1-MINUTE PROMPT: Quick! Set the timer and go! Don’t think too much; just let the words tumble out. If the writing seems disjointed or even nonsensical, you’re on the right track. Save what you wrote to do the next prompt when ready.
SAMPLE:
I am here, hidden from view. I can see you with her. You racing ahead, she falling behind. And then you turn to look, and she pedals faster. It’s game on. What a beautiful sight on a Sunday night. I’m dreaming of times gone by with my dad boating on the bay, the way it seemed like we were flying just above the water.
5-MINUTE PROMPT: Grab the writing you did from the previous prompt. Extract any interesting two- and three-word pairings. Keeping them in their original order, add text between and around these snippets to create a narrative.
SAMPLE:
I am here, but you aren’t. If I squint I can see you across the way. I can see you racing ahead. I can see you falling behind. I worry you’re going to crash when you turn to look as a girl, maybe only five years old, darts out from a nearby driveway. She follows, mimicking your rhythm. You pedal. She pedals. You move together along the sidewalk, each trying to outdo the other. Game on. I watch until you’re both out of sight. My heart aches at your absence. I stare at the place you just were, thinking of times gone by. I wonder if I’m dreaming. There’s a memory poking at me. Something we did once. What was it? It was windy, I know that. And cold. How old were we? I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure—yes, I’m almost positive—we were flying.