True Tuesdays Writing Prompt #24: Believe

photo: evergreen wreath, Hunting Ground Farm, Whiteford, MD, 12/11/11, rus vanwestervelt

In a time when light continues to fade and darkness serves as bookends to the beginning and ending of our days, we carry with us the belief that light will return, and we will once again find ourselves treasuring the longer, brighter days of an emerging spring.

Think about a time when you were still heading into the darkness. Perhaps it is right now for some college students as they face the toughest days of the semester during Finals Week. Or maybe it was a long time ago, when a loved one’s long illness had taken a sorrowful turn for the worst.

We have experienced such moments of darkness when we know that even darker, tougher days are ahead. and yet, we have hope, belief, in what lies on the other side of that darkness. Something or somebody pulls us through.

Write about that belief. Set aside the time you need today to write uninterrupted. Write about the darkness, but capture the belief that got you through to that other side (or you have faith it will get you through at the present time).

True Tuesdays Writing Prompt #23: Thank You

On behalf of the entire Maryland Voices team, I thank each and every one of you for participating in our weekly writing prompts and submitting your work to Maryland Voices. We are grateful for your support, and we encourage you to continue to write and share your true stories. Publishing your experiences has never been more important; know that your life matters, and sharing those life experiences is absolutely essential to our friends, family, and community members — no matter how wide and vast our community may be, now and in the future.

So, in the spirit of appreciation, we encourage you to write a special story of thanks for this week’s writing prompt– with a twist. Brainstorm a list of things that you are appreciative for that are non-living, things that have helped you genuinely in your life in one way or another. For example, my list might include a pair of game dice that helps me determine the direction of some of my stories. By using any combination of the numbers that I roll, I have blasted through writer’s block countless times. For these two little blocks with numbers, I am extremely grateful. Such a story might revolve around a particular time that I had to roll them to get me through to the end of a story.

What story of thanks do you have to share today?

~~~

Our cells are filled with the stories of our lives. By sharing them with ourselves and with the larger community, we document our unique and divine individual experience. Maryland Voices is the home for writers of all ages to share their true and authentic lives. These journal prompts and your responses are just the beginning.

Take the time to play with your stories. Our submission period has just concluded, and we will resume accepting submissions April 1, 2012. There’s plenty of time to draft, research, experiment, workshop, and refine your story over these winter months. Have fun with your writing during this time!

We hope you enjoy these weekly prompts, and we encourage you to share with your students and colleagues. Please be sure to share our site through Facebook and Twitter (#truetuesdays); we’re always happy to find new writers throughout the state of Maryland–and beyond.

True Tuesdays Writing Prompt #22: Finish Line

The end of November signifies a “finish line” for many. Some may be wrapping up their 50,000-word writing journey if they participated in National Novel Writing Month (NanoWrimo). Other writers, here in the state of Maryland, might even be putting the final touches on their manuscript to submit to Maryland Voices by November 30.

Of course, there’s another kind of finish line, and many runners around the state may have just run their last race of the season at a local Turkey Trot 5K.

Whether that finish line is specific to one event or a particular season, there’s a feeling we experience when crossing that finish line, real or otherwise.

And, no matter how large or small that project might have been, we can enjoy that same moment of accomplishment.

Write about that feeling of accomplishment you have experienced for a recent project where you crossed the finish line.

How do you hold on to that feeling to propel you to cross other finish lines along the journey?

~~~

Our cells are filled with the stories of our lives. By sharing them with ourselves and with the larger community, we document our unique and divine individual experience. Maryland Voices is the home for writers of all ages to share their true and authentic lives. These journal prompts and your responses are just the beginning.

Take the time to play with your stories, and don’t hesitate to submit your polished work to our journal, Maryland Voices, now in its 9th volume. Deadline for all entries is November 30, 2011.

Not interested in submitting your work? Not a resident of Maryland? No problem! We hope you enjoy these weekly prompts, and we encourage you to share with your students and colleagues. Please be sure to share our site through Facebook and Twitter (#truetuesdays); we’re always happy to find new writers throughout the state of Maryland–and beyond.

True Tuesdays Writing Prompt #21: Thanksgiving

photo: rus vanwestervelt, Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, november 20, 2011

It is hard during this time of year to slow down and remember the things for which we are most thankful. Without even realizing it, we separate ourselves from the things that matter the most.

Spend a few minutes today in a quiet place and practice being thankful for the wonderful gifts around you. Write about friends, family, awareness, love. These are just a few of the things we forget about when rushing around during the holidays.

