Writer friends! All friends! I am still glowing from the Bay Area Book Festival, which was a great success in no small part thanks to the brave young women of Cinnamongirl Inc. I approached Cinnamongirl Inc. to find youth moderators for my middle grade and young adult sessions. And I got them! I am so honored to have met Renée Richard and these exceptional girls. I am in awe of what they did, stepping out of their comfort zone and onto the stage, rocking at interviewing accomplished authors. And I’m in awe of how Renée guides the girls to a future brimming with opportunities and possibilities. Now, Cinnamongirl Inc. is kicking off their Write Your Story program. I am reaching out to you,…
Mina Witteman – author | editor | teacher of creative writing
Posts tagged “writing prompt”
I lost my writing north like a compass with an old needle that lost its north-seeking ability. Now, you can do two things if that happens: you can throw out the compass – which would equal giving up on the writing dream – or you can fix the damn needle. What did I do? I’m not ready to give up on any dream. I went out to find me some lodestone and re-magnetize the needle. How? Usually, a writing prompt – or a few prompts if I slid down the slope too far – from one of my beloved Writing Maps will get the writing juices flowing again. This time I went on a Writing Safari with my best friend, author and creative writing coach Sieneke de…
Tagged: compass, Dolle Mina, feminism, hot pants, Lodestone, Mad Mina, North, Sieneke de Rooij, Sixties, Tropenmuseum, Writing Maps, writing prompt
Exploring my protagonist’s true feelings is hard labor. In this particular manuscript Max hides his feelings as much from me as he does from himself and his fellow characters. I force him to come out and show himself by pulling him into situations he hates. This way I explore the most likely and most believable behavior, acts and moves. For this exercise I used the writing prompt: Describe a time when you’ve settled an argument between two close friends. I watch them bicker. I know why they fight, but I can’t help them. It’s time that works against them, not their friendship. Time and the second batch of their endeavours that turned out a disaster. The tension between them built since their first failed…
Tagged: Protagonist, The Writer's Block, writing prompt
Another writing prompt. This one features character and love: have two characters sit on a bench and talk about love. Again from the amazing Writing Maps. I watch her from behind a wave of butterfly bushes. She sits on a bench tucked away in a corner of the park. Her hand taps a rhythm on the empty seat next to her. I draw in a breath and push away from the oak. I stare at my feet and how they hesitate, as I cross the nine steps that part us. “Hey, what’s up?” I ask. Her eyes rest on my face for a while, before she lowers her gaze to the joint in my hand. Her nostrils flare when the musty scent of burning…
Tagged: character, Love, Writing exercise, Writing Maps, writing prompt
I am a big fan of the Writing Maps from Write Around Town. Nifty maps filled with writing prompts that force you to flex your writing muscles. A must-have for every writer, I think. Great exercises that keep the creative writing juices flowing. Last night I dove into the The Character Map. I read a prompt, thought about it for two seconds and started writing for 15 minutes. This is what the soundtrack prompt on The Character Map inspired me to write. Mind you, it’s a first draft and it should be considered a first draft. Nothing fancy, just a character exploration. He switched on the music without thinking. He didn’t have to, the score was on repeat anyway. There was a slight hitch…
Mina Witteman 