look at the pictures on the covers of the cards. Do you see animals singing in the snow? A hedgehog holding a balloon? A crocodile on a skateboard? Any ideas jumping out at you?

While you're at the store, take a glance at the magazines. Kid magazines and family-centered magazines are chock-full of kid-friendly images.

Maybe you're driving or riding in a car. Pay extra attention to street signs. I once saw a street sign with a stick figure and a circle around its waist. Say what? Hula hoop crossing? Why? Is there a story nugget there? What if instead of a person, it was a bear? Or an armadillo? And why is it crossing the road with a hula hoop?

There is a board game called Awkward Family Photos. For the game, players are presented with a picture and a thought-provoking question about the photo. For example, players may have to think of the last thing the person said before the picture was taken. Or, they may have to write a caption for the picture. This game is a perfect example of using pictures to dig a bit deeper and see what story lies beyond it.

Wherever you are right now-at home, at work, in your car, at a store-at least one of these sources of images is available at your fingertips. You can even use Google to search for images.

Pictures will speak to you, but you need to do three things for that to happen:

Stop, look, and listen.

1. Stop:
Take a few minutes each day during this month-long challenge to find a source of pictures. Use the ones I listed above or find another source. The few minutes you spend will be worth it.

2. Look:
Take a close look at the picture. Take it all in: the character(s), the expressions, the details, the background, etc.

3. Listen:
Are there questions popping up in your brain? If not, you want to train your brain to ask questions, such as:

What is the character in the picture doing?

What does he/she want?

Look at that mischievous grin. What is behind it?

Why is the dragon sitting alone on a rock? Is he scared, embarrassed, sad, sleepy?

Why is the dog wearing roller skates? Where is he going?

What are those strange footprints in the sand? Who do they belong to? Where do they lead?

If you follow these three steps, I guarantee ideas will start flowing in no time at all.

So, a picture is worth a thousand words. Better yet, in the case of picture book writers, maybe a picture leads to a 500 word story, or even one that is only 250 words. Whatever the final word count, a picture can be the starting point. Just like what happened in 2014, when I saw a picture of a caveboy and a cavegirl on a clipart image during the Storystorm Challenge (which was then called PiBoIdMo). That ultimately led to CAVEKID BIRTHDAY, which launches in March 2019. And, my fingers are crossed that a picture you look at today will be the inspiration for a book that will be in kids' hands in a few years.

Good luck!

CAVEKID BIRTHDAY was Cathy Breisacher's 2014 PiBoIdMo idea for Day 10 and it will be a book in March 2019! CAVEKID BIRTHDAY, illustrated by Roland Garrigue, is a prehistoric twist on the Gift of the Magi. Cathy's second book, CHIP AND CURLY: THE GREAT POTATO RACE, illustrated by Joshua Heinsz, will hop into stores in May 2019. Cathy looked at loads of potato pictures for inspiration, and she whipped a ton of puns into this tale.

You can follow her on Twitter @CathyBreisacher, Facebook, YouTube or cathybreisacher.com.

Cathy is giving away autographed copies of CAVEKID BIRTHDAY and CHIP AND CURLY: THE GREAT POTATO RACE when they are published. There will be one winner for each book.

Simply leave ONE COMMENT below to enter.
You're eligible to win if you're a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below. Prizes will be given away at the conclusion of the event.
Good luck!

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STORYSTORM 2019 Day 1: Cathy Breisacher Pictures Her Ideas

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We've all heard the saying: "A picture is worth a thousand words." It's true! One picture can spark an idea that can lead to an entire picture book manuscript. Don't believe me? Try it! I often get ideas for stories by looking at pictures. Pictures serve as inspiration.

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Read ALL about this writing challenge HERE!

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Overview of the 12th Annual March Slice of Life Story Challenge

The Slice of Life Story Challenge began on Two Writing Teachers in March 2008. This March, we'll host the 12th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. Ever since the challenge began, the mission has remained the same: to support teachers who want to write daily. Teachers who write regularly can better support the students they teach in writing workshops daily.