Give yourself the most precious gift of awareness of your thanksgivings, and enrich your life experience as you enter the most hectic time of year.

~~~

Our cells are filled with the stories of our lives. By sharing them with ourselves and with the larger community, we document our unique and divine individual experience. Maryland Voices is the home for writers of all ages to share their true and authentic lives. These journal prompts and your responses are just the beginning.

Take the time to play with your stories, and don’t hesitate to submit your polished work to our journal, Maryland Voices, now in its 9th volume. Deadline for all entries is November 30, 2011.

Not interested in submitting your work? Not a resident of Maryland? No problem! We hope you enjoy these weekly prompts, and we encourage you to share with your students and colleagues. Please be sure to share our site through Facebook and Twitter (#truetuesdays); we’re always happy to find new writers throughout the state of Maryland–and beyond.

True Tuesdays Writing Prompt #20: Reliability

photo: rus vanwestervelt, gettysburg national historical site, gettysburg, pa.

Some of our best stories about reliability are not necessarily about other individuals in our lives; they are about the animals we have come to love along the way. Whether it is a 9-pound cat or a 1/2-ton thoroughbred, an animal can be more reliable to us — and us to the animal — than any human might ever be.

Write about a “non-human” who befriended you; share the story of the common reliability you shared, and how a deeper appreciation for each other evolved.

~~~

Our cells are filled with the stories of our lives. By sharing them with ourselves and with the larger community, we document our unique and divine individual experience. Maryland Voices is the home for writers of all ages to share their true and authentic lives. These journal prompts and your responses are just the beginning.

Take the time to play with your stories, and don’t hesitate to submit your polished work to our journal, Maryland Voices, now in its 9th volume. Deadline for all entries is November 30, 2011.

Not interested in submitting your work? Not a resident of Maryland? No problem! We hope you enjoy these weekly prompts, and we encourage you to share with your students and colleagues. Please be sure to share our site through Facebook and Twitter (#truetuesdays); we’re always happy to find new writers throughout the state of Maryland–and beyond.

True Tuesdays Writing Prompt #19: Ensemble

Have you ever been swept up and carried away by the magical energies of an ensemble? One of the most beautiful natural phenomena is the flight of an ensemble of starlings, called a Murmuration. After watching the video below, write generally about the beauty of such an event, or specifically about a time when you were a part of such a “murmuration,” where you were swept up and carried away by similar magical energies.

~~~

Our cells are filled with the stories of our lives. By sharing them with ourselves and with the larger community, we document our unique and divine individual experience. Maryland Voices is the home for writers of all ages to share their true and authentic lives. These journal prompts and your responses are just the beginning.

Take the time to play with your stories, and don’t hesitate to submit your polished work to our journal, Maryland Voices, now in its 9th volume. Deadline for all entries is November 30, 2011.

Not interested in submitting your work? Not a resident of Maryland? No problem! We hope you enjoy these weekly prompts, and we encourage you to share with your students and colleagues. Please be sure to share our site through Facebook and Twitter (#truetuesdays); we’re always happy to find new writers throughout the state of Maryland–and beyond.

True Tuesdays Writing Prompt #18: Contradiction

photo: rus vanwestervelt, finksburg, md, 29 october 2011

There are times in our lives when contradictions derail our routines and bring a new perspective to our busy and overbooked days. The autumn blizzard this past weekend that dumped nearly 2 feet of snow on many New England and Mid-Atlantic states has made many of us pause — unfortunately in ways that are beyond our control.

Think of a time (and maybe this weekend works for you) when a contradiction has changed your life. Bring those before, during, and after moments to life in your own words.

Follow Up: How does writing about that past event affect your outlook on your present life?

~~~

Our cells are filled with the stories of our lives. By sharing them with ourselves and with the larger community, we document our unique and divine individual experience. Maryland Voices is the home for writers of all ages to share their true and authentic lives. These journal prompts and your responses are just the beginning.

Take the time to play with your stories, and don’t hesitate to submit your polished work to our journal, Maryland Voices, now in its 9th volume. Deadline for all entries is November 30, 2011.

Not interested in submitting your work? Not a resident of Maryland? No problem! We hope you enjoy these weekly prompts, and we encourage you to share with your students and colleagues. Please be sure to share our site through Facebook and Twitter (#truetuesdays); we’re always happy to find new writers throughout the state of Maryland–and beyond.

