Author: Lorelle VanFossen

Lorelle VanFossen is a pioneering XR Innovator and WordPress leader, tech educator, keynote speaker, and producer bridging virtual reality and digital innovation. Co-founder of Educators in VR, founding WordPress community member, and passionate advocate for emerging technologies and human rights. Expert in immersive education, VR/XR event production, UX, and digital transformation.

November 28 Prompt – Despair

Writers in the Grove NaNoWriMo Prompt a Day badgeThe following prompt is by Anne Stackpole-Cuellar, a Writers in the Grove member, a part of our Prompt-a-Day project to support NaNoWriMo during November 2015. Each prompt was generously donated by our Writers in the Grove members. You are welcome to take this prompt in any direction you wish.

Describe one small thing or event which pulled your character away from despair.

To quote Robert Frost:

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

Poem from The Poetry Foundation.

November 27 Prompt – Policies

Writers in the Grove NaNoWriMo Prompt a Day badgeThe following prompt is by Gretchen, a Writers in the Grove member, a part of our Prompt-a-Day project to support NaNoWriMo during November 2015. Each prompt was generously donated by our Writers in the Grove members. You are welcome to take this prompt in any direction you wish.

Your character is disagreeing with a policy. What is the policy and their argument for or against it? Why?

November 26 Prompt – Body Parts

Writers in the Grove NaNoWriMo Prompt a Day badgeThe following prompt is by Susan Schmidlin, member of Writers in the Grove, a part of our Prompt-a-Day project to support NaNoWriMo during November 2015. Each prompt was generously donated by our Writers in the Grove members. You are welcome to take this prompt in any direction you wish.

Have a discussion with a body part.

The character just stubbed a toe, sliced a finger when making dinner, or fell off a step and twisted an ankle, broke a bone, etc.

Write the dialogue between the character and the body part.

Prompt: Give Thanks to Those We Take For Granted

In honor of Thanksgiving, the prompt this week was to give thanks for people whose work or life gifted us with things that we take for granted, things for which they may not ever have been acknowledged.

This prompt was inspired by the concept that today’s luxuries are tomorrows necessities, and a quote from Seneca in the book “Natural Questions.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BCE–65 CE) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, dramatist, statesman, and adviser to emperor Nero.

The time will come when diligent research over long periods will bring to light things which now lie hidden. A single lifetime, even though entirely devoted to the sky, would not be enough for the investigation of so vast a subject… And so this knowledge will be unfolded only through long successive ages. There will come a time when our descendants will be amazed that we did not know things that are so plain to them… Many discoveries are reserved for ages still to come, when memory of us will have been effaced.

November 24 Prompt – Finest Meal

Writers in the Grove NaNoWriMo Prompt a Day badgeThe following prompt is by Writers in the Grove member Ann Farley and a part of our Prompt-a-Day project to support NaNoWriMo during November 2015. Each prompt was generously donated by our Writers in the Grove members. You are welcome to take this prompt in any direction you wish.

Describe the most flavorful meal you or your character has ever had. Where was it, who was there, and why is it memorable.

Describe the flavors, smells, textures, spices, and sweetness.

November 23 Prompt – The Pet

Writers in the Grove NaNoWriMo Prompt a Day badgeThe following prompt is by Susan Schmidlin, member of Writers in the Grove, a part of our Prompt-a-Day project to support NaNoWriMo during November 2015. Each prompt was generously donated by our Writers in the Grove members. You are welcome to take this prompt in any direction you wish.

Did your character have a childhood pet?

How did they get the pet?

Where did it come from?

Why did it become a pet to this person?

What did it do for the character?

November 22 Prompt – Fear Sensations

Writers in the Grove NaNoWriMo Prompt a Day badgeThe following prompt is by Mary Jane Nordgren, member of Writers in the Grove, and a part of our Prompt-a-Day project to support NaNoWriMo during November 2015. Each prompt was generously donated by our Writers in the Grove members. You are welcome to take this prompt in any direction you wish.

Whisper, moan, shudder

November 21 Prompt – Leaving Home

Writers in the Grove NaNoWriMo Prompt a Day badgeThe following prompt is a part of our Prompt-a-Day project to support NaNoWriMo during November 2015. Each prompt was generously donated by our Writers in the Grove members. You are welcome to take this prompt in any direction you wish.

Your character or character’s child leaves home for the first time to kindergarten, college, army, or even a sleep away camp.

Learning to Swim

The following was written by Writers in the Grove member, Lorelle VanFossen, inspired by Prompt: Memories from a 5 Year Old.

The shock of cold exploded all air from her lungs. She sank down, suspended in a clear watery world, red stripes visible below her feet, colorful distorted shapes above. A muffled short scream and harsh tones drifted down, her ears popping as they filled with water.

Kick, her mind screamed, body not obeying. Kick!

She clamped her lips tight, blocking the flow of liquid in, and swung her arms up and down. Kick!

Reluctant legs finally gave in and started churning, matching the circular pattern of arms. She started to rise, up and up, harder and harder she pushed her body up, the water pulling her back down with every attempt. A little more, just a little more.

The warm air hit the top of her head and her mouth opened automatically, spewing water out to replace it with precious air. Coughing and splashing, through her watery vision she saw her parents, once trusted, arguing.

“You just threw her in, you bastard! She could have drown!” Her mother shrieked, pounding her father’s chest with clenched fists.

Oblivious, calmly watching the two year old struggle to stay afloat in the water, confident with the success of the lesson, he replied, “Only way to learn. Just throw them in the middle and hope they figure it out.”

“Hope they figure it out! Asshole!”

If she knew what the word meant, she would have agreed.