In the weeks to come, the co-author team will provide you with information about prizes and the Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC). For now, here's some basic information to get you energized for our March writing challenge.
NEW AND RETURNING SLICERS There will be prizes!
Prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the month-long challenge. You will be eligible for a prize if:

You must fill out the SOLSC Participant Data Form, which will go live on Friday, February 15th.

You must submit a link to your "slice" just ONCE daily throughout the month of March. (Multiple submissions are not permitted).

At the end of the challenge, you must sign the Slice of Life Story Challenge Pledge, which will be posted to this blog on April 1st. (You will "sign" the pledge by filling out a Google form, that will certify that you wrote and linked daily, and commented on at least three other Slicer's posts daily.

Bottom Line: We use the honor system.

Usernames
Please use the same username/email information for all of your March comments. Tips:

Having a WordPress username makes it easier and faster to post your comments when you visit Two Writing Teachers.

You don't have to have a WordPress blog to sign-up for a WordPress username.

Using a consistent username minimizes the chances of your comment/link to slice going to our spam folder.

Comment Guidelines
We reserve the right to delete comments that fall into the following categories:

Self Promotion: Please don't use your comment or link to your blog for self-promotion. The links in the comment section fo our Slice of Life Story Challenge are meant to lead our readers to stories from people's lives-not just what was on your blog that day.

Linking and Running: Please do not just drop off the link to your Slice without commenting on at least three other Slice of Life stories. Comments are the foundation of this community. If you choose to link early in the morning, please return later to leave at least three comments.

Spam: It's not just big advertisers who spam. Spam can include: Copying and pasting a comment from one post to another, or leaving a message such as, "Nice post. Visit my blog at...." These are forms of spam.

Adults Only in the Individual Challenge
The individual challenge is for educators at any stage of their career. We realize some participants may have a child and/or a student who you'd like to invite to participate in the SOLSC alongside you. If this is the case, we invite your children or individual students to participate in the Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge.

Individuals under the age of 18 who aren't a part of a classroom community must have and adult sponsor to participate. As the adult sponsor, you must be the person who leaves the link to your child's/student's post on their behalf.

More detail on this policy will be included in the Classroom Challenge Overview Post. You may also contact the hosts of the Classroom Challenge, Deb Frazier and Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski, directly.

Questions?
Please direct your question to the appropriate coauthor, based on your last name:

If your last name begins with the letters A - E, please email questions to Lanny Ball at lanny.ball[at]gmail.com.

If your last name begins with the letters F-I, please email questions to Kelsey Corter at kelseymcorter[at]gmail.com.

If your last name begins with the letters J-M, please email questions to Betsy Hubbard at betsymhubbard[at]gmail.com.

If your last name begins with the letters N - Q, please email questions to Melanie Meehan at meehanmelanie[at]gmail.com.

If your last name begins with the letters R - U, please email questions to Beth Moore, beth[at]elizabethmoore.work.

If your last name begins with the letters V - Z, please email questions to Stacey, stacey[at]staceyshubitz.com.

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Overview of the 12th Annual March Slice of Life Story Challenge

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The Slice of Life Story Challenge began on Two Writing Teachers in March 2008. This March, we'll host the 12th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. Ever since the challenge began, the mission has remained the same: to support teachers who want to write daily.

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I want be intentional about revising. Often I just write it once and then go on. Yet, as writers, we know the real work happens in the revision stage. So this March, I will try to write and then the next day revise it in some way. Not sure where this will take me. (However, I do know that this means I only need 1/2 as many writing ideas!) Maybe I will try:
* different setting
* different POV
* different structure
* apoem, then a narrative
* a narrative, then as a news article
* a narrative, then as narrative nonfiction

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The TCRWP Advocacy twitter chat on 1/30 got me thinking. I also want to work on my writing about reading. Maybe I take it a step further by leeping advocacy as a lens:
Read - notice an issue - reflect
Read - notice an issue - find out how is this issue is handled in my city/state
EX: Read Stray by Cynthia Rylant and look up animal rights laws in Arlington and reflect

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In middle school, the use of writing prompts are a wondrous thing. Those simple sentences propel students into unleashing their creativity, understanding their core values and rethinking some of their past actions. They're still coming of age so their responses can be emotional and insightful-for you and the student. Writing prompts are one of the most effective ways to develop confident writers who enjoy the process. We rounded up 24 of the best writing prompts for middle school students who are still finding their writing voice!

