Fundamentals

Writing Prompts
Tackle the technical and the creative challenge.
1. title citation
Tell me about your favourite book, and your
favourite song. You can replace book with
film, if you prefer, and you can replace song
with short story or poem if you prefer.
1. title citation
Tell me about your favourite book, and your
favourite song. You can replace book with
film, if you prefer, and you can replace song
with short story or poem if you prefer.
My favourite film is probably The Princess Bride. I even got my
officiant to quote some of it at my wedding. I recently shared
the film with my girls. They screamed at the R.O.U.S. and we
skipped the torture part but they otherwise loved it. My
favourite song… hard to choose, but I do really love “Thinking
‘bout Somethin’” by the Hanson brothers. Those guys did that
“MMMBop” song back in the day and people pigeonholed
them as teeny bop pop but this newer song, well, it plays
homage to a great musical film, The Blues Brothers. It’s
musically talented and so upbeat. It’s great!
2. parts of speech
Write about a noise – or a silence – that
won’t go away. Use every part of speech
once and label them clearly.
2. parts of speech
Write about a noise – or a silence – that
won’t go away. Use every part of speech
once and label them clearly.
Sean’s mom(n) threw up her(pron) hands and walked
out of the(art) room. Sean sighed(v), hit play on Kung
Fu Hustle, and dug into his buttery(adj) popcorn. She
was constantly(adv) nagging him to pick a job. At 15.
Ugh(inter). He had plenty of time. However, as he
watched darkly-dressed characters fling weapons
with(prep) insane precision, speed, and(conj) skill, he
realized that he did know what he wanted to be – a
ninja!
3. subject + verb + object
Write about trouble resulting from a good
deed. Have one sentence contain no more
words than subject + verb. Have another
sentence be focused on subject + verb +
object. Have one sentence of the passive
voice. Make sure they’re easy for me to
identify.
3. subject + verb + object
Write about trouble resulting from a good
deed. Have one sentence contain no more
words than subject + verb. Have another
sentence be focused on subject + verb +
object. Have one sentence of the passive
voice. Make sure they’re easy for me to
identify.
Sean stood up for his turn to present. He cleared his
throat. “When I’m an adult, I want to be a ninja,” he
declared to his health class. Bursts of laughter filled
the room. His forehead was thwacked by a spitball.
He reddened.
4. simple, compound, and complex
sentences
One day, when you’re home alone, someone
rings your doorbell insistently. When you go
check, nobody’s there, but there’s package with
your name on it… Continue this scene using a
minimum of one simple sentence, one compound
sentence, and one complex sentence. Identify
them clearly.
4. simple, compound, and complex sentences
One day, when you’re home alone, someone
rings your doorbell insistently. When you go
check, nobody’s there, but there’s package with
your name on it… Continue this scene using a
minimum of one simple sentence, one compound
sentence, and one complex sentence. Identify
them clearly.
Opening the dojo’s door jingled wooden chimes. Sean looked
around. Several 10-or-so-year-olds were doing choreographed
punches in the middle of the room while an austere sensei
counted out in sharp Japanese. A zen, gray-haired receptionist
was staring Sean down, but he was transfixed by the dojo’s
central banner. He knew zero Japanese, but Sean was entranced
by the gold, jade, and fire calligraphy which seemed to writhe
and stretch as though the letters were beckoning him.
5. capitalization
Write a job interview using dialogue.
Include a person’s name, company name,
date, and geographical location.
5. capitalization
Write a job interview using dialogue.
Include a person’s name, company name,
date, and geographical location.
“Why were you at Zen Temple Goju [company], Sean
[name]?”
Sean looked up, asking, “How [dialogue] did you know?”
“The tracker app. It pinged that you were all the way
over in Hunterton [location]. That’s not a safe
neighbourhood! What in the blazes were you doing?”
“I had to check it out. Mom, I want to start training. Right
now. Sensei [title] Han said I can start on Monday [date]
and if I put in enough hours, I can shoot for the tournament
in December! Please, Mom. This is my destiny.”
6. commas
Write about something yellow that becomes
another colour. Apply a minimum of five of
the comma rules and identify them by
number.
6. commas
Write about something yellow that becomes
another colour. Apply a minimum of five of
the comma rules and identify them by
number.
Ms. Moussa stared at the blinking cursor,[7] but nothing
came to her. “Something about ninja training,” she
mumbled,[6] “but with dialogue.” Grey’s Anatomy played
in the background, the one set in Seattle,[4] Washington.
Dr. Kepner was yelling at Dr. Avery. She often picked this
show because it was melodramatic, trashy,[1] and thus not
distracting. She tried to shake her head back into focus.
“C’mon,[2] Kate,” she coaxed herself. “You need a prompt
exemplar by tomorrow.”
7. colons & semicolons
The fire alarm shrieks and you begin to exit
calmly but quickly realize this is not a drill.
Write the scene and use one colon preceded
by a complete sentence and one stylistic
semicolon.
7. colons & semicolons
The fire alarm shrieks and you begin to exit
calmly but quickly realize this is not a drill.
Write the scene and use one colon preceded
by a complete sentence and one stylistic
semicolon.
Sean’s back, shoulders, arms, and hands ached; he’d been practicing
for hours. “Again!” shouted Sensei Han. Sean lifted his arms to strike
the wooden dummy, but his muscles shook and he dropped them
again. Tomorrow, just lifting his cereal spoon would be torture. Sensei
Han walked right up to Sean’s face. “Again.” Sean’s hands lifted, fell.
“You cannot fall in defeat because you are tired. You cannot fall to
your enemy because you slept less, or ate less. You fight with your
body but your body is only your vessel. You use it to channel your true
weapons: your mind and your heart.” Sean closed his eyes, calmed
his mind, gathered his resolve, and struck again.
8. apostrophes
You are taking a stroll down the beach when,
suddenly, you see a colourful flash of light in
front of you. Write the scene using at least
five of the apostrophe rules and identify them
by number.
8. apostrophes
You are taking a stroll down the beach when,
suddenly, you see a colourful flash of light in
front of you. Write the scene using at least
five of the apostrophe rules and identify them
by number.
Karen paced back and forth, just outside of the front doors of the
school. “Isn’t[1] the school supposed to open at 3:15?” she
asked, to no one in particular. She checked her neon ’80s-
style[10] watch. “It’s[5] 3:26!” she exclaimed. Karen glared at
the front doors. The two doors’[3] handles were covered with
some sort of sticky substance. Suddenly, a magpie swooped in
and landed on Karen’s arm, pecking at her watch. “Hey, that’s
mine[9]!” she cried, swatting at the bird. It finally gave up,
gliding back to its nest, leaving Karen to wallow in her misery, yet
again.
9. hyphens
On your way to an important meeting, you
stumble across a mythical creature, hiding
behind a dumpster, calling your name. Finish
the scene. Use – and identify – at least four of
the rules.
9. hyphens
On your way to an important meeting, you
stumble across a mythical creature, hiding
behind a dumpster, calling your name. Finish
the scene. Use – and identify – at least four of
the rules.
Jan was a smart, bold, twenty-two-year-old [rule 2] woman,
but standing in front of her favourite shop made her feel
weak. She was trying to avoid all shopping, but she still found
herself navi-gating [rule 5] her way back. She considered
herself a very self-assured [rule 6] woman, but shopping
really took her confidence away. She stood on the one-way
street [rule 1], debating whether to enter the shop.
10. dashes
On your commute, you notice a peculiar
open door. The next morning, it still hasn’t
been closed. Complete the scene while
using – and identifying – three dash rules
(not 8 or 9).
10. dashes
On your commute, you notice a peculiar
open door. The next morning, it still hasn’t
been closed. Complete the scene while
using – and identifying – three dash rules
Jan
(not– a8 smart,
or 9).put-together, productive woman – [rule 1] had
just left work. She was taking a relaxing stroll, only to find
herself inside a store, again. This time, she wasn’t looking for
clothes. Shirts, food, handbags, stationary – [rule 4] all these
things overrode Jan’s rationality. However, Jan had recently
discovered her strength – [rule 6] books. What better way to
fix her compulsive-shopping problem than practice self-
control when buying books and look for a solution in the self-
help aisle at the same time? Jan was glad to have found such
a great solution.
11. parentheses & brackets – slide 1/2
Write something (creative or nonfiction) that
incorporates one of the following quotations.
Apply both parentheses and brackets.
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to
get its pants on.
––Winston Churchill

