Writing Prompt #1

Because summer schedules are typically more relaxed, there’s more time to dive into a good book. You can do this by reading, of course, or by working on a book of your own. Each Friday during the summer we’ll provide a writing prompt–something to stir your imagination and get ideas flowing.

Start with a title

How about this one: Ten Days of Summer

What sort of a story could you build around that? You might begin by answering some implied questions.

Why would a summer be only 10 days long? Were there literally only ten days of sunny weather? Did some obligation reduce free time to 10 days? Are the 10 days figurative–maybe representing an anticipated vacation or a week that changed everything?

Is the story contemporary? Historical? Romantic? Sci-fi?

What would you do if you had to squeeze every expectation of summer into 10 days?

Could you fully develop a story within the 10 day period, or would your story begin before the 10-day summer and extend beyond it?

Would the story start out with excitement, adventure, or catastrophe?

Don’t stop with one idea. Let your imagination come up with several possibilities, then play with several combinations until you come up with something truly original!