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Writing Prompts for English Language Learners

and Literacy Students

by Bill Zimmerman

Creator, Somethingtowriteabout.com

and MakeBeliefsComix.com

Art by Tom Bloom

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An Interactive Digital Journal

from MakeBeliefsComix.com

This Book Belongs To

(TYPE YOUR NAME HERE)

Writing Prompts for English Language Learners

and Literacy Students

by Bill Zimmerman

Creator, Somethingtowriteabout.com and MakeBeliefsComix.com

Art by Tom Bloom

Something To Write About 123123 Something To Write About

and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

No part of this book may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any

form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording, or otherwise,

without express written permission of the publisher,

except for brief quotations or critical reviews.

Book design: Barbara Berasi

The author welcomes comments and suggestions

about what you would like to see included

in future editions.

Please write to: William Zimmerman,

Guarionex Press Ltd.

201 West 77 Street, New York, NY 10024.

Thank you.

For other books by Bill Zimmerman,

visit http://www.billztreasurechest.com

or http://www.makebeliefscomix.com

The comic characters used throughout this book

were drawn by Tom Bloom

and created for MakeBeliefsComix.com.

DEDICATION

In memory of my grandparents

who immigrated to the United States from Europe

and who struggled to learn the English language.

I also dedicate this book to my students

who used many of the writing prompts in this book

and who always wrote wonderful things

from their hearts.

And special thanks

for their support and encouragement

to Donna Kelsh, Executive Director,

and Mark Brik, Education Director,

Institute for Immigrant Concerns, New York City,

and to Ken English, Literacy Program Director

at New York Public Library.

All three people widened my world and gave me

an opportunity to try new ideas.

—BZ

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Write from your heart!

It speaks your special truth.

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Dear Reader,

This book is about nothing other than things to write about…your family,

your friends, your old life and your new life, feelings, dreams and goals.

I created this book of writing prompts over the years teaching English lan-

guage learners and literacy students. Its intent is to help students discover

their writers’ voices and express the rich thoughts within them as they master

the English language.

These writing prompts encourage students of all ages to write about the things

in their lives that are meaningful to them—their childhood memories and

family stories, the people they love and admire, their hopes for the future, their

deepest beliefs. I have always believed that everyone has a story to tell—if

only someone would ask, if only someone would listen. This book gives teach-

ers a way to draw out students’ stories and help them communicate their

thoughts through writing.

Encouraging immigrant students to write is so important because it helps

them better weather the enormous stress they experience as they learn

their hard-won English language and adjust to life in a new land far away

from their original homes. Students have told me that they often feel

overwhelmed by the pressures of adjusting to a new country and hide their

feelings, keeping them locked inside. Writing can change this, writing has

the power to help us nd self-understanding and hope and take pride in

our lives. As someone who was very shy and verbally inarticulate as a child,

as someone who had difculty speaking up, I remember the power I felt

when I began to express my ideas on paper and have those ideas read by

others. Even today, I’d rather write than talk.

Much of my work in encouraging students to write is to help them tap into

the memories which feed and nurture them. By asking students to recall

their past, teachers help them reveal the great richness of their lives. From

the stories they write about their lives and then read in class, we learn from

these writers that they are more than just struggling students who are try-

ing to improve their English skills. We recognize them as full human beings

with a history behind them and a future ahead. They are worthy of our

respect and deserve to be heard.

In using the writing prompts in the classroom, I usually also provide some

reading material that will relate to the prompt we will use that day. For

example, if we are to write about a favorite relative or friend, I might provide

as handouts a short essay, newspaper clipping or book excerpt in which

the writer talks about such a person. Students take turns reading this aloud.

Then we discuss the content. All this prepares students to think about the

day’s subject. (A rich resource for such handouts is the excellent annual

Literacy Review of immigrants’ writings published by New York University’s

Gallatin School of Individualized Study—http://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/

undergraduate/writing/literacyproject.html.)

As my students write, I play a CD with some quiet, meditative music to help

them relax and get in touch with their memories and thoughts. The music

helps transform the classroom into a sacred writing space where the most

wonderful writing is done.

When the students complete their pieces, they are encouraged to read

aloud what they have written. Doing so helps validate the importance of the

thoughts they have expressed in their written words and broadens the think-

ing of the other students. We quickly learn that each of us has something

valuable to impart to others. Students also are welcome to rst experiment

with their essay ideas by creating a comic strip at MakeBeliefsComix.com,

another useful resource for the classroom.

A Word to Teachers and Students...

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I hope that this book of writing prompts will spark your imagination

as you develop your own writing ideas. I hope, too, that by using these

prompts you will discover many special things about your students’ lives.

They want someone to read and listen to their special stories. This book

pays honor to them.

Sincerely,

Bill Zimmerman

Creator, Somethingtowriteabout.com and MakeBeliefsComix.com

P.S. This book is formatted as an interactive digital journal. When down-

loaded, it will allow your students to type directly on their computer

screens into the areas with lines on the blank pages that face the writ-

ing prompts. When a student is done typing, simply save the document

until the next time she or he is inspired to make new entries. Students

also can print out any pages that they want.

You can nd additional writing ideas in the other MakeBeliefsComix

e-books:

• Hummingbird Joy: A Book of All the Things That Make You Happy

• Laptop Letters: Sending Wise & Loving Messages to Young People in

Your Life

• Make Beliefs to Spark Your Writing: Words I Wish Someone Had Told

Me As a Kid

• MakeBeliefsComix FILL-ins

And please try out the many writing ideas at my writing blog,

Somethingtowriteabout.com.

Writing Prompts to Spark

Your Imagination...

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Write About Your Dreams

In her poem, “In Praise of Dreams,’’ Polish

poet Wislawa Szymborska, who received

the Nobel Prize in Literature, talks about

all the wonderful things she can do in her

dreams. She can write great poems, play

the piano, breathe underwater and even

see two suns. In other words, there are no

limits to the amazing things she can accom-

plish or experience in her dreams.

Her poem begins:

In my dreams

I paint like Vermeer van Delft.

I speak uent Greek

And not only with the living.

I drive a car

Which obeys me.

Why don’t you read her full poem—at http://in-praise-of-dreams.blogspot.

com/2008/12/in-praise-of-dreams-wislawa-szymborska.html—and add

some of your own lines to what she wrote? You can write about all your

fantasies. In your poem, if you wish, you can start with these words:

In my dreams, I…

Or, if you prefer, write about a dream that you once had or which often

comes back to you when you sleep.

Or, write about the dreams which you have for your own future or for

someone you care about deeply. You can even write about a dream that

did come true.

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Make Up A Story

From A Picture Or Photo

Turn the pages of a magazine or newspaper to

nd an illustration which captures your interest.

Look carefully at this picture and try to imagine

or make up a story about what is going on.

For example, who are the people in the picture? What

is going on in their lives? Imagine you knew them and

could tell about their lives, about their problems, their

loves, their hates, their hopes and dreams. What are the

lives of the people in the photograph like? Are the people happy, sad, angry

or what? Make up a story.

You can also try to imagine that you are one of the people in the picture?

What is going on in your mind? What do you feel?

If you like you can write about this person in the rst person narrative. By

that I mean you can use the word “I’’, such as:

• I am ----

• I feel ----

• I want ----

• I am going to tell you the story of my life ----

• My name is ----

Don’t be afraid of trying to become someone in the picture you are exam-

ining. That is why your imagination is so wonderful. It can take you to new

places where you have never been before. By trying to put yourself in the

shoes or lives of another person, you will grow and develop a broader pic-

ture of humanity.

