Momservation: Peace, love, and friendship are great, but a gift that hits its mark is even better.
☺ ☺ ☺
It was just a tiny gift but a big gesture from a great friend—a small book of writing prompts from someone who knows me well.
I loved it.
For someone who makes their living trying to come up with something to write about every week of the year (at least) and whose passion is writing, it makes sense that this small gift of friendship would be my favorite gift this Christmas.
But like most of the fun, quirky things sold at Urban Outfitters, a chain with a hipster vibe known for on-trend fashions, accessories & quirky home-decor items, this book, 642 TINY THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT (The San Francisco Writers’ Grotto, $9.95), can be a fun gift for more than just your writer-friends.
The fun, funny, thought provoking writing prompts that encourage everything from wit to brevity, to deep soul searching can also be great small talk starters, bar banter fodder, dull party game changers, Date Night conversation starters, or kickin’ it with friends laughs and insights. Sample prompts include:
- Boil down Hamlet, Shakespeare’s longest play to a Tweet. Now do the plot of the original Star Wars.
- What was the first sign you knew you fell in love?
- What was the first sign you knew you fell out of love?
- There’s a new cleanse diet. Explain why berries are OK, but bananas and apples aren’t.
- What is your tiny pearl of wisdom?
- Describe the word psychedelic to a friend who is learning English.
See? Fun conversation starters, right? Not just for a writer?
Here’s some of the first one’s that made me grab a pencil and go:
Write 20 words about your first:
Car
I could never thank my brother enough for the gift of freedom. And the backseat boombox.
Job
I thought it would be a fun way to make money. Instead I always smelled like pizza.
Apartment
It was cheap. It was furnished. Was close to school. Had my first Jungle Juice within hours of moving in.
What’s most surprising when your character:
Loses the use of her right arm. Angelina hated having a hairy left arm pit all the time.
Loses the use of both legs. Angelina appreciated not having to worry about thigh gap anymore.
Loses the use of the left side of her face. It wasn’t her best side anyway, Angelina shrugged.
Loses the power to see. Angelina realized she wouldn’t miss seeing the eye-sore of her mean, ugly-ass sister-in-law this Thanksgiving.
What did your hair say about you in middle school?
I’m trying really hard to be trendy, but I can’t afford a spiral perm.
What did your hair say about you in college?
Oh, I got this now!
What does your hair say about you now?
I’m too old for long hair but too young to let it go grey.
Your turn! Use these fun conversation starters with your friends, over drinks, or so you and Hubby have something besides the kids to talk about on Date Night! Or go buy your own 642 TINY THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT and entertain yourself!
#ThanksMichelle