True Tuesdays Writing Prompt #17: Leap

photo: rus vanwestervelt, river chase farm, virginia, october 23, 2011

Write about a time when you took a leap — any kind of leap — and the outcome that followed. Whether it was a leap of faith, a leap off of a swing, or a leap into a new project or profession, what did you feel and experience before, during, and after?

~~~

Our cells are filled with the stories of our lives. By sharing them with ourselves and with the larger community, we document our unique and divine individual experience. Maryland Voices is the home for writers of all ages to share their true and authentic lives. These journal prompts and your responses are just the beginning.

Take the time to play with your stories, and don’t hesitate to submit your polished work to our journal, Maryland Voices, now in its 9th volume. Deadline for all entries is November 30, 2011.

Not interested in submitting your work? Not a resident of Maryland? No problem! We hope you enjoy these weekly prompts, and we encourage you to share with your students and colleagues. Please be sure to share our site through Facebook and Twitter (#truetuesdays); we’re always happy to find new writers throughout the state of Maryland–and beyond.

True Tuesdays Writing Prompt #16: Extraordinary Moments

I am struck with the extraordinary beauty in the simplest of things. I took this picture last week on my way home from teaching. I have passed this little spot at Loch Raven Reservoir hundreds of times. Yet, its beauty is always extraordinary to me: the colors, the Canadian geese, the ripples and the reflections in the water.

Spend a few minutes today in a place you frequent often and look for those extraordinary moments. What do you see that really stands out to you, and what does that trigger within you?

Write for 10-20 minutes, immersed in that place — even if it is in a memory as you take a break at your desk. Bring the extraordinary moments to life with your words as if you are experiencing this place for the first time…

~~~

Our cells are filled with the stories of our lives. By sharing them with ourselves and with the larger community, we document our unique and divine individual experience. Maryland Voices is the home for writers of all ages to share their true and authentic lives. These journal prompts and your responses are just the beginning. Take the time to play with your stories, and don’t hesitate to submit your polished work to our journal, Maryland Voices, now in its 9th volume. Deadline for all entries is November 30, 2011.

Also, Maryland Voices is working with the Maryland Writing Project in promoting the National Day on Writing, which is October 20, 2011. Click HERE to see how you can participate in our 24-hour writing event, to be featured in the spring volume of Maryland Voices.

Not interested in submitting your work? Not a resident of Maryland? No problem! We hope you enjoy these weekly prompts, and we encourage you to share with your students and colleagues. Please be sure to share our site through Facebook and Twitter (#truetuesdays); we’re always happy to find new writers throughout the state of Maryland–and beyond.

True Tuesdays Writing Prompt #15: Family Vault

photo: Mausoleum, Gettysburg National Military Park, taken 10/9/11 by rus vanwestervelt

Every family has a “vault” of stories or secrets that, for whatever reason, are rarely shared with the rest of the world. Usually, it’s simply the case that nobody took the time to write them down, document them, and make them a part of the family record.

What stories remain in your family vault that need to be shared? These dormant secrets need not be tales of treason or unsolved mysteries; they can be about a grandparent who was only truly happy when she was painting, or about an uncle who lost his life at 19 trying to save a neighbor’s dog who had fallen through the ice in 1966.

Our family vault is filled with stories that nobody took the time or interest to document. What story will you contribute today to your family’s history?

~~~

Our cells are filled with the stories of our lives. By sharing them with ourselves and with the larger community, we document our unique and divine individual experience. Maryland Voices is the home for writers of all ages to share their true and authentic lives. These journal prompts and your responses are just the beginning. Take the time to play with your stories, and don’t hesitate to submit your polished work to our journal, Maryland Voices, now in its 9th volume. Deadline for all entries is November 30, 2011.

Also, Maryland Voices is working with the Maryland Writing Project in promoting the National Day on Writing, which is October 20, 2011. Click HERE to see how you can participate in our 24-hour writing event, to be featured in the spring volume of Maryland Voices.

Not interested in submitting your work? Not a resident of Maryland? No problem! We hope you enjoy these weekly prompts, and we encourage you to share with your students and colleagues. Please be sure to share our site through Facebook and Twitter (#truetuesdays); we’re always happy to find new writers throughout the state of Maryland–and beyond.

← Older posts

  • Maryland Voices: Your Traditions. Your Words. Our History.

  • Rus VanWestervelt founded Maryland Voices in 2001 to capture the reactions of Maryland residents to the attacks on America on September 11, 2001. Since then, Maryland Voices has been publishing creative nonfiction pieces by high school writers from across the state. You can reach Rus directly at marylandvoices@gmail.com.