Or, if you prefer, instead, you can also write a description or story about

something or someone you saw on the streets, or on the subway or in class

or at a party. Use your imagination to describe what is going on.

Or, perhaps you choose an illustration of a place or scene that you nd

interesting. What would it be like to step into that scene?

Enjoy!

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Write Their Diaries

For The Day

Three people in three different

parts of the world wake up one

morning, each expecting the day to

be like all the others. But for one, in

Mexico, this will turn into the most

important day of her life. For an-

other, in China, the day will be the

happiest she will ever experience.

And for the third, in Chicago, this

will become his saddest day.

Write each of these people’s diaries

for the day.

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Help This Girl Write

A Personal Essay

For A Scholarship

A 15 year-old girl is forced to leave her

homeland because of ethnic hatred and she

arrives in New York. Her family has lost

everything and must start from scratch.

Three years later she graduates from high

school with high marks. She has a chance

for a college scholarship which will educate

her and allow her to earn a good living that

will help her parents (her father works as a

janitor).

On her scholarship application she writes about how she transformed

personal bitterness into determination. She begins this way: “A man’s soul

is harder than a rock.’’

Now, your job is to help her nish her application. What does the rest of

her essay say? What does she write about the challenges and hardships

of her life? How did she overcome them? How did she nd hope and the

strength to keep her spirit strong?

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Write About

A Good Friend

Who would you say is your best

friend? Maybe he or she is a child-

hood friend whom you knew when

you were very young, living in your

homeland. Maybe that person is a

relative, such as a brother or sis-

ter, or mother or father, or cousin.

Maybe your best friend is a grand-

parent. Maybe your best friend is

your spouse or partner. Or maybe

your best friend is someone whom

you just met in this country.

For some people, their best friend may be a cat or dog or some animal

they can talk to and who loves them unconditionally. I remember that my

own dog, Nena, always was there to help me when I felt sad and alone. She

would come to lick my face and cheer me up.

Why is this person or creature your best friend? What makes them so

special? What is their name? What kinds of things do you do together or

talk about? Did you have adventures with this good friend? Did you have

happy or sad times together? Why do you feel so comfortable with this

person?

If you don’t have a best friend, then write about a person whom you ad-

mire or like. Or write about what it means to be a good friend to some-

one.

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Let’s Write

About Courage

Write about a time you when you

acted with courage in dealing with a

problem in your life. Each of us has

had to overcome some fears we had

by taking action. This might be as

simple as taking a test again after you

failed an earlier one, or ying on an

airplane when you’re afraid of planes,

or overcoming your fear of leaving

your country to come to a foreign

land to start a new life.

Some people have severe health problems, but they still nd the courage

and strength within to live successful and happy lives. If you know such a

person, you can write about her or him.

You can also write about an act of courage that you or someone you

know performed and how they must have felt.

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Describe Something or

SomeoneYou Observed

Your assignment is to look carefully at the

world around you and write something

special that you observed. I am encouraging

you to be a private detective and use your

powers of observation.

As you ride the bus, or take the train, or walk down

the streets to school or your home, look very carefully around you and focus

your attention on someone or something. Try to notice something you have

never seen before, something that you are glad you saw, such as a ower bulb

starting to open or a laughing child. Maybe something strange or mysterious, or

something that surprises you.

Maybe you observe an interesting looking person wearing a beautiful or shabby

outt. Maybe you see a special color that cheers you up. Maybe you see an

adorable or frightening animal. Or, maybe you overhear an interesting conversa-

tion between two people. What do they say to each other?

Maybe you wish to describe someone you already know. Help us see what this

person looks like, how tall or short they are, the color of their skin and hair,

whether they look sad or happy, whether they are fat or thin, whether they

speak loudly or softly. How are they dressed? Describe as much as you can.

Try to use adjectives when you describe an object or person. For example, don’t

just write, “I saw an apple.’’ Tell me more. Tell me the color of the apple—was

it green or red or yellow, was it juicy looking? Was it a Chinese apple (a pome-

granate) or was it a Delicious apple. What does it say on the label attached to

the apple’s skin? Where did you see the apple? Was it at home on the table?

Was it on the shelf in the store with other fruit? Was someone eating that apple,

and if so, how did the person look? Did the person look like she enjoyed the

taste of the apple? What did the apple make you think of? Did it make you re-

member a time when you were a child, in another country, and tasted an apple

or some other fruit for the rst time? If so, what was it like?

In writing your description, try to use some of your ve senses—what did the

object smell like, or feel like, or sound like, or taste like, or look like?

Make your descriptions so complete and clear that readers will feel that they

saw what you saw, too. Remember, you are our reporter; we rely on your words.

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Describe The Home

Where You Lived

As A Child

Write a detailed description of your

home so that we can see where you

lived as a child.

• Where was your rst home? (Name the city or province and country)

• Did you live in a house or an apartment?

• Was your home big or small?

• Was it crowded or spacious?

• Where did you sleep?

• Can you remember the smells?

• Can you remember the sounds you heard in your home and the sounds

outside your door or window?

• What did you see from your window or door?

• Can you remember the food you ate as a child? What was your favorite?

• Who lived in your home?

• Was it quiet or noisy?

• Were you happy or sad in that home?

• Were there pictures on the walls? Of what?

• What colors were the walls?

• Were there plants or animals in your home?

• What was the oor or rugs like?

• What was your favorite space or room?

• What were your favorite possessions as a child?

• Did you sleep in your own bed or with someone else?

• Were there books or music in your home? If so, what kind?

• Did you have a television? A radio? A computer?

Think of your ve senses when you describe your childhood home—

what did things smell like, taste like, feel like, look like, sound like?

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What Would You

Write On Your Body

To Reﬂect Something

Very Important

About You?

Robert X. Fogarty takes pictures

of people who have written, usually

on their bodies, a note to the world.

Then he posts those pictures on his

Facebook site, https://www.face-

book.com/dearworld.

One young person writes, “Never Give Up.’’ Another says, “Fight Off the

Demons.’’ One writes, “But Still, Like Dust, I Rise.’’ And another, a Boston

Marathon amputee, writes on her knees, “Still Standing.’’

What about you? If you were posing for such a picture showing writing on

your own body, what would your message say?

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Write A Letter

To A Friend

Whom You Haven’t

Seen For A Long Time

Sit in a quiet place and think of an old

friend or relative whom you have not

seen in a long time. Share your life

with your friend by writing a letter

to this person.

Tell him or her about some of the important things that have happened

to you in your life since you last met. Before you write your letter, make

some notes about two or three of the most important changes in your

life. Perhaps one of the changes is your moving to a new country. Perhaps

another change is your adjusting to a new life which is different from the

life that you knew in your former homeland—what is different now?

Perhaps you have returned to school or have a new love or even a child

who has been born to you. Perhaps you are working in a new job. Or,

perhaps you have changed a lot from the person you once were. Maybe

you have lost a family member. There are happy and sad things you want to

tell that person. Have you had some funny or strange experiences that you

wish to share? What are the important things you want to tell your friend?

In writing your letter, imagine that your friend is in the room with you and

that you are having a conversation together. Perhaps you have a photo-

graph of your friend that you can look at while you are writing your letter

to him or her. What would you say to that friend or relative?

