How to use Daily Writers’ Fix
Monday:
Sight
Perched high above a city street, what does this bird observe below?
Use this prompt as an exercise to open up your imagination, using it to envision a place and what’s happening there in detail–without actually seeing it.
Tuesday:
Smell
Autumn is full of opportunities to explore the five senses–from the feel of wet, fallen leaves in your hands to the taste of pumpkin pie. Today write about the smell of fall in the air and see where it takes you. For example, does it differ where you live now than where you grew up? If so, does that suggest a story, scene, or personal essay?
Wednesday:
Sound
Get up close to your surroundings–literally for a non-fiction piece or with your imagination if you’re writing fiction. It’s obvious you’ll see things differently, but does this change they way things sound? Do you hear things you otherwise might have missed?
Thursday:
Touch
Sometimes just the sight of something suggests the way it feels. Take a look at this apartment building, for example. There’s no doubt that its facade would feel damp and cold against your hand. Your assignment today: Take one of your visual descriptions and see if you can add a new dimension to it using the sense of touch.
Friday:
Taste
Candy! You’ve been working hard working on your writing skills and projects, so today we want you to have fun. Using candy as a starting place, spend 10 minutes just having fun with words. Don’t take yourself too seriously–allow yourself to write nonsense, if you wish. Who knows, this exercise might get the words flowing so freely you’ll be inspired to write all day!
Grab Bag:
Do you keep a journal? Sitting down with paper–perhaps in the form of a nicely-bound book–and a pen can be a great way to unwind, relax, and clear one’s head. Today give yourself time to reflect and write a journal entry. It’s for your eyes only, so don’t get caught up in writing well. Just write.
If you don’t know where to start, use one of these prompts:
- Your most vivid memories from this past summer
- An amazing meal you ate recently, and who you shared it with
- What you’re hoping the upcoming holiday season will be like (and what you can do to make it happen)
- Your childhood career aspirations and how they resemble or differ from what you do now
- What you like or dislike about your neighborhood
- Your favorite place in the world
