Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Writing Prompt/The Write Start by Dianne de Las Casas


It's a cool rainy day in New York, so I grabbed a cup of Hazelnut coffee to sit down with this delicious morning writing starter by my very first (((GUEST)))
Storyteller/Author pal Dianne de Las Casas:

Want to write but feel stuck? It’s natural to stare at the “blank page” and blink a few times, not knowing what to write. Sometimes, our creative juices get bottlenecked in a quagmire of over-thinking and over-analyzing. Here are some story prompters to help you “loosen the plug” and get back to your effervescent writer self. Remember the child you once were. Tap into that. Bottom up and pens down! Don’t think. Just write. And don’t limit your recollection. Feel free to stretch your imagination muscle. A lot!

1. The most embarrassing thing that ever happened to me as a child was…
2. The funniest thing that ever happened to me as a child was…
3. Do you want to hear a story of adventure? When I was a kid, I used to…
4. The scariest moment I ever had as a child was when…
5. I have this scar. You’ll never believe how I got it…
6. My favorite place to visit as a kid was _______.
7. When I was a kid, I was quite a trickster. Once, I…
8. I remember the first time I lost my tooth (learned how to ride a bike, got my first shot, any childhood “firsts”).
9. As a child, my favorite pet in the whole world was ________. He was the best ________ ever! We used to….
10. When I was in ________ grade. My best friend was ___________. We did everything together. Once…
11. My favorite teacher was __________. In her class, we…
12. Here’s a story about my Aunt/Uncle ____________? He/she used to get into so much trouble! Once…
13. One of my favorite memories as a kid was when my team won the ________ game! It all started when…
14. When I was a kid, I could never go anywhere without (favorite toy or blanket). One time…
15. When I was a kid, I won a (spelling bee, achievement award, essay contest, etc.). I couldn’t believe it…
16. When we were little, my family used to go camping. Once…
17. My favorite Christmas was when…
18. When we were kids, we used to play… (Name an outdoor game, board game, card game, etc. Recall that experience.)
19. My favorite cartoon as a kid was ________. I love watching it because…
20. One time, when I was little, we had a disaster in the kitchen…

Bio:
Dianne de Las Casas is an author and award-winning storyteller who tours internationally presenting programs, educator/librarian training, workshops and artist residencies. Her performances, dubbed “revved-up storytelling” are full of energetic audience participation. Her children’s books include The Cajun Cornbread Boy, Madame Poulet & Monsieur Roach, Mama’s Bayou, and The Gigantic Sweet Potato. Dianne’s professional books include Story Fest: Crafting Story Theater Scripts; Kamishibai Story Theater: The Art of Picture Telling; Handmade Tales: Stories to Make and Take; Tangram Tales: Story Theater Using the Ancient Chinese Puzzle, The Story Biz Handbook, Scared Silly: 25 Tales to Tickle and Thrill and Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales. Visit her website at http://www.storyconnection.net/.

Dianne de Las Casas
Author & Award-Winning Storyteller
The Story Connection
dianne@storyconnection.net
storyconnection@gmail.com
http://www.storyconnection.net/
Friend me! http://www.facebook.com/diannedelascasas
Fan me! http://www.facebook.com/fanofdianne
Follow me! http://www.twitter.com/storyconnection

Children's Books:
Dinosaur Mardi Gras (Pelican Publishing; 2011)
The House that Witchy Built (Pelican Publishing; 2011)
There's a Dragon in the Library (Pelican Publishing; 2011)
The Gigantic Sweet Potato (Pelican Publishing; 2010)
Mama's Bayou (Pelican Publishing; 2010)
Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach (Pelican Publishing; 2009)
The Cajun Cornbread Boy (Pelican Publishing Co., 2009)
Shop at Amazon.com!

Professional Books:
Tales from the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories (Libraries Unlimited; 2011)
Tell Along Tales: Playing with Participation Stories (Libraries Unlimited; 2010)
Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales (Libraries Unlimited; 2010)
Scared Silly: 25 Tales to Tickle and Thrill (Libraries Unlimited; 2009)
The Story Biz Handbook: How to Manage Your Storytelling Career from the Desk to the Stage (Libraries Unlimited; 2008)
Tangram Tales: Story Theater Using the Ancient Chinese Puzzle (Teacher Ideas Press; 2008)
Handmade Tales: Stories to Make and Take (Libraries Unlimited; 2007)
Kamishibai Story Theater: The Art of Picture Telling (Teacher Ideas Press; 2006)
Story Fest: Crafting Story Theater Scripts (Teacher Ideas Press; 2005)




3 comments:

  1. Thanks for having me as a guest blogger! I'd be happy to stop by again! :)

    Warmly,
    Dianne de Las Casas

    ReplyDelete
  2. This was great! I especially liked the one about a childhood scar. Lots of ideas for Storytelling, too! Hazelnut coffee? MMMMmmmmmm!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anytime, Dianne! And Adele, Hazelnut is just one of the fabulous flavors we serve here at Casa Pisano. Stop on by! Lynne Marie

    ReplyDelete