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Write About

Your Name

What is your name?

Does your name have a special

meaning in another language?

If so, what does it mean?

• Who gave you your name?

• Were you named after someone special?

• Do you like or hate your name?

• If you could choose another name for yourself what would it be? Why

would you call yourself that name?

• What names of other people do you like? Why?

• Do you think you were given the right name, or should you have been

named something different?

• What is your favorite name?

• How do you feel when people speak your name?

• Do you know your name in other languages?

• Have you ever given someone a name? How did you choose it?

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Do You Remember

A Story That

Someone Told You

When You Were

A Child?

When I was a child I would sit

under the kitchen table when my

relatives came to my home and

I’d listen to the stories that they

told one another when they were

eating at the table. I remember,

too, my uncle coming home from

the war, his holding me in his lap

and together we’d look at a paint-

ing on the wall. He’d then make

up a story for me about the scene

shown in the painting. I loved

hearing his stories.

What about you? When you were growing up, did you have a favorite story

that your parents or relatives would tell you or read to you? Was there a

story or legend that was passed down from generation to generation that

was also told to you? Share it now. It can be a funny story, or a happy story,

or a sad story or a very scary story. Perhaps you are telling this same story

to your own child today. Did you have a favorite story book with pictures,

and was there one particular story or illustration that you loved? If so, try to

remember it by writing about it.

Or, if you like, make up your own story or fairy tale and tell it to us.

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What Did This Man

Tell Himself To Help

Him Survive?

A man is buried to his neck at the bot-

tom of a 15-foot hole as a result of a

construction accident. Every time his

lungs expand, then contract, more dirt

lls in around him, tightening around

his stocky frame “like a slowly coiling

boa constrictor,” reports a newspaper.

It is a race against time, but after eight

hours the rescuers lift him to safety

although he is nearly buried alive three

times during this emotionally-wrench-

ing rescue effort.

Afterward, you interview the man and ask him what was going on in his

mind all the while. You want to know what he was thinking. You want to

know what kept him going and not give up. This is what he answers:

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Tell The Story

Of An Immigrant

Imagine that you know this immi-

grant (perhaps it is you). Write the

story of this person’s life.

• Why did he or she come to the United

States?

• Where did they come from?

• What are their hopes and dreams in

coming to this new country?

• Did they leave their families behind in

their former country?

• Are they happy, or afraid, or hopeful, or

worried?

• What do they think about?

• What do they hope to accomplish in life?

• Will they have a hard or easy life in this country?

• What will be their future?

• What kind of work will they do? Will they get married and have a family?

Try to tell the story of this immigrant. You can start your essay in the rst

person with these words:

My name is ____________________________. I come from

___________________________.

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Write About

Your Own Life

What is the most important thing

that ever happened to you?

• What was your greatest adventure?

• Your biggest success?

• Your greatest failure?

• Your greatest accomplishment?

• Your deepest dream?

• Do you remember any especially funny

or sad stories about your life?

What are they?

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Write A Message

Of Hope

An Indonesian boy leaves

a message of hope written

on a paper ower outside a

mosque on the anniversary

of the tsunami that killed

thousands of people in his

province. The ower mes-

sages are a beautiful way of

marking an event or putting

a prayer or spiritual thought

on paper.

What messages of hope would you place on your paper ower?

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Select An Object

To Help You

Remember The Past,

And Write About

The Memory

Choose a favorite object from

home. Perhaps it is an item you

brought from your country to

remind you about something or

someone very important to you.

Or, perhaps it is something you

acquired while in this country or

discovered when you were on a

trip.

The object might be a photograph of someone you love or care about. It

might be a pin or watch your mother or grandmother gave to you to re-

mind you of them. Perhaps it is a letter, a book or poem, an herb or a food.

Maybe it’s a military or school medal of honor. Perhaps it is a childhood

toy or something that belongs to someone you love. Maybe it is a sea shell

or a stone you found at the beach or in the countryside.

Write about this object and tell us what it means to you. What memory

does it bring to mind? Are your thoughts happy or sad? Why is this ob-

ject so important to you? Is there a story about the object you can write

about, such as who gave it to you or how you found it? Make up a story

about this prized possession.

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What Kind Of Business

Would You Like To

Own? Or, What Kind

of Job Would You

Like to Have?

For many people the American

dream is to own their own business.

Each year thousands of people in the

United States start their own small

businesses or enterprises. We call

them entrepreneurs.

This may include businesses that are food

shops or restaurants, retail stores, home cleaning services, or a business that

imports or exports products. Some businesses grow very successfully, but

some fail because the owners do not have enough expertise or because the

market is not large enough to support the services or products they provide.

It’s not easy having your own business—you worry about it all the time, you

work long hours and can’t take days off. But if you are successful, the rewards

can be wonderful—wealth and independence and pride.

What about you? If you could start your own business, what kind of business

would it be? Why would you choose this type of business? Do you have any

experience in this eld of work? What special skills do you have that would

help you in your business? Do you think there is a need or market for your

work? Write about the dream business you would like to run.

Or, if you don’t want to operate your own business but prefer instead to

work for a company which gives you a regular salary, then write about your

dream job. What kind of work would you like to do, and why?

If you like, you can even write about your very rst job or the best or worse

job you ever had.

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Tell Me About

Something That Makes

You Feel Proud

Everyone has something to be proud about.

Maybe you’re proud of yourself for having

been able to make a new life for yourself

and your family in a new country despite

the great difculties you faced.

Maybe you’re proud of being able to master the

English language.

Maybe you’re proud of something you accom-

plished in your studies, such as completing your

education.

Maybe you’re proud of something you did on your

job—your boss called you a hard worker and told

you that you make a valuable contribution.

Maybe you’re proud of a talent you have developed, such as creating art or

singing or sewing or raising owers or plants in your home or garden.

Maybe you’re proud of earning your independence and being able to take

care of yourself and your family.

Maybe you are proud of having been able to overcome terrible problems by

working hard to solve them. What were these problems?

Maybe you were able to overcome big obstacles and through hard work and

determination accomplish some goal which you weren’t sure you could do.

What did you accomplish?

Write about the things that make you proud of yourself. It is important to

remember these positive things.

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What Does

Freedom

Mean To You?

What do you do with

freedom?

• How does freedom smell? What does it taste like?

• Does freedom have a bad side as well as a good side?

• How does being free make you feel?

• When in your life have you felt you were in a prison?

• When in your life have you felt free?

• Do you feel free now? Or, do you feel tied down?

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Describe A Hardship

You Have

Experienced

Sometime in our lives, each of us

has endured hardships that we

overcame. Life is not always easy.

Sometimes the difculties are -

nancial. We often must deal with

money problems, particularly if we

lose our job and need to nd a way

to make a living.

Sometimes the hardships we experience

have to do with people we love. Some-

times people hurt us or get into trouble. Or, someone we care about may

die or leave us when we are still children. Even if we are grown, it is not

easy, and we have to learn to live with the loss. This is not easy.

Sometimes hardships can arise from leaving a city or country where you

have lived for many years and then moving to a new place and starting

a new life. You need to learn to adjust to a new country with unfamiliar

people, customs and language.

Sometimes the hardships are emotional. We have to overcome depression

or loss of condence. We may lose hope and need to regain a sense of

security.

Try to write about a hardship you have experienced in your life and how

you endured or overcame this experience. How did this hardship change

you? Did you become stronger or weaker as a result of this hardship?