1. Uncover their hidden strengths

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do." Write a narrative about a time when you did something you thought you could not do. Be sure to include specific details so that a reader can follow your story.

2. Let them take the reins

Attach an image (photo, magazine, etc.) to a notebook page and write about it.

3. Have them daydream about the not-so-distant future

Imagine a future in which we each have a personalized robot servant. What would yours be like? Describe what it would do and the features it would have.

4. Allow their creativity and core values to intersect

Create a brand new holiday with its own traditions, rituals, foods, and activities.

5. Let them map out their long term goals and life plans

Make your bucket list for the next five years, the next ten years, and for life.

6. Put their family life at the front of their minds.

Think about hospitality in your family. What's it like to have guests in your house? Do you prefer to have friends to your house or to go to a friend's house?

7. Have them think about traits that are important to possess in today's world

Write about someone who has no enemies. Is it even possible?

8. In a world of a "fake news"-where do they stand?

Can honesty honestly be bad? Write about someone, fact or fiction, who gets in trouble for being too truthful.

9. Reinforce the importance books have in their lives

Remember a favorite book from your childhood. Write a scene that includes you and an old copy of that book you find somewhere.

10. Explore the weight that words hold between two people

William Shakespeare wrote that: "Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood." Write your thoughts about conversation, or make up dialogue between two characters who are meeting each other for the first time in an unexpected place.

11. Have them evaluate where they've been and where they want to be

You have a chance to go back and completely re-do an event in your life. What is it, and how to you change it? What is the outcome? This can be a real or fictional event.

12. Let pop culture intersect with their school life

You get to guest star on a TV show. What show is it? What happens in this particular episode?

13. Put them in an unusual, highly unlikely situation

Write a poem entitled "Hitchhiking on a Saturday Afternoon."

14. Let them dive deep into the influence they want to have with their friends

Persuade a friend to give up drugs.

15. Take one line, watch a million different possibilities unfold

"Did she actually just say that?" Write a scene that includes this line.

16. Stretch their brain and pun power

Create a menu from a fictitious restaurant. Make sure the restaurant has a theme, such as Classic Books, and the food should all be given appropriate names (e.g., "Mockingbird Pie").

17. Find out how they connect with their community

List the most attractive things about your current hometown. Now list the most unattractive things.

18. Take on the ultimate "what-if" scenario . . . one everyone secretly dreams of . . .

What would you do if you woke up one morning to find yourself invisible?

19. Unleash good vibes

Write a list of at least 50 things that make you feel good.

20. Have them question everything

Begin a list of questions that you'd like to have answered. They may be about the future or the past.

21. Take on their passions

What's, if anything, would you be willing to fight or even die for? Explain your answer.

22. Make some music

Make a soundtrack for your life so far. List songs that describe you or different times of your life. (Make the actual soundtrack on Spotify, etc. too!)

23. Dig into their integrity

Did you ever stick up for someone?

24. Ask a simple question that may provoke surprising answers

What is it like to go shopping with your mother or another person in your family?
What do you think are the best writing prompts for middle school students? We'd love to add to this list. Please share in the comments.

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24 of the Best Writing Prompts for Middle School Students

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In middle school, the use of writing prompts are a wondrous thing. Those simple sentences propel students into unleashing their creativity, understanding their core values and rethinking some of their past actions. They're still coming of age so their responses can be emotional and insightful-for you and the student.

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Inspired by Sonja Schulz at Sassy Bibliophile

It is Saturday
No alarm clock day.
Family at home day.
Read and write day.
Slow and cozy day.
My hubby and I will go to a theater tonight.

Life is good.

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Inspired by Sonja Schulz at Sassy Bibliophile It is Saturday No alarm clock day. Family at home day. Read and write day. Slow and cozy day. My hubby and I will go to a theater tonight. Life is good.

