Tomorrow is the Autumnal Equinox: the first day of Fall.
Equinox is a sort of contraction, stemming from two Latin words: aequus, meaning “equal” and nox, meaning “night.” During the Autumnal Equinox (and again for the Vernal or Spring Equinox) day and night are approximately the same length of time: 12 hours.
Since the Autumnal Equinox signals the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall, you might be thinking that this prompt is going to devolve into discussing all things Autumn. Not at all.
The Equinox got me thinking about dividing things into halves, or even opposites: an equal portion of day and night, light and dark, yin and yang.
Here’s Your Prompt:
- Write about “your better half.” I’m not talking about your spouse or your partner. Write about the half of you who is the better person. If that doesn’t appeal, write about the half of you who is not the better person. Write about your alter ego or your super-villain. Write about the evil person you would be, if you didn’t have this better half.
- Choose a pair from the list of opposites below and write a scene or poem about them:
- admit – deny
- clockwise – counterclockwise
- student – teacher
- blunt – sharp
- freedom – captivity
- clever – stupid
- doctor patient
- East – West or North – South
- horizontal – vertical
- Lips half-willing in a doorway.
Lips half-singing at a window.
Eyes half-dreaming in the walls.
Feet half-dancing in a kitchen.
Even the clocks half-yawn the hours
And the farmers make half-answers.
~ From Cornhuskers, (Chapter 10), 1918 – Carl Sandburg
- Choose an opposite Point of View (POV): If you tend to write characters who are predominantly male, try writing as a female.
- As half in shade and half in sun
This world along its path advances…
~ Thomas Moore
- Write an essay from the standpoint opposite of your own beliefs. For example, if you hate cats, write an essay about how much you love cats. Support this essay with facts.
- Write a story, poem, essay or journal entry about something that happened — or someone or something who acted – opposite of what it should. For instance, you could write about a flower that bloomed at night. Your idea could be fictional. Ask yourself, “What if ‘this’ happened?”
Good Luck!
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Photo of the Maple Tree in Fall from http://www.wpclipart.com/.
Kelly, here’s what I like about your post. Not only could a beginning writer take any of your prompts and do something interesting with them, but the blog entry itself illustrates the creative writer’s mind at work. You’ve taken the equinox and related it to the general concepts of halves and opposites. I think that’s one thing good writers do; they look at something and their mind sees another related thing, or looks at that something in a new and different way. I’m now wondering how many stories use the advent of a seasonal equinox to symbolize a kind of “halving” or “equality of opposites” that has other meaning in the story? Actually I’m only half-wondering that.
Hi Steve!
Thanks for dropping by. I’m glad you appreciate my writer’s mind. 🙂