Writing in the Margins
A pair of writing prompts for your mid-week:
Get yourself a glass of water or a mug of tea. Get comfortable. Take a deep breath, stretch your wrists and your neck, and set a timer for yourself. Although you can write for as long as you want, I suggest setting a timer for 15 minutes per prompt and then continuing if it feels good. I would also suggest giving yourself some time between prompts, and not expecting yourself to write on all of the prompts. (Patchwork writers received these prompts separately, but I’m behind on the blog by a couple days!)
All you need to do is write, even if you only write for a short time.
Continuing our superhero theme from Sunday, write a scene that explores, in whatever way feels best for you, the positive motivation of your superhero. Justice, equality, peace, safety, comfort, stability, compassion… there are many potential motivations. What is it that your superhero wants to do, to be, to create in the world?
Alternatively (or additionally, if you want to have two prompts!) write a scene that explores your superhero’s less altruistic motivations. Greed, fear, anger, vengeance… what pushes your superhero away from their positive motivation? What makes it harder for them to use their superpowers for good?
This is also an opportunity to explore the grey areas – what is “good” and how does your character interact with the idea of goodness? How do they set their moral compass, if they do? Like Batman, every superhero bumps up against the fact that there are no absolutes, and binaries always break themselves down. Batman is a hero and a vigilante – his good intentions don’t always end up in good outcomes. This prompt is an opportunity to explore that complexity within your own character.
Stretch, take a breath, have a sip of tea or water. Good job!
