Midweek Writing Prompt: My Rights (12/3/14)
In my classrooms and workshops, I strive to create safe, welcoming writing communities where individuals feel free to explore ideas, stories, and concepts without judgment. After all, we need those spaces to get started. The judgment – of editors, professors, critical friends – will come later. But in the beginning, we need that soft, friendly embrace where anything is possible and everyone loves you. Let’s go there together.
When my schedule allows, I will post writing prompts for you to play with. I encourage you to write something and to share those initial efforts in the comment section, or even your response to the prompt – tell us what happened when you sat down to write. After all, some of these prompts will lead you down a path toward publication – I’ve seen that happen often enough to be confident in that statement.
Give it a try! 🙂
Writing Prompt: My Rights
We all know those “inalienable rights” listed in the American Declaration of Independence: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” and we know about Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, and Disability Rights. But what about YOUR rights. Your personal rights? Take a moment to think about what rights you claim for yourself. Now make a list. Write a list of your rights. For instance, I just wrote a piece where I claimed this for myself: “I have a right to protect myself.” What are YOUR rights? Write as long as you need and then review the list. You can use this list to create stories: One story per right. Because you have rights and there are stories behind all of them.
Amanda Morris, Ph.D. 