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* = I used this lesson!
Pg. 24 - Jo's Warm-up: write about my kitchen
Pg. 38 - 6 word memoir / 6 word description of me
* Pg. 40 - use random noun generator and write using that noun
Pg. 42 - "Sometimes writing is scary because..."
Pg. 86 - "Before I die..." answer as me or as characters in books
* Pg. 92 - Cleaning the Cobwebs...write in 3 word phrases
* Pg. 101 - Describe my nighttime routine
* Pg. 128 - Look at a history book and see the story beyond the text
* Pg. 139 - Anecdotes from my classroom, digging to see a theme
*Pg. 151 - Phone Number Poem (# = number of words per line and zeros = wild card)
* Pg. 166 - Add written story to wordle and see what it is really about

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From "Lynn's Blog"

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In Living Between the Lines Lucy Calkins shows us the power of anecdotes: "Jane Yolen pulled off the highway in a snowstorm to scrawl down a phrase she'd heard on the car radio. The announcer, trying to sell a fence, described it as 'horse-high, hog-tight, and bull-strong.'

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from Stopping By An English Class on a Random Day

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Stopping by an English Class on a Random Day

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A year ago this month, I did one of the most courageous things I have ever done in my life-- I underwent an eye surgery that is likely to someday replace LASIK. It was in FDA trials, and doctors were collecting participant data from patients to eventually submit it for government approval.

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The Just Keep Writing Dory Blog

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http://sweetwritinglife.blogspot.com/2017/02/getting-ready-for-sol17.html
She posted 31+ prompts!!

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This is a collection of blog posts I can use as mentor texts for my own blog posts. https://padlet.com/ksokolowski1/vx4wy87qfk77

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Click here to read how to participate in the challenge:
https://twowritingteachers.org/2017/01/24/tuesday-slice-of-life-challenge/

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* = I have used idea to write
Pg. 96 - Observe Closely
* Pg. 97 - Photo Start
Pg. 103 - Scrapbook Your Life
Pg. 104 - Mine Mentor Text for Topics
*Pg. 222 - Take Notes from Illustrations or Photos
Pg. 249 - Mentor Sentence
Pg. 265 - Personify to Bring Objects to Life
Pg. 268 - Alphabox
Pg. 282 - Short-Long-Short
Pg. 289 - Surprising Verbs
Pg. 290 - Surprising Nouns
Pg. 340 - Read Draft Aloud and Listen
Pg. 347 - Create Complex Sentences
Pg. 348 - Create Compound Sentences
Pg. 354 - Considering Sentence Length
Pg. 355 - Semicolon (maybe I'll finally understand how to use this!)
Pg. 377 - Form a Club (reflect on my writing club!)
Pg. 379 - Tell Me: Does it Affect You

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Pg. 28 - My Writer's Heart Map
Pg. 35 - My Reader's Heart Map

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from "Resource-Full" blog

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Serial Story: Scene 6 Okay before the month ends, here's a return to Maria's story. "Only 20 minutes left." Face wrinkled. Can smell her fear . . . Staring at the clock again. 9:40 pm. Maria paced, "What's the deal with the ambulance?" she wondered. "The after-game crowd is always here by now."

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Notes on Journal Prompts journal writing prompts

The journal writing prompts on this page are grouped into the 4 quarters of a standard academic year. You, of course, may choose to use any of these at whatever time you like.

There are eight graphics on this page to serve as general visual bookmarks. Additionally, please consider using the following text links to jump to specific points on this page:

1st Quarter Journal Writing Prompts
Note: If you'd like to make these really POP (and save yourself some effort at the same time), you may be interested in Journal Jumpstarts, Volume 1, which contains prompts 1-20 listed below.
1. Write about going back to school after summer vacation.

2. Write a thank you note to a friend who gave you onion and garlic-flavored chewing gum.

3. Draw an imaginary constellation. Write a story such as ancient people might have told about it.

4. Describe a real made-up dream or nightmare. journal writing prompts

5. Write about your favorite childhood toy. journal writing prompts

6. Write out the best or the worst day of your life.

7. Finish this thought: if I could change one thing about myself (if you can't think of anything, you might want to consider telling how you got to be perfect!)