What lesson did you learn that you can share with others?

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Who Is Your Hero?

Each of us has a hero in our life.

Maybe it is a loving parent. May-

be it is a teacher who was kind

to us and helped us learn how to

read and write.

Maybe your hero is a boss who has

helped you grow and succeed in your

job.

Maybe it is someone who has given

you a helping hand in this new

country.

Maybe your hero is someone you read about in the newspaper or saw on

television. Perhaps someone who did something special with his or her life

that helps make the world a little better. Perhaps your hero is a writer, an

artist or an athlete.

Or, maybe your hero is a ctional character whom you read about in a

novel and you decided you wanted to be like that person.

So, who is your hero? What makes them so special to you? What did they

accomplish? Why do you want to be like them? And, do you think that you

are a hero to someone, too?

Please write about your hero and why she or he is important to you.

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Tell Me About

Your Favorite Hobby

Most people have hobbies that they

enjoy. Some people, for example, like

to play a musical instrument when they

have free time.

Other people like to sing. Some like to

read books.

Some people collect coins or have

stamp collections. Some love to dance

or cook or draw, while others study

martial arts and participate in sports.

What is your special hobby? What kind of

things do you do in your free time that you

feel strongly and passionately about? Write

about your special hobby and what it means to your life. When did you

rst begin your hobby and what has it taught you?

Or, is there a new hobby that you would like to begin? What is it?

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What If You Could

Become A Character

In A Movie?

In the movies you nd yourself suddenly

about to step into the screen to play a

part in the lm being shown.You can inu-

ence the outcome of events and interact

with all the characters.

What movie would you like to step into?

What would happen in the movie you “enter’’—

how would the movie change?

What would your character be like?

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Write About The

Simple Pleasures

In Your Life

A newspaper columnist writes

about a few of his favorite things

guaranteed to lighten his heart or

bring a smile to his face. As ex-

amples, he writes about seeing a

fox walk across a bridge; watch-

ing a dog that jerks its hind leg in

its sleep—and even “walking into

a public restroom and discovering

that it is equipped with actual pa-

per towels, not a dryer that weak-

ly blows lukewarm air on your

hands.’’ Simple things, yes?

My simple things include:

• Being warmly greeted by my dog when I come home—my dog makes me

feel like a bright light has returned to her life and all is right in her world.

• My wife lovingly rubbing my neck when it is so stiff that I can hardly turn

my head.

• Sitting down at the kitchen table at night after dinner with a new book in

my hands.

• Now, what about you? Write about the simple pleasures in your own life,

the ones that make life so rich for you and yet rarely cost any money?

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Let’s Write About

Hopes And Dreams

For The New Year

The New Year is always a time of new

beginnings, of new possibilities when

some of the things we hope for can

come true if we work hard and if we

have some good luck. We try to put all

the bad things that happened in the

previous year behind us and instead

turn our thoughts and hopes

to a brighter future.

As we begin the New Year, let’s think about

some of the hopes we have for the days ahead. I would like you to write

about the hopes and dreams you have for yourself, or for the people you

love or for the world you live in.

Make a list.

• What are some of the dreams you would like to see come true?

• How would you like your life to change?

• What prayers do you have for the new year?

• What new things would you like to accomplish in the months ahead?

• How do you want things to change for you, for the people whom you

care about, and for the world?

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A Memory

About The Beach

Or The Ocean

If you have been lucky enough to visit

the beach, you probably still have

strong memories about this experi-

ence. Who can forget the sight of the

ocean and its waves? Who can forget

the feel of the sand on one’s feet, the

hot sun beating down, the smell of salt

water?

I want you to think back to a time when

you were at the ocean—it might be when

you were very little, or it might be recently when you visited a beach on a

vacation.

Close your eyes and try to describe a beach or ocean memory. Try to use

some of your ve senses in writing your memory:

• Touch – what did the beach or ocean feel like?

• Smell – what did the beach or ocean smell like?

• Sight – describe what you saw and how this made you feel.

• Hear – describe the sounds that you heard at the ocean. What, for ex-

ample, did the ocean sound like?

• Taste – what tastes do you remember from your visit to the shore—did

you swallow any salt water? Did sand get in your mouth? Do you remem-

ber the taste of the foods you ate or the liquids you drank at the beach?

Describe them.

Did you have an adventure at the beach or meet someone new or see

something strange? Did you discover something in the sand? Was your

memory of the ocean or beach a happy one or a sad one? Did you take

something home from the seashore? Share with us.

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What Will

This Key Open?

We use keys to open many

things.

Some keys open doors—such

as the door to your home, or

the door to your car, or the

drawer in your desk where

you store special things.

Some keys can open treasure

chests lled with all the things

which you consider valuable.

Some keys can open your personal

diary where you write about the important things in your life.

Or, maybe you have given someone you love the “key’’ to your heart or to

your soul.

Imagine that someone gave you a key to open something. Write about

what the key will open. If the key opens a door, for example, then write

about what is on the other side of the door.

If the key opens a treasure box or hope chest, then write about what is

hidden inside the box.

Or, you can begin your writing with the following sentence:

She put the key into the lock, turned it and ….

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Write A Letter

To A Child You Love

Or Hope To Love

One Day

Sometimes in our lives we are lucky

enough to receive a letter which

we want to keep our entire life. We

treasure such letters because of the

wonderful things they say to us—

they may speak loving and tender

thoughts, or they may be lled with

wisdom and good advice to help us

live better lives. I always tell adults

how important it is to write such let-

ters to their children and express all

their hopes and dreams for their

future and how important their chil-

dren are to them.

I would like you to write a letter to a child, too. It could be to a young person

in your life now, such as a son, daughter, grandchild, nephew, niece or cousin.

Or, if you don’t have a child, write to one who might be born in the future.

Perhaps you might even decide to write a letter to the child you once were.

(Think about your receiving the letter that you always wanted but never did

receive.).

In your letter, write about your hopes and dreams for your child. What are

the things you want for them? What kind of person do you want them to

grow up to become? What values do you want them to have? Write about

the kind of world you hope your child will live in in the future. In your letter,

you can offer advice or wisdom you have learned in your own life which you

would like to share with them. Or, write something about your own life which

you want the child to know.

Write a beautiful letter that a young person would want to keep all of her or

his life. This may be the most important letter you ever write.

(For more ideas on writing letters to children, please read our free on-line

book, Laptop Letters: Sending Wise & Loving Messages to Young People in Your Life.)

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Write A

Love Story

Each of us has experienced love

sometime in our life. We either

have been loved by someone or we

have loved someone or something.

I would like you to write about love.

You could write about a certain

person whom you love or have loved

with all your heart. This might be a

spouse, a partner, or a parent, or a

child, or a relative or a friend. This

can also be a creature, such as your

beloved pet. Tell us why you feel

such love for them. If you wish, you

can even write them a love letter.

You can also write about the kind of person whom you hope to love one

day. Describe the person of your dreams. Write a letter to this dream per-

son, if you wish; tell them what caring and loving mean to you.

Or, perhaps your love story is about something that gives you great plea-

sure. Some people love their work; some people love books or music.

Some people love to travel or to play sports. Whatever it is that you love,

feel free to write about it. Why do you love this thing so much? Why do you

feel so passionate about this?

Or, perhaps someone once told you a love story or tale when you were young

that stayed in your mind. What was this love story about? Share it with us.

