Start the Year off Write: 5 Prompts
Using Games of Self Discovery to Generate Writing
Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash
This week a former student contacted me and asked about a writing prompt I used during their freshman creative writing class. They were planning a writing retreat for friends, remembered the prompt, and reached out to ask about it. Here it is: A Walk in the Forest, which is, without a doubt, the best writing prompt I have in my repertoire. It has NEVER failed, and I’ve used it with fourth graders and 60-year-old inmates. It always produces interesting work.
As I mentioned in the original posting, I discovered the original Walk in the Forest prompt in 1987 in a college psychology classroom, and I turned it into a writing prompt during my first year as a teacher. But I found out later it was from a game of self discovery called kokology, and now many of these games have been turned into Buzzfeed quizzes online.
Kokology is the study of kokoro, from the Japanese “mind” or “spirit,”, and the games are designed to reveal one’s hidden attitudes about family, love, work, dreams, and so on. Students love these games because they feel a little like a Orphan Annie Secret Society decoder pin for their inner psychic landscape.
My goal as a writing teacher is not to dabble in psychotherapy, but to get students to have fun with language and make associative metaphors about their experiences, attitudes, and emotions. I remind students throughout the exercise that this isn’t scientific, but just a fun way to interpret and write about human behavior.
For all of these prompts, three firm rules are in play:
Writers should describe the first thing that pops into their head no matter how outrageous it might be. There are no right or wrong answers.
Writers have one minute to describe everything they see. As soon as I mention the item, writers should begin writing and write for the full minute, describing the item as comprehensively as possible.
Writers should not talk or discuss the elements of the prompt while writing. Discussion takes place after everyone has a chance to write their answers.
To start the year off writing, here are five self-discovery games I’ve turned into writing prompts. The prompt script I use for Walk in the Forest applies to these below as well.
Prompt 1: The Building
You are in an old, abandoned building where no human has set foot for years. You discover a staircase leading underground. Describe the staircase.
You go down the staircase which leads into a pitch black room. From the darkness, you hear a sound. Describe the sound and how you react to the sound.
You hear a person calling your name and see a figure descending from the light at the top of the stairs. Describe this person.
THE KEY
Abandoned buildings and underground rooms are symbolic of buried memories and emotional scars.
The staircase represents the number and type of emotional/psychological scars you are bearing. What connections can you make from your description of the staircase and your own memories or scars?
How you react to the sound represents how you have reacted to the emotional scars of your past. Were you curious or scared? Did you run away or try to find out the source of the sound? What connections can you make from how you reacted to the sound and how you react to dealing with your past?
The person at the top of the stairs calling your name is someone you can rely on in times of trouble. Was it a specific person you know or a type of person? What connections can you make from your description to your real life?
After sharing and discussing how each description speaks to your life, make some connections between what you wrote and what each item symbolically represents. Look for the relationship between the elements in the prompt and your life. Use the connections you discover about yourself to write a poem or vignette using the symbols as the central focus.
Prompt 2: The Mountain
You have set off to climb a mountain in search of a fabulously rare stone. Describe the mountain.
After a hard search, you still haven’t found the stone, and the sun is setting. Describe what you do next.
Success! You find the stone you were seeking. Describe it.
Now it’s time to come down from the mountain and return home. Before parting, you have a conversation with the mountain. Describe your conversation.
THE KEY
The mountain that looms before you is representative of a father figure in your life. In psychological terms, it is the manifestation of the wise old man archetype. How does your impression of the mountain reveal your attitude toward your father or a father figure?
The stone you seek represents a yet undiscovered talent or strength you already possess. Your response to this question shows whether you will ever realize that untapped potential. Did you give up, decide to come back the next day or keep searching no matter what?
The way you describe the stone shows your feelings of self-worth and self-image. What connections can you make from the description of the stone and how you feel about yourself?
The parting words to the mountain symbolize something you’ve always wanted to say to your father or father figure, but have never been able to. The conversation symbolizes how the conversation might go if you were to say these things to your father or father figure.