8. If and when I raise children, I'll never...

9. I have never been more frightened than when...

10. Persuade a friend to give up drugs.

11. Five years from now, I will be... journal writing prompts

12. Write about a day you'd like to forget.

13. Invent and describe a new food. journal writing prompts

14. Describe an event that changed your life forever, or make up and describe an event that would change your life forever.

15. Describe someone who is a hero to you and explain why.

16. Write about a time in your life when you struggled with a choice and made the right one.

17. Imagine yourself in a different century and describe an average day in your life.

18. Which character from a book would you most like to meet and why? journal writing prompts

19. Three goals I have set for myself are... journal writing prompts

20. What would you do if 300 mice had just gotten out of their cages in a pet shop where you worked?
Just like the above 20 prompts, prompts 21-40 listed below have not been "dressed up" much. To see them in their finest clothing, you may want to download Journal Jumpstarts, Volume 2.
21. What would you do if you were locked inside your favorite department store overnight?

22. What would you do if you woke up one morning to find yourself invisible?

23. What would you do if you were able to communicate with animals?

24. What would you do if you could travel into the future?

25. What would you do if you could travel into the past?

26. What would you do if someone just gave you $1 million?

27. What would you do it all the electricity in the world just stopped?

28. What would you do if you could travel free anyplace in the world?

29. What would you do if the dinner served to you in a fancy restaurant came with a fly in the mashed potatoes?

30. Write a list of at least 50 things that make you feel good.

31. Describe the perfect day. Put in as many details as you can. Make it a possible day, not a "dream day."

32. Who is the person from history that you would most like to meet and talk to? Why? What would you like to ask?

33. Who is the person from literature that you would most like to meet and talk to? Why? What would you like to ask?

34. Compile a list of words that describe you as a child. Compile a second list that describes you as you are now. How are these lists the same? How are they different?

35. Compile a list of inanimate or animate objects to which you might compare yourself metaphorically. (I am a windmill. I change direction or my thoughts whenever someone talks to me...)

36. Tell about what triggers anger in you or someone else.

37. Invent a monster and describe it. Tell where it lives, what it eats, and what it does.

38. What is your favorite kind of weather? Why?

39. What is the best book you have ever read? Why did you like it? Did reading the book change you in any way? What way?

40. Write about what you didn't do this weekend.
Prompts 41-60 (listed below) are included in Journal Jumpstarts, Volume 3.
Just display the prompt of the day via your digital projector, SMART Board, or classroom TV and take a break from your whiteboard for awhile!

41. Think about an incident that happened to you and exaggerate in the telling. Make it into a tall tale.

42. If you were ruler of the world, what things would you banish absolutely for all time (rain on weekends, eggplant, and so forth)? Make a list. Use your imagination.

43. If you could go back in time anywhere and "anywhen," where/when would you go and why?

44. What law would you like to see enacted which would help people? How would it help?

45. What commercial on TV do you dislike beyond all others? What about it is particularly annoying to you?

2nd Quarter Journal Writing Prompts

46. Design some gadget, machine, building, or other creation that might enrich the future. What does it look like? What does it do? How does it function? In what ways might it benefit people?

47. What current fashion in clothing do you particularly like or dislike? Explain. journal writing prompts

48. Convince someone why music or art or computers are important in your life. Make them appreciate your viewpoint.

49. If you had $100,000, how would you spend it?

50. Be a building you know well. Talk about your life and memories.

51. You are to tell a person from a distant planet or from another era what pollution is. Make that person understand what causes it and why it is bad.

52. If you could do something that you never have done before, what would it be? Why would you want to do it?

53. Begin a list of questions that you'd like to have answered. They may be about the future or the past.

54. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment to date and why?

55. Write one characteristic or habit about yourself that you like and describe it. Or write about one thing you don't like about yourself.