Or, perhaps you once read a love story, such as Shakespeare’s “Romeo and

Juliet,’’ but you didn’t like the sad ending. How would you change the tale?

What new ending would you give it?

Or, think about a story that you once heard, such as “Beauty and the Beast,’’

in which the two characters feel great love for each other at the end of the

story. Then, think ahead 25 years. Do they still love each other? Has their love

changed? Has their love grown stronger or weaker? What has happened to the

love in their life?

You are also welcome to write a love poem, too, about someone you love

or wish to love.

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Make A Wish

Or Many Wishes

You can write about all the wishes

you have in your personal life for

yourself, for your friends, for the

people you love and care about,

your pets. Even wishes for your

enemies.

Let your wishes be as wild and crazy and as imaginative as you like

anything is possible, such as: I wish I could y like a bird to the top of the

Empire State Building.

We can start each sentence with the words: “I wish…’’ Then develop the

idea of the wish in the rest of the piece.

Your wishes can be serious or they can be serious or whimsical, such as,

“I wish I could change the color of my skin each day to go with the color

of the clothing I wear when I go to school.’’

The point is to have fun in writing about wishes. Try to write at least ve

different wishes if you can. Or, if you want, write only about one wish but

do it with several lines. Develop the idea of your wish(es) as best as you

can.

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Write About

An Early Memory

From Your Childhood

We are made of memories; our

memories make us special and

different from other human beings.

Often, we think back to our childhood

and remember an experience we had

when we were young or a special

person we knew or met.

Please consider one of your childhood memories that stays in your mind

and share it with us. It can be a happy memory, or a sad one, or a magi-

cal memory or an exciting memory. Try to describe in detail what you

remember. Write about the type of child you were, what you were like.

Write fully about the memory as if you could draw a picture which we

could also see with our eyes. Why is this particular memory so important

to you? How does it make you feel now?

If you wish, you can write about the earliest memory you can remember.

You can start your essay with the words: I remember…

Writers often use their memories to tell us about their lives and their his-

tory. You are a writer, too, so tell us about your memory. That way we will

get to know you better.

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I Come From...

Each of us has come from some place that

has shaped us as human beings.

Let’s write a poem or essay that tells where

you come from.

Let the rst three words of your poem be,

“I come from…’’

After you say where you are from, try to describe all the

important things about where you come from. In your

writing, describe the sights, the sounds, the smells, the feelings of the place you

call home. I want to hear what is special about where you come from. What

do you remember most about the place you come from. Is it the people, the

customs, the lifestyle, the history, the food, the cinema?

• Do you, for example, come from a cold or warm climate?

• Do you come from the city or a rural area?

• Do you come from a small nation or a large nation?

• Do you come from a noisy place or a quiet place?

• Do you come from a poor land or a rich land?

• Do you come from a country with lakes and rivers or with oceans, or moun-

tains and woods?

• In your country, what language is spoken or which language did you speak at

home?

• In your country, how do the people dress? What do they look like?

• What foods do you eat?

• What is special about the place you come from? What do you love about

your former home? What do you hate or dislike?

• Do you come from a country at peace or a country at war?

• Do you come from a country that is free or one which has a dictator?

• Are people happy in your country? Why?

• Are people sad in your country? Why?

• What are the most important memories you have of the place you come

from?

• Who are the people you love or miss? Who are the people who inuenced

you?

• So begin with the words, “I come from…’’

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How Do You

Want To Live

Your Precious Life?

In her poem, “The Summer Day,’’

Mary Oliver writes about mak-

ing time to look at all the beauty

of the world, even to kneel in the

grass to look at insects, or to walk

through the elds and enjoy the

day without hurrying. Life is so

very short—“Doesn’t everything

die at last, and too soon?’’ she asks

(read her poem at: http://www.loc.

gov/poetry/180/133.html).

And then she ends her poem with two amazing lines to form the question:

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?’’

So, dear writer, tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and

precious life? What do want to accomplish in your lifetime? What things

do you want to do before you die? What things do you want to see before

you leave this life? Which person do you want to love? What do you want

to taste before you die? What do you want to achieve? What do you want

to experience before your run out of time?

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What Would You Place

In Your Worry Box?

Write about a special person in your life.

This could be someone you have known

for a short time or someone you have

known all your life. This person can

be someone you love, or even perhaps

someone you hate. It might be someone

you fear, or someone who is very dear

to you.

Tell us who this person is.

What is his or her name?

What is their relationship to you?

Are they a friend or a relative, a boss or a bully

you know from school? A lover?

Why is this person special to you?

What have they done for you or to you?

What have you learned from this person?

Did they ever speak special words to you?

Did they teach you something special that changed your life?

Tell us a story about them.

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What Was Your

First Day In The

United States

Like?

In the movie “Avalon,’’ a

character who immigrated

to America remembers

what it was like to arrive

by ship in Philadelphia from

Europe on Independence

Day July 4, 1914. He saw

lights and reworks and

mistakenly thought they

were put there specially

for him to welcome him

to this country. He remem-

bered feeling so excited

and happy.

What about you? Write your own memory of what your own rst day or

week was like when you arrived in the United States.

Write about the impressions you had. What excited you? What frightened

you? What made you laugh? What made you cry?

Were you comfortable or uncomfortable? How was this place very different

from the place you had come from, and how was it similar? What was it like

to speak or understand English? How did you feel with the language?

What were your hopes and expectations in coming to the United States?

Why did you want to come here? Does what you have found here match

your hopes and dreams? In what ways? How did people treat you?

Try to write about the feelings you had in those early days in this new coun-

try. Try to remember the day or time when you nally began to feel at home

here. When was that?

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(continued)

What Would You Do

To Make The World

A Little Better?

A writer asks someone, “What is

worth worrying about.’’

The person offers a simple, pro-

found answer: “People doing good

things on this earth, leaving the

world a better place. It doesn’t

matter what you do—if you do for

cats, ne; if you do for Uganda,

ne…,’’ she says. But “everybody

owes it to the world to make it a

little better.’’

What about you? What are the things

you do or can do to make the world a

little better?

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Write What Is In

Your Heart

In his poem, “Theme for English B,’’

Langston Hughes has an English instructor

instruct his students, “Go home and write

a page tonight, and let that page come out

of you—Then, it will be true.’’ The teacher

is asking the students to write honestly

to show what they are thinking or feeling.

(See: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/

theme-for-english-b/)

Let this be your assignment to bring to class. At

home, sit down with paper and pencil and write

a page about what is in your heart. Maybe, you

will write about something that’s on your mind, a

problem you have to solve. Maybe you will write

about a new experience you just had which you

are trying to understand. Maybe, your writing is

about a person you have recently met who has changed your life or had

an effect on you. Maybe you will write about what made you happy or sad

this particular day. Maybe you will write about a funny moment you expe-

rienced, or a joke you heard.

Or, if you prefer, think back to the time before you came to the United

States. Discuss what your life was like during the last year in your home-

land. Was it a good time? Or was it a hard time for you and your family?

Share with me something about your life in your homeland so that I can

learn more about you and your country.

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Writing A Subway

Or Bus Story

There are many things we can

write about from what we see and

hear riding on the subways or on

buses through the city.

We can write about the people we see.

Describe someone you have observed.

Make notes in your book about this

person. What does he or she look like?

How are they dressed? Does that per-

son look happy or sad, rich or poor?

