1-MINUTE PROMPT:
Uh-oh. You’re stranded in the wilderness without a phone, GPS device, or companion. Quickly choose an object in your environment that would be most useful to you in a survival situation. What is it about this object that makes it so important?
5-MINUTE PROMPT:
Your boat ran aground, and now you’re marooned on an island. A tropical storm is about to pass over. You’ve got 20 minutes to build a shelter using only things you see in your environment. How durable and sturdy can you make it? Write about what it’s like to be inside this makeshift shelter as the storm passes over.
10-MINUTE PROMPT:
A magazine has tapped you to write the true tale of a sailor who washed ashore after five years of being missing at sea. Choose a few items in your environment and imagine they were found in the sailor’s boat. Write about how they contributed to the sailor’s survival against all odds.
20-MINUTE PROMPT:
They thought it was only a snowstorm trapping them in the airport, but it’s far worse than that. Now a family must use only the things found within an arm’s length of where you’re sitting or standing to fend off attackers until help arrives. Write about their struggle to stay alive during this travel nightmare.