1-MINUTE PROMPT:
Wherefore art thou Fido? Recall your first experience with an animal, whether it was a pet or a creature in nature. What lasting impression did it give you?
5-MINUTE PROMPT:
Whether it was mosquitoes infiltrating a barbecue or cockroaches invading the kitchen, there was a time when bugs got up in your grill—perhaps even literally. Write a very short story about an entomologic disruption.
10-MINUTE PROMPT:
There was an animal that affected your life, the one whose presence changed something within you or around you. Brainstorm some ideas for a children’s book about this special beast.
20-MINUTE PROMPT:
Write down all the names of pets you can remember, even if they were someone else’s. Be sure to remember the lizard, fish, bird, and horse pets too. Imagine that list of names is an attendance sheet at a nontraditional high school. Write a classroom scene with these offbeat characters. How do their names inform their personalities?