What are they thinking? Where do you

think that person is going? What is his

or her name (make up one). Invent a

story about the life of a person you see.

Maybe it’s a happy story; maybe it’s sad.

Or, perhaps you see two people sitting together across from you. Maybe

they are friends or lovers or parents. How do they relate to each other?

What do you think they feel? What are they talking about? Try to imagine

what their lives are like, and write a story about them.

In your description, tell us what time of day it is—morning, afternoon. Do

the people look tired or full of energy? What do you think is going on

inside their heads—perhaps it is the same as what you are thinking. There

are so many subway and bus stories, aren’t there?

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What Is Mona Lisa

Thinking?

Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait of

the Mona Lisa is famous for her

puzzling smile. (Or, is it a smile?)

For centuries people have asked,

“Is she smiling or not? Why is she

smiling? Why does she seem to

look a little different each time

one looks at her?’’ (See http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa)

Imagine that you are Mona Lisa. You have come into the studio of the art-

ist, Leonardo da Vinci, to sit for your portrait. You must sit still for a long,

long time while Leonardo paints you. Your mind wanders. What are you

thinking of as you sit? Write Mona Lisa’s interior monologue; write about

the thoughts that run through her mind as she sits still.

Or, if you wish, imagine you are the famous artist da Vinci. What are his

thoughts as he paints the Mona Lisa? What are the words that go through

his mind as he looks at her and tries to capture her image on canvas?

What must he think of Mona Lisa?

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Tell Me

What Makes

You Happy

I want to hear about something

or someone who makes you

happy.

Maybe it’s a person who makes

you smile. Maybe it’s a song.

Maybe it’s a celebration. Maybe

it’s a special food. Or a special

place you visit. Or, maybe it’s a

special book or poem or prayer

or belief.

If you prefer, tell me about the happiest day in your life —what happened

that day? What made it so special to you?

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An Unforgettable

Person—

Someone I Will

Always Remember

Tell me about a person you can-

not forget, no matter how far

away they are from you now.

Maybe it’s someone in your family—

for example, a grandparent or rela-

tive who is wise or loving. Or maybe

it’s a friend or someone who lives in

your neighborhood. Maybe it’s some-

one who makes you laugh or cheers

you up when you are sad. Maybe it’s someone who always shows you love

and cares deeply about you. Maybe it’s someone who is still back in your

homeland and you miss him or her so much. Maybe it’s someone who once

frightened you. Maybe it was a teacher who inspired you.

Why will you always remember this person?

Why is this person so special to you?

What are their special characteristics?

What did he or she teach you?

Describe that person to me—what does he or she look like? What is that

person’s name?

Did you ever have an adventure together? If so, what was it like?

Share with me a memory about that person—something that he or she said

to you or did with you. What makes this person unforgettable to you?

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(continued)

If Someone Gave You

A Second Chance,

How Would You

Change Your Life?

Imagine for a moment that you were

one of the miners who had been

trapped for many weeks at the bot-

tom of a deep mine in Chile and were

nally rescued. While waiting for res-

cue, you had vowed to yourself that if

you ever got out of the mine alive you

would change your life for the better.

How would you change your life if you were rescued?

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What Would

You Do

If You Won

The Lottery?

You’ve struck it rich and

won $144 million in the

lottery!

So, tell me, what will you

do with the money? It will

change your life, making it

either better or worse.

Tell me about the selsh things you would do with the money, such as

spending it on things you would like.

Tell me about the unselsh things you would do with the money, such as

helping others.

One man who won this amount of money divided the money three ways.

First an education fund for his children and future generations; second,

a trust to cover his family’s health care, and third, a philanthropy to help

people and organizations in need.

Now it’s your turn to use the money. What will you do with it?

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Tell Me About

HowYou Are

Challenging

Yourself

Tell me about a goal you set

for yourself and what you

did or are doing to achieve

your goal. What is the task

you have set for yourself and

why did you do this? Why

is this goal so important to

you? What do you hope to

accomplish?

How hard is the task? What progress have you made so far? How much

more work do you have to do?

Once you accomplish your goal, how will you feel? How will your life be

changed?

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Tell Me About A Time

When You Were Brave

Each of us is brave in different ways

and in different situations.

For example, there is the person who

saves another person’s life by rescuing

someone who falls off the subway

platform.

Then there is the person who nds the courage

to leave his or her country in order to go to

another land and start a new life. That person is

very courageous, too, because starting a new life

in a strange land and with a different language

can be very difcult.

Then there’s the person who is very shy, but who leaves the house in the

morning to try to nd a job and make a living. He somehow does his best

to overcome his fear.

There is the mother or father who works very long hours at a hard job in

order to earn money to help support the family. That person is very brave,

too.

There is also the person who is afraid of the local bully, but gathers his or

her courage to stand up to the bully and tell him off.

So tell me about your own life and a time when you were brave. What was

the brave deed or act you did? How did you feel—frightened or condent?

Was it hard for you to be brave?

Or, if you wish, write about someone you know who has done a brave deed.

Tell me who that person is and what he or she did.

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What Are Your Hopes

For Spring?

Yes, spring is coming. You can almost

sense it. Something is in the air.

For me spring always brings a sense of hope.

Maybe it’s because as a youngster growing up in

Brooklyn I would plant seeds in cheese boxes

on my sunny windowsill in late winter, right

before spring. I loved looking at the seed pack-

ets, particularly the ones with marigolds and

morning glory owers on the covers. As I pre-

pared the fresh soil and began planting the seeds, I dreamed of the orange-

golden marigolds that would bloom and the blue-purple morning glories

that would grow along the re escape on which I’d place the cheese boxes

once it got warmer.

Nowadays, I live near a park and around the beginning of spring look long-

ingly for signs of the early yellow crocuses and daffodils that will start

emerging from the ground. I search desperately for the emerging leaf

buds on the tree branches. I know that winter is now almost over and

everything will soon be better in the world, and I can begin once more to

dream of all the good things that the warmer, sunnier weather will bring.

Spring is also the time when I met my wife many years ago, and also when

my daughter was born, so it is always a happy time for me.

What about you? What hopes does spring bring to you?

Or, tell me about a spring in your life—maybe it was the year you fell in

love, maybe something else good happened to you. Or, maybe it was a very

difcult spring lled with rain and tears, but you still remember the time.

Write whatever you wish about spring and what it means to you.

If you prefer another season, feel free to write about that time instead.

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Tell Me How

You Would Like

To Transform Yourself

I remember reading about a person

whose face was destroyed in an acci-

dent. Doctors and surgeons worked to

transform—to change —her face into

one that wouldn’t frighten her and

others, a face that would allow her to

be active in the world again and not be

ashamed of her appearance.

There are also other kinds of transformations that each of us undergoes.

How many times have you said to yourself, “I need to change my life. I want

to be a different kind of person.”

Or, you may have said, “I want to live a different kind of life.’’ Or, you might

have thought, “I want to give up bad habits and bad things and bad people

and instead acquire good habits and good things and good friends.’’

Or, you might have thought to yourself, “I don’t want to be afraid any longer.

I want to become a more courageous and less frightened person.’’

So, choose one of the following writing questions:

• How would you want to transform or change yourself?

• Do you know someone who changed or transformed their life into a

better life or way of living? If so, write about that person and how they

changed.

• Or, if you wish, put yourself in the place of the woman whose face was

destroyed and who has been helped by doctors to acquire a new face. Can

you write about what she must feel, what she must worry about, how she

can nd the strength to go on and live her life? Would you have her cour-

age? What are the words she says to herself to keep her going?

