Day Thirty One

Driftwood Inkblot: what do you see?  A hand reaching toward the sky...a feathered arrow staking its claim in the sand...write about what you see and why?

Day Thirty

You are tasked with fixing a hole in the roof and time is of the essence.  As you scale the slope of the wooden rafters, you feel your footing begin to slip.  Complete this story.  Go!

Day 29

Write about an unheralded Everyday Joe who comes to the rescue in an unusual way.

Day Twenty Eight

You find yourself lost and missing all of your worldy possessions, your identity stripped to the bone.  Write your survival story, exploring your search for life's absolute treasure.

Day Twenty Seven

As the drops blow into the glass, a melody emerges from their subtle impacts.  What do you hear and what is the significance?

Day Twenty Six

You were told to wait on the beach until sunset.  It ended up being the last one you ever saw.  Why?  Again, don't necessarily give in to the obvious.  But if you do, refresh it, make it your own.

Day Twenty Five

You have a key to this door but were told never to use it.  What happens when you disregard the warning and unlock the door?

Day Twenty Four

Your only way out is up and over the roof.  What happens next?

Day Twenty Three

When you step through these doors, your life as you know it will change.  Ready, set, write!

Day Twenty Two

Water is a lifeline we take for granted.  What happens when it disappears?  Choose a single subject on which to focus today's story.  Be it a person, an animal, a plant; follow your choice on a quest to restore this vital lifeline.

Day Twenty One

Create a character usually blessed with strength and courage in the face of chaos and strife.  Now trap this same character in the grip of a personal phobia.  What internal conflict arises?  How does the story play out?  Suggestion: fight the obvious resolution and take the road less traveled, the plotline less written.

Day Twenty

Don't forget to look up, you may miss some incredible sights.  Write about someone who looked up.  What did your character see?

Day 19

What if you no longer saw color.  How would this new circumstance help you?  How would it hinder you?  What would you miss and what would you gain?  Think about it, now write about it.

Day Eighteen

What are you hungry for?

Day Seventeen

Personify this magnificent creature.  Write a dialogue for him as he studies the passersby.  Does he interact or is he mainly a quiet observer?

Day Sixteen

How do you find shelter from the rain?  What do you do when all the leaves have disappeared and no matter your effort, you still undoubtedly get wet?

Day Fifteen

What if shadows came to life?  What would their purpose be?  What would this shadow be and what would it do?  If this photo does not resonate with you, think of another inanimate object that casts a fantastic shadow and write a story about it.

Day Fourteen

Tap into all five of your senses and see the world for all it has to offer.  Infuse color, sound, smell, taste, and touch into the photo above.  Now write as if you were experiencing these senses for the first time.  And if you dare, consider adding a sixth sense.  Trust your intuition.  Don't question your words, they know more about where the story is going than you do.

Day Thirteen

What if you said no more often?  How would your life change?  Write about it.

Day Twelve

Think of something you may find irritating, ugly, or without purpose.  Now take a step back and see the object from a different perspective.  Force yourself to erase all preconceived notions and find an aspect of beauty or purpose, no matter how small.  Write about discovering that beauty, or the object's quest to prove its worth, or the hardship that may arise if the object was stripped of its purpose, or...well, you decide.  You're the artist, so get writing!

Day Eleven

Retrieve a memory from a school bus ride.  Was it an exciting field trip, a routine drive to school in the morning, or a long disappointing ride home from losing a sports game?  Whatever the reason, pinpoint a minute detail from that trip and develop a story around it.

Day Ten

Your feet feel heavy as you tread wearily down this path.  Your arms wrapped around your waist, your breathing labored.  You know a car is waiting for you when you reach the end.  This scene is the end of your story. Go.

Day 9

Create a story that begins and ends with the word candy.

Day Eight

Alarm clocks, to do lists, calendar reminders ringing from cell phones; lives governed by too little time and too much to do.  Describe the owner of this list.  Calculate her character traits based on the style of writing, the layout of words, the event that led to the change in ink color, etc.  Now imagine how the day played out for this person once the list took up residency on the ground instead of tucked safely in a pocket or purse.

Day Seven

On your doorstep, you find an envelope addressed to you and missing a return address.  Inside is a small slip of paper with three words written neatly at the top and a copy of this photo.  What are the words?  What do you do next?

Day Six

What do you see?  Write about it.

Day Five

You stand at the water's edge, your toes curling into the sand.  A single wave crashes and rushes toward you.  After lingering at its peak for a moment, the water retreats back to the sea only to leave behind an object at your feet.  Is it clear what the object is or have the turbulent waters stripped it of its identity?  Write about the mystery of this object and your efforts to uncover the truth behind it.

Day Four

Write about a character balanced and at peace atop his tree, and then introduce a secondary character whose sole purpose is to shake the branch your protagonist perches on.

"No ladder needs the bird but skies / To situate its wings, / Nor any leader's grim baton / Arraigns it as it sings." 
- Emily Dickinson

Day Three

Would you dive in head first or wade in slowly?  Or would you be too frightened to go in at all?  Write about a character making a decision, the internal conflict that ensues, and the world that revolves around him as he stands on the shore staring at the waves?

Day Two

What if you don't follow the signs?  Write a story about a character who chooses to do the opposite of what every sign tells him to do.  Whether it be a street sign or fate's pointed finger, what doors will open for him, what dangers may arise?  Where does he end up, who does he meet along the way?

Day One: Hello New Year, Welcome!

To begin any journey, you must first take a step.  Your feet will lead you, but to where and what will they trudge through, step over, skip past, rest beside along the way?