Welcome to another mid-week random word bank. I rather like random word banks. There is a challenge in them that not only gets your mind working, but you can also end up with a scene that you didn’t know you had it in you to write.

I hope you find these word banks useful. If there is a type of prompt you would prefer to see, please let me know.

Remember, with all the words, you can use any form, any tense of the word. Eg. Laugh can be laugh, laughter, laughs, laughed.

For the first word bank, I don’t want you to write a short story or anything actually. What I want you to do is word association. For every word there, I want you to write the word and then write the first word that comes to your mind after.

For the second word bank, I do want you to write a short story (or something longer if you like) that incorporates this week’s theme. This round goes as usual; just include all of the words in the bank.

For the third word bank, it is something different yet again. I would like you to try your hand at writing a poem incorporating the words provided.

Enjoy!

First Word Bank
investigate
wrong
Ireland
meat
vinegar
boil
night
letter
invention
break

Second Word Bank
true
melody
orange
teacher
field
flashlight
annoy
honey
cheer
lace

Third Word Bank
nature
step
fragile
pair
knowledge
mistake
advice
rescue
time
devote

Today I received a letter from my penpal in Germany. I always love receiving letters from her because she tucks in stickers and postcards. She also covers the envelope in stickers and pretty tape. It always makes me feel good to know that someone cares so much to take the time and effort to hand write me a letter and make it special.

That got me thinking about letters in general and how special they can be even in this day and age of emails and instant messaging. I have always loved sending and receiving mail, so much so that I have joined a couple letter and swap websites.

Today I would like you to think about letters: writing them, sending them, receiving them. Have you ever sent a letter you didn’t want to send? Do you have penpals? Think about the feeling you get when you receive a handwritten letter in the mail. Create a character to whom letters are very important. Or write a letter to someone important to you. Perhaps write a letter to yourself, your younger self, your older self…

Remember, to help clear your mind before you start writing, take a few deep breaths. Focus on the sound of the air entering and leaving your lungs. Let the noises and worries of the day fade for a few moments while you focus only on breathing.

After you are calm, think about your experiences and start writing.

Wishing you heaps of creativity.

Can you believe it is September already? Time has certainly been flying by this year, hasn’t it? I, for one, am grateful for it, though. Spring has sprung in Australia and the sunshine has been absolutely gorgeous. It makes staying inside and getting work done quite difficult!

Anywho, this week I am featuring yet another musician who has inspired me in my writing adventures.

Josh Groban is twenty-seven years old and has gained fame and fortune as a fabulous singer. He has sung with the likes of Sarah Brightman, Lara Fabian and others. He has albums out, has sang for movie soundtracks, and he is thinking about pursuing musical theatre in the future.

Josh Groban and Charlotte Church - The Prayer

I have to admit that I’m a sucker for a good male/female duet. There is something about a man and a woman singing together…

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

While it’s not a song I use for specific writing, I like listening to the many versions of this song. From Beyonce to Jason Mraz, I never get sick of listening to different artists performing this song.

When You Say You Love Me

I have found this song to be wonderful for getting me in a positive romantic mood space. Very handy if you have anything even remotely romantic to write about.

And there you have it. You can, of course, find oodles more videos of Josh Groban on YouTube, Videosift and other video sites.

I hope these songs inspire you as much as they inspire me and that you get a lot of writing done today.

Wishing you heaps of creativity.

Another Friday, and thank goodness for that! I’m always happy for a Friday to come around, but I’m especially happy for this one because I think my husband has been working way too hard lately and needs a break from things.

And, given it’s Friday, it’s time once again for my favourite: Friday Fill-Ins! I’m even going to try to remember to leave a comment at the site….

Friday Fill-In #87

1. When I’m sick I’m __________. a bit miserable, but I try not to be miserable to be around.

2. When I take a walk, I think about __________. whatever comes to mind, be it work, my husband, or life in general.

3. Money can’t buy happiness but it can __________. buy a bit of stress relief.

4. Cotton makes me __________ and leather makes me __________. think of pillows, think of motorcycles.

5. The strangest person/character I’ve had lewd thoughts about was __________. my husband. Kidding! Let’s see… I can’t really think of anyone ’strange’… Honest!

6. My favorite color these days is __________ because __________. purple, it’s girly without being too girly and makes me feel calm.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____! probably going to the pub, going out to lunch because I got a birthday voucher that will expire soon and probably working on the disaster area that is the spare room, finally build that other bookshelf I have and get books on it!

And there you have it! Happy Friday everyone. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day and an excellent weekend.

Remember to leave a comment so I can check out your answers!

Hello and happy Thursday Thirteen, all. As per usual, I will be giving you a list of thirteen prompts in all shapes and sizes. They could be a first line of dialogue, a plot idea, or something else. I hope you enjoy and pick and choose as you please.

If there are any other types of prompts that you would find useful, let me know anytime.

Have a great day.

1. Write your life story in six words.
2. Set a timer for one minute and start writing. No preparation, no thinking about what you’re going to write.
3. “You put that back this instant!”
4. Get together with a friend and create some word prompts for each other.
5. Join (or create) a writer’s group for people in your area. Talking with other writers is a great way to find inspiration.
6. “Do you have the time?”
7. Imagine being denied something not necessary to your survival but something (or someone) you wouldn’t want to live without.
8. Write a poem for your best friend about your best friend.
9. “I need a drink.”
10. Go to an antique shop and find an object to write a story about.
11. “Something weird is going on here.”
12. Create the most annoying hero you can think of.
13. “Pour the champagne!”

Check out my other Thursday Thirteens on The Book Stacks and Fiction Scribe

Welcome to another mid-week random word bank. I rather like random word banks. There is a challenge in them that not only gets your mind working, but you can also end up with a scene that you didn’t know you had it in you to write.