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Tell Us Who You

Really Are

The poet Emily Dickinson once wrote

a poem saying: “I’m nobody! Who are

you? Are you nobody, too?’’ (See the

poem at: http://www.poets.org/view-

media.php/prmMID/15392)

I think she may have meant that she felt she

was not special or famous or even worth

knowing. She wrote that she was a “nobody.’’

But, I don’t agree with her view. I believe that

each of us is a “somebody.’’ By that I mean each of us is special and distinct

in our own way. Each of us is fascinating in our own way. Each of us has a

history; each of us has a personality; each of us has accomplishments and

hopes and wishes. Each of us has loves and hates; each of us has strong

and weak sides. Each of us is distinguished in our own particular way. Who

is the “somebody’’ in you?

Please write about yourself to tell us who you are. Describe the “some-

body,’’ the special person you are. First, start with the words, “I am some-

body…’’ and continue writing about yourself.

For example:

I am somebody who was born in...

I am somebody who loves to eat ...

I am somebody who wants to be a ...

I am somebody who dreams of ….

I am somebody who loves...

I am somebody who lost ...

I am somebody who…

In your essay or poem tell us about your history, or where you come

from, or what you hope to accomplish in life. Tell us what your inter-

ests are, or what is special about you, or even what you don’t like about

yourself. You can tell us about your hopes and dreams. Or, tell us about a

special skill you have. Share with us the “somebody’’ you are. We want to

know more about you.

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Write About What

You Feel Strongly,

Passionately About

Each of us has something we love

doing with all our heart, with all our

passion, with all our soul. Some

people call such things a hobby or

avocation, some people say this is

a calling—something that speaks to

their soul or spirit.

Some people delight in collecting the most interesting and beautiful

stamps in the world. Some of us have great doll collections; others like to

collect tiny gures made of china. Some people have buttery collections.

Others love to collect and read books or listen to music. One person

I know owns CDs of all the recorded works of the composer Johann

Sebastian Bach. Another acquaintance—someone who is obsessed with

politics—has a huge collection of campaign memorabilia. Others feel very

passionate about playing soccer or football or cycling and know every-

thing there is to know about their favorite sports teams and players.

What is your special passion? What do you love doing most or thinking

about?

In this essay, tell us about something you love dearly. Explain why that

interest is so important to you? How does it give you pleasure and bring

joy to your life? Share this special part of your life with us.

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What Meaningful Words

Would You Want

To Write On The Walls

Of Your Classroom?

A teacher encourages his students

to write their most creative, their

deepest thoughts on the walls of his

classroom. The students cover the

walls with original art, quotes from

favorite books, and the things that

are in their hearts. Many of the

students look to these walls for

inspiration in their own lives. The

wall, lled with student writings, tells

young people that their ideas and

thoughts have value and are worth

sharing with others.

If you were allowed to, what would you have wanted to write on the walls

of your own classroom?

Or, what would you like to write now?

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What Holiday Does

Your Family

Celebrate?

When you were a child, was there

a special holiday your family

celebrated? Was it Christmas or

Chanukah or Ramadan, Three

Kings Day or the New Year?

Something else? Do you have a

happy memory of something

special that happened on one

of those days?

What traditions, for example, did you observe?

What foods did you cook and eat?

Did you exchange gifts with family and friends?

Do you remember a wonderful gift that someone gave you as a child

on this holiday? What was it?

Is there a song or poem you would sing or recite during this holiday?

Can you share it with us? What does it mean?

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Describe A Room

Created In Your

Imagination

You receive a postcard that

shows an empty room. Now,

ll up this room. Imagine

that you once lived in it and

tell me a memory about this

room. Or, imagine that you

stepped into this room and

knew it well.

Was this a quiet room or a noisy one?

Was it a living room or a bedroom or a study or a kitchen?

Tell me how it felt to be in this room when the sun came in.

Was it a happy place—did good memories happen in this room? If so, what

were the memories?

Was it a sad place—did sad, unhappy memories occur in this room? If so,

what was the sad memory?

What kind of people lived in this room?

Were there conversations that went on among the people? What were

they like?

Did the people in this room sing songs, or read, or talk? What did the

people talk about?

Do you think you could be happy in this room? Why?

Would you like to live in this room? What would it be like?

Would you like to be alone in this room or with some one?

What would you do in this room?

Is this the room of a writer or a painter or a small family? Is this the room

of younger or older people? What are they like?

Or, if you prefer write about a favorite or remembered room from your

own life. What made it so special? What happened there? You can even

make up a memory about this room. Use your rich imagination where

anything is possible, anything is true.

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(continued)

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Write About The Most

Important Letter

In Your Life

Today you received the most

important letter of your life—

the one that you had been waiting

for such a long, long time.

What does the letter say?

How does it make you feel?

Who sent it to you?

108 Something To Write About Something To Write About 109

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Write About Your

Deepest Wishes

The Japanese have a festival called

Tanabata and people celebrate by

writing wishes on colorful paper and

hanging the wishes on bamboo tree

branches.

I love the idea of writing wishes or blessings

for people I love. This reminds me of when

I visited the Wailing—or Western Wall—in

Jerusalem with my wife and placed a written

message to God in one of the tiny openings

on the wall. I asked God for a child to enter

our lives, and, in time my wife and I were

blessed with a beautiful, healthy daughter.

What are the wishes or prayers or blessings that you might write on

paper and hang from a tree or wall with the hope that they will be

answered?

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What Are The

Words

You Would Use

In A Meditation?

At a meditation practice

group, the leader asks par-

ticipants to think with loving

kindness and an open heart

about the following messages:

May you be safe from harm.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you feel loved.

May you feel at ease in the world.

Then she asks the group’s members to extend these good wishes to

themselves, to loved ones, to strangers encountered during the day, and

to the wide world.

Now, if you could add to these positive messages, what lines would you

write and say?

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(continued)

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What Was

The Happiest Day

In Your Life?

What made it so special?

Did your life change that day?

If so, in what way?

If you could give someone the happiest

day in their life, what kind of day would

you give them? What would that day

be like for them? Who would you give

that day to?

114 Something To Write About Something To Write About 115

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What Is The Song

About Your Life?

Former New York Times

columnist Bob Herbert once

wrote that we need to pay

more attention to the non-

material things that “fulll

us, give meaning to our lives,

enlarge us, and enable us to

more easily embrace those

around us.’’ He remembers a

character in the August

Wilson play “Joe Turner’s

Come and Gone’’ who says

“everyone has a song inside

of him or her, and that you

lose sight of that song at your

peril. If you get out of touch

with your song, forget how to

sing it,’’ warns the character,

“you’re bound to end up frus-

trated and dissatised.’’

Then, this same character, recalling a time when he was out of touch with

his own song, says, “Something wasn’t making my heart smooth and easy.’’

Now is the time to write about the “song’’ in your own life. Listen. What is

your personal song telling you? What is its message? Write about the song

within you and share it with others. Sing your song to yourself.

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Write About

An Angel

In Your Life

Early in the morning when I

walk my dog in the darkened

streets, I meet an “angel.’’ He

is the man who delivers news-

papers to the apartments in

my building. He works so hard,

and often his shirt and face

are drenched with sweat from

having to lug the heavy news-

papers. But whenever we meet

on the street or in the eleva-

tor, no matter how tired he

is, he greets me with the wid-

est, most beautiful smile. We

then may then exchange a few

words as he tries his best to

communicate in broken Eng-

lish. His being seems to ow

with happiness and good will.

