Create a piece using colors. Try focusing on just the colors, and not so much as explaining what they mean. When creating it’s often best to trust that the reader can interpret what they read/see for themselves.
-The Team at Sonder
Author: sondermw
A t t i cu s
Journaling
Have you run out of prompts? Are you tired of writing in general?
Journaling is your answer. Journaling can be and is any form of writing but the only rule is that you have to write! There are so many different types of journals that can be made.
Write about your day. Write about what makes you happy. Make a list of your favorite lyrics. Make a list of what you have accomplished in the day. Write about the trees. Write about anything. Write a list of your favorite words.
Just about anything you can think of is classified as journaling and you may find some really good material while you’re at it.
Try it out and let us know your results!
-The team at Sonder
Catcher in the Rye
She was a funny girl, old Jane. I wouldn’t exactly describe her as strictly beautiful. She knocked me out, though. She was sort of muckle-mouthed. I mean when she was talking and she got excited about something, her mouth sort of went in about fifty directions, her lips and all. That killed me. And she never really closed it all the way, her mouth. It was always just a little bit open, especially when she got in her golf stance, or when she was reading a book. She was always reading, and she read very good books. She read a lot of poetry and all. She was the only one, outside my family, that I ever showed Allie’s baseball mitt to, with all the poems written on it. She’d never met Allie or anything, because that was her first summer in Maine–before that, she went to Cape Cod–but I told her quite a lot about him. She was interested in that kind of stuff.
Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
Bucket list
Take the idea of a bucket list and create a piece with it. Whether that be a scene of someone doing something on a bucket list, a poem containing your bucket list, or a short film about someone chasing their bucket list. Get creative and have fun with this. As always if you’re having difficulty or just want to see what others are doing drop a comment down below.
-The Team at Sonder
Anomaly Literary Journal
“the blood jet is poetry/there is no stopping it”
This mag is cool because they publish work that is very unique and different from the “normal” standard. In simpler terms, they publish the anomaly. The editors run a podcast to accompany their magazine which is the first time I’ve seen that! Check them out, give them a read, and submit!
http://anomalyliterary.squarespace.com/
-The team at Sonder
the princess saves herself in this one
the princess saves herself in this one by Amanda Lovelace
Workshopping
I know everyone is scared to share their work with others. I mean I am still terrified and I have even led a workshop group! But nobody ever teaches anyone that it is important for others to read your work.
Feedback is so beneficial for growth! How are you supposed to learn anything if nobody ever tells you anything about your work? At least I was never taught until I was out of high school. The amount of young writing opportunities I could have had is crazy. So get a jump start, whatever age you may be!
Step 1: Share your work with friends and tell them to be cruel! You may be able to find writing friends too that will help you even more so. Remember to be nice but constructive.
Step 2: Join a workshop or critique group. These groups will help you meet new people plus you will be forced to do some writing! There will probably be chances for generative prompts. Take full advantage of these groups.
Step 3: Read your work aloud! It’s fun plus what is a better way to know if people like your work?
Step 4: Submit to lit mags! Some literary magazine will have the option for feedback with a small fee. Plus it never hurts to ask. That way you can have useful feedback from people on the publishing side of things. Sonder will do this for you for $1 a piece! See our submission guidelines for more info.
Step 5: WRITE. I cannot express this enough. I know life is busy and thins happen but you gotta keep writing in order to get better. Pretty cliche of me, but it is so true. Reading other work will also help.
-The team at Sonder
Prose – The Perks of Being a Wallflower
December 19, 1991 Dear friend,
I have since received thrift store “slacks.” I have also received a tie, a white shirt, shoes, and an old belt. I’m guessing that my last gift at the party will be a suit coat because it’s the only thing left. I was told by a typed note to wear everything I had been given to the party. I hope there is something behind this. The good news is that Patrick liked all my gifts very much. Gift number three was a set of watercolor paints and some paper. I thought he might like to get them even if he never uses them. Gift number four was a harmonica and a book about playing it. I guess it’s probably the same gift as the water colors, but I really think that everyone should have watercolors, magnetic poetry, and a harmonica. My last gift before the party is a book called The Mayor of Castro Street. It is about a man named Harvey Milk, who was a gay leader in San Francisco. I went to the library when Patrick told me he was gay, and I did some research because I honestly didn’t know much about it. I found an article about a documentary movie about Harvey Milk. And when I couldn’t find the movie, I just searched for his name, and I found this book. I have not read it myself, but the description on the book seemed very good. I hope that it means something to Patrick. I can’t wait for the party, so I can give Patrick my party present. Incidentally, I have taken all my finals for the semester, and it has been very busy, and I would have told you all about it, but it just doesn’t seem as interesting as these other things that have to do with holidays.
Love always,
Charlie
Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky
World based on music
Music is a language. It’s a universal way to communicate, even if there is a “language barrier.” Use this prompt to explore the world of music. Remeber that all language has a musical quality to it. With this prompt don’t just focus on creating a world based on the genre of music you choose to pursue, also pay attention to the musicality of your words, or perhaps even the lack of words. As always, if you’re having trouble drop a comment down below. We can’t wait to see what you all come up with!!!
-The Team at Sonder