56. What is your hobby? Why do you enjoy it?

57. If you could go somewhere where you've never gone before, where would you go and why?

58. What's, if anything, would you be willing to fight or even die for? Explain your answer.

59. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? Why would you make this change?

60. Is there a machine you feel you could not live without? Explain.
The following prompts (61-80) are included in Journal Jumpstarts, Volume 4. Just like all of the volumes in the Journal Jumpstarts series, Volume 4 features 21 high-quality animations that add "punch" to the prompts. Use these animations in your own Powerpoints wherever you choose to do so.
61. Write about what you think you will be like and what you will be doing 10 years or 20 years from now.

62. Did you ever stick up for someone?

63. Describe your neighborhood bully.

64. Write about a baby-sitting experience.

65. Describe a great fort you built for a great game you played as a child.

66. Write about an enemy who eventually became your friend.

67. Write about a time you cheated and got caught.

68. Write about a privilege you earned.

69. Write about the stray animal you brought home.

70. Did you ever send away for something that turned out to be a disappointment? (Or order something over the Internet)

71. What is it like to go shopping with your mother? journal writing prompts

72. Write about a time you performed in front of an audience.

73. Write about a difficult decision you had to make.

74. Write about learning to skate, to ride a bike, to climb a tree, or to turn a cart wheel. journal writing prompts

75. Did you ever get lost in a strange town?

76. Were you ever locked in or out? What did you do?

77. What was it like to spend your first night away from home?

78. What was it like to come back home after a long vacation?

79. Write about a disappointment. journal writing prompts

80. Write about something minor that turned into a big deal.
The following prompts (81-100) are included in Journal Jumpstarts, Volume 5. All of the prompts in the Journal Jumpstarts series are titled and listed in a clickable table of contents, making it easier to determine where to resume.
81. Did you ever win or lose a contest? Tell the story about what happened.

82. Write about something you desperately wanted when you were younger.

83. Did you ever know someone who had "everything"?

84. Write about the time as a child you played in one of the following: treehouse, a cornfield, a construction site, a junkyard, an abandoned house or barn, a stream, a cemetery, a swamp, a pasture, railroad tracks.

85. Did your mom or dad ever make you wear something you hated?

86. Write about a time you were talked into something and you regretted it.

87. Were you ever in a helicopter, limousine, racecar, hot-air balloon, submarine, or horse-drawn carriage?

88. Did you ever forget something really important? What happened as a result?

89. Write about an experience in a hospital.

90. Were you ever accused of something that you didn't do?

3rd Quarter Journal Writing Prompts

91. Write about a disastrous trip or vacation.

92. Were you ever given a responsibility that you couldn't handle? journal writing prompts

93. Were you ever in a fire, flood, tornado, or hurricane?

94. Describe the best concert you ever attended.

95. Write about a window you broke or something valuable you lost.

96. Did you ever catch fireflies? Crickets? Frogs? Snakes?

97. Write about a time you tried to help and ended up making things worse.

98. Did you ever break an important promise?

99. Write about moving to another city or neighborhood.

100. Describe an outdoor game you used to play in the summer time.

101. Write about building sand castles or mud pies.

102. Did you ever meet a famous person?

103. Write about mowing the lawn, burning leaves, or weeding the garden.

104. Describe the club you organized as a kid.

105. Describe a car or bicycle accident you were in.

106. Write about being a misfit.

107. Write about a day spent in another country.

108. Write about a time you out-smarted someone.

109. Write about going shopping for new clothes.

110. Did you ever turn someone in or tell on someone and feel bad about it later?

111. Imagine that you are an animal in the zoo. What type of animal are you? How do you feel about being caged? How do you feel about people that visit and watch you?

112. Write about a time your parents embarrassed you.

113. Describe learning something from a friend.

114. Write about a time you gave someone good advice.

115. Write about the funniest thing that ever happened to you.

116. If you had to escort a visitor from outer space for a 30-minute tour of your community, where would you begin and end?

117. Be a grape that becomes a raisin: describe how it feels to shrink, to shrivel, to become dry and wrinkled.

118. Be an icicle that becomes water. Describe how it feels to be cold and firm and full of beautiful crystals but only to melt and lose your shape.

