Lost Baseball Writing Prompt

On my morning walk, I spotted a baseball sitting precariously in the brush over drainage water from a culvert that ran beneath the street. I wondered who owned the ball and how it got there. I walked by in the afternoon and it was still there. Would it be retrieved by the owner or found by another child. All kinds of possible storylines ran through my mind and I wondered if the story of the 1993 Sandlot film came about with such a simple find.

I decided to take a picture and make this a writer's prompt for all of you. If you'd like, take a look at the picture at let your imagination take on the journey of discovery of the story within. If you need a little prompting, here is today's writing prompt.

Today's writing prompt

Write a story about a weathered baseball wedged in the thin branches overhanging over water. The ball, seemingly abandoned and forgotten, becomes a symbol of hope and connection for two children from different backgrounds who stumble upon it. As they collaborate to retrieve the ball, they embark on a journey that transcends their differences, teaching them about teamwork, empathy, and the unexpected bonds that form in unlikely places.

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Pattern prompt for creating a superhero

Elements of making your own superhero can be boiled down to a pattern. The fun thing about this pattern for creating a superhero is that it leaves room for originality and unpredictability. To help you see what I mean, think of s film or book in which a superhero was born. For this post, let’s use Spiderman (a.k.a. Peter Parker) as an example.

 

The story opens on a “normal” day in the life of student/jr. reporter Peter Parker, but then he is bitten by a radioactive spider. But those three elements are not the spark that creates Spiderman. It’s tragedy. He loses his Uncle Ben. In the original Marvel Comic version, Ben was killed by a villain known as The Burglar. This part of the story has transformed and been reimagined in a multiplicity of Spiderman renderings, but each version holds one thing in common. Peter feels guilty and responsible. It motivates him to help others and to try to do the right thing.

4 Point pattern for creating a superhero

•  Normal day/Ordinary character

• An event
• Tragic backstory that sparks the birth
• Stand for something

 

Now that you see this four-point pattern, think of other superheroes. Superman: Normal Kryptonian baby boy (Krypton has a red sun). His parents love him but his planet is doomed. The “event” -- they send him to Earth and the planet Krypton explodes. Later details suggested that under Earth’s yellow sun his Kryptonian cells absorb solar energy giving him superhuman powers. But such details were not in the original 1939 Superman #1. In fact, details were scant. Clark was initially turned over to an “orphan asylum” and adopted. His super-human strength is revealed, but all these details have many versions. The same hold true for his tragic backstory which most often is tied to the death of his earthly parent(s). What did he stand for? That too, has evolved. The current motto is “truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.”

 

In the "normal" aspect of life, we introduce the character and develop them enough for readers to get to know them. We see them bullied, lonely, hurt, emotionally struggling, etc. This aspect should be something readers can relate to. It makes the story hit closer to home.

The "event" changes some aspect of that normal life, and "backstory" works as a springboard that ushers in a superpower of some sort. How it is used will depend on the superhero’s ethics. Like Superman had a rule to never use his power to kill. Spiderman had the same rule when taking down his enemies until another personal tragedy hit him. But that is another story which shows that there is room in this pattern for characters to evolve and keep things unpredictable.

 

Today’s writing prompt:

Use the four-point Superhero pattern to create a superhero and then write a scene to introduce them.

 

1. Show a normal day/ordinary character. This will give an idea to what they do, who they know, and their relationships.
2. An event (self-explanatory). This may be something big, like some type of trauma that makes them lose their memory and wake up as “someone else.” Or, like Spiderman, it can be something almost imperceptible like a spider bite.
3. Tragic backstory that sparks the birth (motivation) to use their newly acquired power. Often this has to do with loss of family but it’s up to you. It’s your superhero.
4. Stand for something. (What makes them a hero?)

 

Have fun and happy writing.

 

Setting description writing prompt - How much is enough?

In writing, setting refers to place or surroundings. In this environment, something is positioned or takes place. The writer’s challenge is to show that to the reader in a vivid manner with a goal to draw them into the scene in a way that lets them know where they are or the location of an object. 

For instance, a cozy waterfront cottage provides a setting, but as a standalone phrase "cozy waterfront cottage" lacks details that help the reader imagine where they are. What exactly does cozy mean in this case? If we add details like:

• it is raining
• the roof leaks
• character staring out at the gray ocean pouring a glass of wine

It starts to set the scene.

In contrast, if the person stares at calm azure waters lapping the shore and fingering toward the high tide mark, it establishes a different setting. So the cottage may be the same cottage, but the surroundings have changed.

No matter your genre, when creating setting, the goal is to offer details that matter. You want to avoid paragraphs of descriptive minutia that don’t matter. For instance, you don’t need to describe all the cottage furnishings only the ones that are significant. There has to be a point, a reason, for why you offer the information. Filling the page with details that don’t matter becomes boring. Saying the well-worn L-shaped sectional sofa with a storage ottoman takes up one wall, with the L partially blocking the sliders leading out to the lanai, creates a sense of place. It says this place may need updating. That it is not spacious, but the view beyond makes it worth it. Or it may be a disappointment. There is potential for both and more defining to make it clear.

Paragraphs of superfluous description makes readers skip to what is significant. So, if a relevant detail is couched within boring description, chances are the reader will miss it. For instance, they might not notice a squeaky stair on the way up to the bedrooms, if buried in non-relevant description. Strive to embed particulars that are key without falling into the trap of over-description.