I hope you find these word banks useful. If there is a type of prompt you would prefer to see, please let me know.

Remember, with all the words, you can use any form, any tense of the word. Eg. Laugh can be laugh, laughter, laughs, laughed.

For the first word bank, I don’t want you to write a short story or anything actually. What I want you to do is word association. For every word there, I want you to write the word and then write the first word that comes to your mind after.

For the second word bank, I do want you to write a short story (or something longer if you like) that incorporates this week’s theme. This round goes as usual; just include all of the words in the bank.

For the third word bank, it is something different yet again. I would like you to try your hand at writing a poem incorporating the words provided.

Enjoy!

First Word Bank
band
moon
mall
cancel
television
march
mother
mail
bake
incense

Second Word Bank
good
read
history
run
panic
street
arrow
laugh
thought
room

Third Word Bank
woods
brother
eyes
green
climb
water
whisper
song
trail
boot

Sometimes it feels like all I am doing is trying to catch up with work. When I finally get ‘caught up’, I don’t get the chance to rest (even though I try to) because I have to get up and do it all the next day to stay caught up. Sometimes I get ahead, but I never get ahead and everything. Usually I just end up ahead in some, behind in others, and with a big mess needing organization on my hands.

While I like the money I make - actually being able to pay your bills is a good thing - I have been thinking that I don’t often get the time to do things that make me happy. Yes, I get time off. Lately I have been trying to make sure that weekends are real weekends and I don’t work - but that doesn’t always work out, to say the least.

It’s not that I hate my work or that I never get time to do the things I want, but I can’t help but feel that I need to step back from things to really focus on what’s important. Namely, paying the bills and my happiness.

Today I would like you to think of a time when you had to step back and weigh your options. What did you have to decide about? Did you make a positive/negative list? Did your decision involve other people or was it purely personal? Do you regret the decision you made or are you happy you made it?

Remember, to help clear your mind before you start writing, take a few deep breaths. Focus on the sound of the air entering and leaving your lungs. Let the noises and worries of the day fade for a few moments while you focus only on breathing.

After you are calm, think about your experiences and start writing.

Wishing you much creativity.

I’m starting to rather like focusing on individual musicians and bands for Musical Mondays instead of themes, so I’m going to keep on doing that. I have a lot of artists I enjoy listening to, so I shouldn’t run out of subjects anytime soon!

This week we are focusing on the group Panic at the Disco who have recently taken my interests with their interesting lyrics and music that I can easily dance to.

According to Wikipedia, Panic at the Disco “is a rock band that originated in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Their sound incorporates elements of pop punk, big beat, electronica, techno, and rock, along with many other genres like psychedelic, baroque pop, folk and jazz. Their 2005 debut album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, reached #13 on the US Billboard 200, and has sold over 2.2 million copies since its September 2005 release. The band’s second album, Pretty. Odd., was released on March 25, 2008 and debuted at #2 in the US.”

Nine in the Afternoon

That Green Gentlemen

I Write Sins, Not Tragedies

And, of course, you can find more videos by searching YouTube or just go out and buy their CD.

Their music (and definitely their videos) can be a bit odd, so I hope you like them and hope they can inspire you in your writing today, this week, and in the future.

Have a great week and I’ll be back tomorrow with more prompts.

Welcome to Friday Fill-Ins, my favourite Friday activity. There is something about this meme that really gets me ready to go for the weekend. I think it might be that last fill-in because it gets me thinking about all the things I want to accomplish on the weekend.

Or maybe because it’s just plain fun and that’s exactly what I need on a Friday. What do you think?

As always, if you decide to play along, leave a link in the comments to where you’ve posted your response or respond right in the comments. Have fun!

1. Dancing to the __________ while __________ makes me __________. Radio, cleaning, feel happy and like I’m getting a work out while cleaning.

2. The last time I __________ I nearly __________. Went to the pub, cheated on my diet…

3. When I drive I __________. (I can’t really answer this one because I don’t drive.)

4. I saw __________ standing __________. A strange looking woman, at the train station.

5. Give me __________, give me __________, give me __________. Strength of will, strength of heart, strength of mind.

6. Next week I am looking forward to __________. Getting some nice things in the mail.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

Going out and relaxing after a hard day of work, putting together some furniture (new bookshelves!), get the bed put together so the hubby and I can get rid of our old crappy bed!

A very exciting weekend ahead, as you can tell. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Hello and happy Thursday Thirteen, all. As per usual, I will be giving you a list of thirteen prompts in all shapes and sizes. They could be a first line of dialogue, a plot idea, or something else. I hope you enjoy and pick and choose as you please.

If there are any other types of prompts that you would find useful, let me know anytime.

Have a great day.

1. Go somewhere you have never gone before and write there.
2. Play along with Velvet Verbosity’s 100 Words Challenge.
3. “They say you can’t do much with a rubber band, but I reckon they’re wrong.”
4. Go to a public place - train station, cafe, etc - and people watch for a while. That should provide you with some great inspiration.
5. Find some videos of comedians on YouTube (or other video sites) and use them as inspiration to write a humor piece about your life.
6. You have been granted the ability to stop and start time at will…
7. “Even when I’m not, my love will always be here with you.”
8. What one choice, if you had chosen differen
9. If your life were a specific genre book, what genre would it be? What would be the title?
10. Try meditating and clearing your mind for ten minutes before you start writing.
11. Use a lyric from your favourite song as the first line of dialogue in a story.
12. Do you have a pet or wish you had a pet? Write on that.
13. What advice would you give to someone struggling with writer’s block?

Check out my other Thursday Thirteens on The Book Stacks and Fiction Scribe