Writing Prompt – New Beginnings

It’s still early enough in the new year to be thinking about new beginnings. I don’t know if its my innate love (obsession?) for office supplies, but new beginnings make me think of sharpened pencils and blank spiral notebooks. Or, blank, pristine papers waiting for me to desecrate them with words.

I try to do my organizing in December:

• clearing off the desk to start the year fresh
• reviewing all the notebooks page by page:
  • making to do lists for things which never got done
  • copying ideas into my Ideas Folder (adding as much detail as possible, so I’m not left with cryptic phrases later)
  • Adding phone numbers and addresses to my Contacts
  • etc.
• Organizing the to-do lists
• Creating a “master plan” of what I want to accomplish for the year
• Scheduling the time on the calendar now, so I can’t complain about not having time for it later.

Here’s Your Prompt:

1. Write the “new year” scene of the main character in your book. Or, write the “new year” scene of a brand new character you intend to use in a story. How does the new year affect him or her? Does he buy fresh stationery? Does she regret the passing of another year and nothing to show for it? Does your character have some annoying (or meaningful, silly, prolonged, secret) ritual he must accomplish before the new year starts?
2. Write your own new year scene. How does the new year affect you? Did you accomplish what you set out to do? Are you wondering how you’ll make this year better than last? Are you chomping at the bit for a fresh start?
3. Write a poem: Ode to the New Year, or, Good Riddance to the Past.

Enjoy!