 

2 common reasons writers over describe

I can think of two reasons writers over describe.

1. The first is that they think the reader won’t get it. However, when you keep making the same point over and over, you are treating the reader like they are stupid. OR You think your writing isn’t good enough to make things clear. One of my current reads gives the same information in different ways as if for the first time. The first time, I wondered if the author had forgotten that he had already included that discovery but after the third time, I realized he was trying to ensure his reader didn't miss it.
2. The second reason is that a writer loves everything about the story so much that they bring it up frequently. For instance, if the main character has a taste for expensive things, the author may want to describe every costly item in the story to show how much the character knows. Except if there is too much, the reader will not care what they know. Too much description or repetitive description can bog down the imagination. Just like we don't need to be told about the characters green eyes or freckles or ruddy cheeks every time they are mentioned. Strive to offer enough detail but not so much that the reader skips over something that advances the plot or helps to understand the character or story.
   

Learning to refine descriptions

Feel free to write your first draft without worrying about over describing. Once you have your draft, the first step in learning to refine your descriptions is to admit to yourself that they probably need refining. It can help to read your writing aloud or have your computer read it. Listen to the rhythm within the overall flow of the story. Question your detail choices. Do they move the story forward in any way? If you belong to a writing group, do this exercise together and then ask each other to point out where your descriptions grow boring or repetitive and where they are goo and why.

Today’s Writing Prompt: Setting descriptions

Today’s writing prompt is a practice in description when crafting setting. Your goal is to write prose that links to the reader's imagination. Along with sight, include sensory info like touch, hearing, and taste, like salt air. HOWEVER, feel free to overwrite the scene for the first draft. Let the descriptions flow. Once written, pare it down. This process can help you find the best descriptors.

For this prompt, select one of the photos below and create a setting based on it. Feel free to embellish and expand it. (You don’t have to stay in the exact spot shown in the photo, but it should be a starting or landing point. Write 500 to 1000 words. When you finish, take a closer look at your description. Is there enough? Too much? Practicing this approach will nudge some writers to add more detail and others less. Your goal is to seek to find the perfect balance.

 

 

 

Let's start a new page

 As the calendar turns over to a new year it's easy to look back as a writer and say you didn't do enough. Don't get bogged down in the past. Look forward to the New Year. Let's start a new page! 

 Today's writing prompt - Start a new page

Today's PYM prompt is going to take a new direction. I want you to sit down and write out a list of what you want to accomplish as a writer this year. Do you want to finish that book you've been working out for a few years? Write it down. Want to get published? What will it take. The key is to write goals that are measurable and that you have control over. Wanting to get published is more a wish. You don't have control over whether your writing is accepted and published, but you do have control over whether you are submitting for publication. So your goal should be more along the lines of "submit something once a month for publication."

 

For your first draft write it all down. Everything on your mind. Then go back and look at what is attainable. What you want to accomplish most. Writing a book takes time and promoting a book takes time. If you're working full time it can be difficult to find the time to do any more than that. So set your priorities. The thing(s) you want to finish this year are your "A" goals. Mark things you'd really like to do but probably don't have time for as "B" goals. Mark the rest as "C" goals and eliminate them from this year's goals. Now you know what you really want to accomplish this year.

Take those "A" goals and write down what it will take to accomplish those goals. These will become your monthly goals for the year. Such goals may be things like setting aside writing time each day. Maybe even specify how much time you plan to set aside. Or things like researching writing markets for story ideas to target specific markets for publication.

Start this year with new hope. Make a plan. Give yourself something to aim at to reach your writing dreams.

When I was young

Creating a character isn’t always quick. At least not if you want them to be interesting. To be interesting, they need to have history. Even when other characters don't have a clue about that history, it can play into the story adding uniqueness and even elements of surprise. Remember, a character's reputation is not necessarily who they are. In some cases, it might be the red herring that introduces an unlikely hero.

Today we’ll create an old woman character who is talking with a young woman who reminds her of herself decades before. Here’s what you need to know about the old woman.

• Emma married young.
• Had four children.
• Husband drank too much.
• Worked hard to try and bring money in. Cleaned houses, took in people’s laundry and ironing.

Snapshot from her younger self

Emma's husband, Andrew, shows up at a house she’s cleaning. He smells of whiskey. She’s in the middle of waxing the floor. Her youngest baby is on a blanket on the floor. He demands she come home, says that she’s embarrassing him by cleaning for people. She gives him a firm, “I’ll be home when I’m done here.” He pulls a gun and starts waving it around. She fears for her daughter and pushes past her drunken spouse and rushes down the stairs. He calls her to stop, but she runs across the field toward the road. She’s short and grass of a field is waist deep. Her mind races as she tries to figure out what to do. The gun goes off. She raises her hands and screams. Another gunshot. She trips and falls. The bullet sliced through the fleshy skin between her thumb and forefinger.

Andrew's voice. “My God, I’ve killed her.”

Another gunshot.

She stands and learns she is now a young widow with four children….

Today’s creative writing prompt

This prompt is really an exercise in character development. Emma is with a young woman she can see is struggling. Your writing exercise today is to create the back story of this young woman. A quick way to learn her backstory is to do a character interview. 

What does Emma see/know that has her concerned? Once you know the young woman’s backstory, write a scene of dialog between the two. In it, expose elements of their stories. It doesn't have to be an info dump, make it real. But your goal is to bring out a fact that might shock or surprise most readers.

 

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