I think to myself how hard his life must be, working during the night to

make his deliveries, carrying his heavy load, adjusting to life in a new coun-

try far from his homeland, and yet he still nds it in him to smile with such

good will. When I see him, I feel better; he teaches me how to be a little

less self-preoccupied and selsh. How bad can life be, after all, when there

are human beings like this man who seems to have an innate sense of

goodness?

So what about you? Have you ever met a person who seems to give you

hope that things are good in the world and that life can be beautiful. If so,

please tell us about this “angel’’ in your life. Describe why she or he is so

special.

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(continued)

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What Would You Say

To Someone You Lost

But Who Later Returned

To You?

You are given the chance to talk to some-

one whom you have lost and who was once

very important in your life. This person may

have loved you or done something very spe-

cial for you. Possibly, he or she even caused

you pain and heartache.

What are all the things you would say to that

person if you could meet him or her now?

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(continued)

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What Are The Words

Of Peace

In Your Heart?

I read about a man who takes silent

peace walks. His aim is to spread

peace by sharing the silence with

others. Says the man, Piero Falci,

“If we are more peaceful ourselves,

we will not be so violent in our

relationships, and it will spread.

If you cultivate peace, then you can

give peace.’’

Imagine you are taking a silent peace walk. What are the words going on

in your head and heart?

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(continued)

What Are The

Opening Lines

Of Your Story?

Tony Morrison, winner of

the Nobel Prize in Litera-

ture, once said that there

was a time in her life when

she felt she “had nothing left

but my imagination.’’ She

began writing ction, and

in desperation one day to

complete a piece of writing

to take to a writers’ work-

shop, she dashed off “a little

story about a black girl who

wanted blue eyes.’’ That was

the genesis of her rst book,

“The Bluest Eye.’’ (See

http://www.amazon.com/dp

/0307278441/?tag=mh0b20

&hvadid=3523989121&ref=

pd_sl_384pgg4d2h_e )

Now, what is the story you dash off in desperation and frustration.

Share with us the opening words of your story.

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Rewrite The Life

Story Of Someone

You Care About

What if we could rewrite the

life stories of the people we

love?

That is exactly what Nobel Prize-

winning writer Doris Lessing did in

a book about her parents, “Alfred

and Emily.’’ The book has two parts.

The rst half is a work of ction

about the lives she wished her

parents did have, a life lled with

happiness and fulllment. The second part is the real version in which she

explores her parents’ unhappy lives.

In essence, Lessing wrote what many of us often think about: What if such

and such happened, how would it have change the outcome? Or would it

have worked out better if I had done this instead of that? The wonderful

thing about being a writer is that you can use your imagination to create

different worlds from the one you know. If you’re unhappy in real life, for

example, you might want to create a world in which you feel happy. If you

are poor, you might want to imagine a story in which you are rich.

So, for this writing prompt, you have permission to change a story about

your parents, or your friend, or yourself into something entirely different,

completely opposite if you wish. You are free to invent the story you want

to write, hear and read.

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What If You

CouldAttend

Your Own Funeral

And Begin Your

Life Again?

A funeral for the living? That’s

what is happening in Thailand.

People are ocking to a Bud-

dhist temple where they seek

a fresh new life in which they

have left all their cares and

worries of the past. As an ar-

ticle in The New York Times

described it, “Nine big pink

cofns dominate the grand hall

of the temple, and every day

hundreds of people take their

turns climbing into a cofn for

a few moments as monks chant

a dirge. Then, at a command,

the visitors clamber out again

cleaned—they believe—of

the past.’’

This takes just a few minutes and a donation, then the people feel reborn.

One person who sought luck in business and relief for his aching back and

knees said, “If I lie down in the cofn, it will give me a new lease on life.’’

What do you think about this? Would you want to be reborn, too? How, if

at all, would you want to change your life?

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Write Your Personal

‘Joy List’

I once read about a man who carried

around with him a little notebook which

he called a “Joy List.’’ In it he would jot

down all the moments that made him

smile or laugh. It was his way of culti-

vating a sense of happiness about being

alive and enjoying his life.

He learned to do this from a 13 year-old boy

who was dying of lymphoma and who handed

him a list of more than 100 memories of the

happy moments in his life, like camping or go-

ing to Disney World. The boy asked the man

to give the list to his parents so that they

would remember that their son had fun mo-

ments, too, in his short life. My own aged cousin kept a list of all the good

things in life which she would like to see go on forever and ever.

Your turn now: make up your own list of things that give you joy and hap-

piness. Which of those would you like to remain in your life forever? Write

some words when something really good happens in your life—from see-

ing a hummingbird to remembering a funny joke a friend told you.

Start your Joy List now. Write at least two or three things that have given

you joy recently. Or, do as my aged cousin did and write a list of all the

good things in life which you would like to see go on forever and ever.

Something To Write About 131130 Something To Write About

About the Illustrator

Tom Bloom is an artist who has

brought joy to the world with his

cartoons and illustrations which have

appeared in many publications, such as

The New York Times, The New Yorker,

Fortune and Barron’s. He has collabo-

rated with Bill on many other books.

Share With Us

We would wholeheartedly welcome your feedback on

using Something to Write About: Writing Prompts for English

Language Learners and Literacy Students. Please send us

your thoughts or suggestions on how we can improve

this book, along with your permission to use your ideas.

We also would welcome your ideas for new writing

prompts. For every idea used, a free copy of one of Bill

Zimmerman’s books will be sent to you. What was your

experience like in using this book? Please share with us.

write to:

Bill Zimmerman

Guarionex Press Ltd.

201 West 77th Street

New York, NY 10024

E-mail: wmz@aol.com

About the Author

In his more than 20 books and

work as a newspaper editor, Bill

Zimmerman has pioneered

innovative writing techniques to

help people express all the impor-

tant things within them. His books

and web sites are used in literacy

and English Language Learning

programs around the world and to encourage

creative thinking.

His web sites are: http://www.billztreasurechest.com,

which features excerpts from all his books, http://

www.makebeliefscomix.com, which enables visitors to

create their own online comic strips, and http://www.

somethingtowriteabout.com, his writing prompts blog

for students. Please visit them.

Among his popular books are:

• Pocket Doodles for Kids

• Make Beliefs: A Gift for Your Imagination

• Lunch Box Letters: Writing Notes of Love

and Encouragement to Your Children

• How to Tape Instant Oral Biographies

is part of a series of free interac-

tive digital journals published by

MakeBeliefsComix.com. They are

part of our mission to help people

of all ages discover their writers’

voices and express their deepest

thoughts through writing.

Another Free

Interactive Digital Journal

The other e-books are:

• Laptop Letters: Sending Wise & Encouraging Messages to Young

People in Your Life

• Hummingbird Joy: A Book of All the Things That Make You Happy

• Make Beliefs to Spark Your Imagination

• Words I Wish Someone Had Said to Me As A Kid

• MakeBeliefsComix FILL-ins

If you nd our work useful, please consider making a small

nancial contribution to us at PayPal.com at:

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Contribute/.

And please share our work with your friends, family members

and colleagues. Thank you.

Something to Write About:

Writing Prompts for

English Language Learners

and Literacy Students

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