Writing Prompt: A Few Of My Favorite Spring Things

By Marilyn Friedman

It's another lovely day in La La Land. I am delighted to see pastel candies popping up at my favorite bakery and gorgeous pink and yellow tulips at the grocery store. These items have inspired your free writing prompt below. 

If you visit us this week at Writing Pad, we'll help you unlock the true tales inside of you and shape them into gripping stories!  We are very excited to have bestselling memoirist Monica Holloway teach True Tales: Writing A Compelling Past at the Pad this Saturday. Her book, "Driving With Dead People", is one of the best memoirs I have ever read (it's heart breaking and beautifully written)! Also, on Wed., award-winning performer Ann Randolph will be teaching another One-Person show intensive that includes an optional rehearsal and performance on Saturday, April 7th! Ann's improvisational exercises are amazing--she'll help you dig deep and write something astounding.

Email marilyn@writingpad.com or click on the "Buy Now" links on my website to sign up before these classes are full. I can't wait to see you and hear your real stories at the Pad!

Also, don't forget that this is the last week to enter the February/March comment contest!  There isn't a lot of competition right now, so feel free to comment on any of the writing prompts from the last two months for your chance to win a free class.  Remember, the more you comment, the better your chances are of winning.

CLASSES STARTING THIS WEEK/NEXT WEEK
•True Tales: Writing A Compelling Past
•From Bedtime Stories To Tales of Teenage Woe: Writing For Kids and YA Pt I
•From Bedtime Stories To Tales of Teenage Woe: Writing For Kids and YA Pt Advanced
•It's All About You: A One-Person Show Workshop Pt II (2-Night Intensive)

OTHER CLASSES BY GENRE
Book Publishing
•Get Your Book Published

Creative Writing/Multi Genre
•So You Want To Be A Writer
•Finishing School

Journalism, Personal Essay and Web Writing
•Me.Com: A Copywriting Ninja Skills Workshop
•Advanced Personal Essay First Aid
•What's On Your Mind? Building Your Brand Through Social Media
•Hello World, Welcome To My Blog

Screenwriting
•Black Hats/White Hats: Mastering The Studio Canon
•Trouble and Rapture: Crafting The Studio Romantic Comedy
•Made To Order: Writing A Killer TV Spec Script

Writing Prompt: Make a list of 5 specific things that you love about Spring (e.g. pink tulips, Cadbury Creme Eggs, Easter hats, matzo brie, etc.). Pick one. Now add a sensory detail (smell, taste, sound, touch). Now write for ten minutes and then post the results of your write in the comments of this blog!

Here are some ideas of what to write about: an ode poem to that item or a scene in which that Spring item pops up. I haven't decided yet if I am going to write about pink tulips or jelly beans. I can't wait to see what you write about it!

Write about your favorite Spring thing.  Post your 10 minute write in the comments of this blog, and you could win a free class!

Writing Prompt: Memorable Room

By Marilyn Friedman

The weather is gorgeous outside, and Writing Pad has everything you need to take Mother Nature's inspiration and transform it into cold, hard cash!

This Sunday, become a story structure expert. Derek Taylor Kent's Structure, Structure, Structure: Building The Foundation For A Killer Book and Melissa Clark's The Road Best Traveled: Designing Your Hero's Journey will help you apply the techniques of screenwriting or Greek mythology to build a solid structure for your book or tale! Before you know it, you'll have completed a page turner without banging your head against the wall trying to figure out how to pull the story together.

Also, this Monday, award-winning journalist,Vince Beiser will teach Pitching For The Press: A Query Letter Clinic. Vince will show you how to convert your great idea for a celebrity profile, reported essay, or article into an irresistible pitch that will land you a feature contract!  Sign up for these classes (and the other ones below) by clicking on the links or emailing marilyn@writingpad.con.

And don't forget to scroll down to the bottom for your free writing prompt and a chance to win a free class at the Pad!

CLASSES STARTING THIS WEEK/NEXT WEEK
•Structure, Structure, Structure: Building The Foundation For A Killer Book •The Road Best Traveled: Designing Your Hero's Journey
•You in 1200 Words: Writing and Publishing The Personal Essay
•What's On Your Mind? Building Your Brand Through Social Media
•True Tales: Writing A Compelling Past

CLASSES BY GENRE
Book Publishing
•Get Your Book Published

Children's Writing and YA
•From Bedtime Stories To Tales of Teenage Woe: Writing For Kids and YA Pt I
•From Bedtime Stories To Tales of Teenage Woe: Writing For Kids and YA Pt Advanced
•Structure, Structure, Structure: Building The Foundation For A Killer Book