After sharing and discussing how each description speaks to your life, make some connections between what you wrote and what each item symbolically represents. Look for the relationship between the elements in the prompt and your life. Use the connections you discover about yourself to write a poem or vignette using the symbols as the central focus.
Prompt 3: The Sea
You have set off to the sea in order to catch a big, beautiful fish. Describe the sea.
After a day of fishing, you still haven’t caught anything and you are getting hungry. Describe what you do next.
Success! You finally catch the fish that you wanted. Describe it.
Now it’s time to return home from the sea. Before parting, you have a conversation with the sea. Describe your conversation.
THE KEY
The sea represents your mother or a mother figure in your life. In psychological terms, it is the manifestation of the mother goddess archetype. In what way does your impression of the sea reveal your attitude toward your mother or your mother figure?
The fish you seek represents a career or occupation that you are seeking. Your response to this question shows whether you will do anything you can to get this career or you will give up and settle for something mediocre.
The way you describe the fish represents the monetary value of the occupation that you seek. How much money will you make over the lifetime of your career?
The parting words to the mountain symbolize something you’ve always wanted to say to your mother or mother figure, but have never been able to. The conversation symbolizes how the conversation might go if you were to say these things honestly.
After sharing and discussing how each description speaks to your life, make some connections between what you wrote and what each item symbolically represents. Look for the relationship between the elements in the prompt and your life. Use the connections you discover about yourself to write a poem or vignette using the symbols as the central focus.
Prompt 4: The Berry Patch
On a stroll through the countryside, you come across a field of delicious-looking strawberries. Your stomach starts to rumble and there’s no one around. Only a fence stands between you and a free lunch. Describe the fence.
You sneak into the garden and begin to help yourself to the fruit. Describe how many berries you eat.
Suddenly the farmer whose berries you are eating appears and yells at you. Describe what you do or say.
You leave the berry patch. Describe the memory of the berries and how you felt about them.
THE KEY
Strawberries are a common symbol of love and attraction. The way you envisioned this scenario will reveal your attitude toward love and betrayal.
The fence represents your self-control and resistance to falling in love with someone who is off limits. The higher the fence, the greater your self control. The flimsier the fence, the easier it is to fall in love with just anyone. What connections can you make between your description of the fence and your own love life?
The number of berries you eat represents the number of people you believe yourself in love with at any given time. If you ate just one, you are a monogamist. If you have double-digits, you might be a player. What connections can you make about the number of berries?
The excuses you made to the farmer represent what you would say if you were caught in the act of betrayal. What connections can you make about your conversation with the farmer and the way you might react to being caught cheating?
The way you describe the berries represent your feelings for this illicit love. What connections can you make about your feelings for love and the description you wrote of the berries?
After sharing and discussing how each description speaks to your life, make some connections between what you wrote and what each item symbolically represents. Look for the relationship between the elements in the prompt and your life. Use the connections you discover about yourself to write a poem or vignette using the symbols as the central focus.
Prompt 5: The Desert
You are riding a camel across the vast and empty expanse of an endless desert, and you have ridden the camel to near exhaustion. What do you say to the camel to help it continue the journey?
You and the camel continue on through the desert. When you both are near dying of thirst, a body of water appears. Describe the water and describe what you do when you arrive at the oasis.
It feels like an eternity before a town appears on the horizon. You have finally reached your destination. When you arrive at the first house in the town, someone comes out and greets you. Describe this person.
THE KEY
The desert and camel theme symbolizes the journey toward personal independence.
The words you spoke to the camel is the way in which you encourage yourself to meet your goals. Did you gently encourage or whip and rail at the camel? Or say words of despair, like “we will never make ….
How you see the body of water symbolizes the way that you often approach problems. What you do when you reach the body of water symbolizes the way you often approach problems. What are some connections you can make about how you approach problems and the description of the body of water?
The person you meet is the independent you, the you who has made the journey and survived. What connections can you make about this person?
After sharing and discussing how each description speaks to your life, make some connections between what you wrote and what each item symbolically represents. Look for the relationship between the elements in the prompt and your life. Use the connections you discover about yourself to write a poem or vignette using the symbols as the central focus.