Whenever I climb I am followed by a dog called “Ego.”

––Friedrich Nietzsche

Everybody pities the weak; jealousy you have to earn.

––Arnold Schwarzenegger

Problems worthy of attack prove their worth by fighting back.

––Paul Erdos
11. parentheses & brackets – slide 2/2
Write something (creative or nonfiction) that
incorporates one of the following quotations. Apply
both parentheses and brackets.

I have never killed anyone but I have read some obituaries with great satisfaction.
––Clarence Darrow

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who
cannot read them.
––Mark Twain

The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking
we were at when we created them.
––Albert Einstein

In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone,

something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry, it’s the exact opposite.
––Paul Dirac
12. Dialogue conventions
Your roommate has remodeled and cleaned your
apartment, including your shrine to your favourite
singer. Write the scene using the following:
• “Dialogue,” tag.
• Tag, “Dialogue.
• “Dialogue!” tag. OR “Dialogue?” tag.
• Narration. “Dialogue.” OR “Dialogue.” Narration.

Don’t begin the tags with a proper noun and

underline the four targeted sentences.
12. Dialogue conventions
Your roommate cleaned up your shrine. Underline:
• “Dialogue,” tag.
• Tag, “Dialogue.”
• “Dialogue!” tag. OR “Dialogue?” tag.
• Narration. “Dialogue.” OR “Dialogue.” Narration.

“Sean, where’ve you been?” asked Sam, glad to see his

friend.
Sean shrugged. “I’m not really sure.”
“We’ve missed you, buddy,” his friend said, clapping him
on the back.
Sean grinned. He replied, “It’s good to be back.”