119. You go to the store with your parents and baby brother. Your parents go into a store and tell you to watch your brother. You take your eyes off your brother for just a minute and you can't find him. You...

120. I really hate it when my mother/father/sibling...

121. What if the use of robots in school becomes a workable reality?

122. What would you pack in your suitcase if you could not go home again?

123. You have just met an alien from another planet. He wishes to take a student back to his planet. Convince him you would be the perfect specimen for him to take.

124. If you could change one law, what law would it be and how would you change it?

125. How forgiving are you when a friend lets you down? Explain. Give an example.

126. What if you were named principal for the week? What would you do?

127. If you could only speak twenty words for the rest of your life, what words would head your list and why?

128. It started out as an unusual Monday morning, when I...

129. As I approached the deserted house at the end of the road, I saw...

130. Do you think girls are raised differently from boys? If so, in what ways?

131. Do you think you are treated differently because you are a boy or girl?

132. Do you think men and women are equal in today's society? Why or why not?

133. Do you think a woman will be President of the United States in the near future?

134. Two men or women have it easier in our culture? If so, why do you think so?

135. Have you ever wished you were either older or younger? What would you consider to be the benefits? The problems?

4th Quarter Journal Writing Prompts

136. Describe what you think of as the typical mother.

137. Describe what you think of as the typical father.

138. Do you think women should take men's last names when they marry? Why or why not? jo urnal writing prompts

139. Would you rather have a brother or sister? Why?

140. Describe a fight you had with your mother. Now tell it from her point of view.

141. Write a short biography of your mother.

142. Write a short biography of your father.

143. Visualize a time when your mother was laughing. Recall a time when you two shared a good laugh over something.

144. Write a physical description of your mother. Write as if you were looking at a movie rather than a photograph.

145. Concentrate on a particular habit that your mother has and write about it.

146. If you had three wishes, what would they be? (Do not ask for three more wishes) journal writing prompts

147. What is something special and/or different about you? Why do you think it is special or different?

148. Write about two things that your family has taught you.

149. Write about some of the things that you worry about.

150. Describe a happy memory of your family. journal writing prompts

151. How do you know someone loves you, even if he or she doesn't say it?

152. Name one thing you like about yourself and why you like it.

153. Imagine yourself as a teacher. What type of student would you like to teach and why?

154. Name and describe a teacher who made a difference in your life. What did that teacher do that was so special?

155. What makes you proud to be an American?

156. Describe the one thing that gives you the most comfort.

157. If you could be a character in any book, TV show, or movie, who would you be and why?

158. If you had to work in any store at your favorite mall, which store would it be and why?

159. Describe the most difficult thing about being your age.

160. Describe one possession that means the most to you.

161. Who is the most important role model in your life?

162. Describe your best personality trait.

163. If you could study one subject in school that wasn't offered, what would it be and why?

164. If you had a chance to live anywhere you could, where would it be and why?

165. Write about the pros/cons of year-round school or a four-day school week.

166. Write about your favorite sport.

167. Is the school year too long? Too short? Why?

168. What does your summer usually consist of?

169. Who should be paid more, professional athletes or teachers? Why or why not?

170. What class do you enjoy the most and why?

171. Write about the worst fight you ever had with a friend.

172. If you had only one month to live, what would you do?

173. Describe your dream house.

174. Who is your favorite person to be with? Why?

175. What would be your ideal job when you grow up? Explain.

176. If you could guest star on any TV show, what would it be and why?

177. What do you think your life will be like in 10 years? 20 years?

178. Describe how you would manage your own radio or TV station.

179. What is your definition of success?

180. The saying goes, "Money cannot buy happiness." Do you agree or disagree? Why? journal writing prompts

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180 Journal Writing Prompts: Enough for Every Day of the School Year

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The journal writing prompts on this page are grouped into the 4 quarters of a standard academic year. You, of course, may choose to use any of these at whatever time you like. There are eight graphics on this page to serve as general visual bookmarks.