Creative Writing/Multi Genre
•So You Want To Be A Writer
•Finishing School
•Structure, Structure, Structure: Building The Foundation For A Killer Book

Fiction, Memoir, Romance
•Structure, Structure, Structure: Building The Foundation For A Killer Book
•The Road Best Traveled: Designing Your Hero's Journey
•True Tales: Writing A Compelling Past

Journalism, Personal Essay and Web Writing
•You in 1200 Words: Writing and Publishing The Personal Essay
•Pitching For The Press: A Query Letter Clinic
•What's On Your Mind? Building Your Brand Through Social Media
•Hello World, Welcome To My Blog
•Me.Com: A Copywriting Ninja Skills Workshop
•Advanced Personal Essay First Aid

Playwriting and Writing For Actors
•It's All About You: A One-Person Show Workshop Pt II (2-Night Intensive)

Screenwriting
•Black Hats/White Hats: Mastering The Studio Canon
•Trouble and Rapture: Crafting The Studio Romantic Comedy
•Made To Order: Writing A Killer TV Spec Script

Writing Prompt: Make a list of 5 rooms that are memorable to you or or to a character from your writing project (e.g. your childhood bedroom, your grandma's living room, your cubicle at work, etc.). Pick one. Now add a sensory detail (smell, taste, sound, touch) and a specific detail to the room that makes it a unique place (e.g. window shades that have fluffy, white clouds on them). Now write for ten minutes and then post the results of your write in the comments of this blog!

Here are some ideas for what you could do with this prompt: you could write a description of the room, you could write a scene of something that happened there, or you could write about how this room changed over the years.  Just write and have fun!

Write about a memorable room.  Post your 10 minute write in the comments of this blog, and you could win a free class!

Writing Prompt: Nobody Is Perfect

By Candace Chatman and Marilyn Friedman

How did it get to be March already? Don't let Spring pass you by without partaking of our wonderful class offerings. We have everything you need to rouse your muse from her wintery slumber place and help you launch your writing career. Sign up before the classes are full!

CLASSES STARTING THIS WEEK/NEXT WEEK
•So You Want To Be A Writer
•Finishing School
•The Found Story: Finding Your Story In The Street
•You in 1200 Words: Writing and Publishing The Personal Essay
•Structure, Structure, Structure: Building The Foundation For A Killer Book
•The Road Best Traveled: Designing Your Hero's Journey

CLASSES BY GENRE
Book Publishing
•Get Your Book Published

Children's Writing and YA
•From Bedtime Stories To Tales of Teenage Woe: Writing For Kids and YA Pt I
•From Bedtime Stories To Tales of Teenage Woe: Writing For Kids and YA Pt Advanced
•Structure, Structure, Structure: Building The Foundation For A Killer Book

Creative Writing/Multi Genre
•So You Want To Be A Writer
•Finishing School
•The Found Story: Finding Your Story In The Street
•Structure, Structure, Structure: Building The Foundation For A Killer Book

Fiction, Memoir, Romance
•The Found Story: Finding Your Story In The Street
•Structure, Structure, Structure: Building The Foundation For A Killer Book
•The Road Best Traveled: Designing Your Hero's Journey
•True Tales: Writing A Compelling Past

Journalism, Personal Essay and Web Writing
•You in 1200 Words: Writing and Publishing The Personal Essay
•Pitching For The Press: A Query Letter Clinic
•What's On Your Mind? Building Your Brand Through Social Media
•Hello World, Welcome To My Blog
•Me.Com: A Copywriting Ninja Skills Workshop
•Advanced Personal Essay First Aid

Playwriting and Writing For Actors
•It's All About You: A One-Person Show Workshop (2-Night Intensive)
•It's All About You: A One-Person Show Workshop Pt II (2-Night Intensive)

Screenwriting
•Black Hats/White Hats: Mastering The Studio Canon
•Trouble and Rapture: Crafting The Studio Romantic Comedy
•Made To Order: Writing A Killer TV Spec Script

Writing Prompt:  Тhis week's writing prompt is complements of the lovely and talented Candace Chatman who was our Mountain Retreat manager! Candace says, "1. Pick a person in your life who is a colorful character or a character from your book or screenplay.  2. Make list of three flaws or emotional challenges that he or she has. 3. Pick one. 4. Write a sentence regarding how the flaw could cause a bad event. 5. Spend 10 minutes writing a scene of this bad event, making sure to show the character flaw. Be sure to include one sensory detail (sound, smell, taste, touch). For example, a major flaw of mine is that I am constantly late to things.  I'm going to write a scene in which my tardiness makes me miss the boarding of a cruise ship back home." 

Write about a character flaw and how it causes something bad to happen.  Post your 10 minute write in the comments of this blog, and you could win a free class!