It’s December, the last month of this year, and the time when we often gather together over the holidays and share stories. The writing challenge this month is to tell your stories: the story of the year that was and the year to come.
Prompt 1: Looking back
Here’s the first prompt.
This was the year that I …
How would you complete that prompt?
Write about it for a while and see what kind of story you tell.
- Is it a tragedy? Are you perhaps a victim?
- Is it a heroic narrative of growth and change?
- Is it a comedy with you as a fumbling protagonist? (My life sometimes feels like that.)
Be kind to yourself as you write those stories.
If you find that you’ve been focused on the negative a lot, then your specific challenge is to look for the bright spots. Look for the growth, the change, the companionship, the connection, the humor.
Prompt 2: Looking forward
Now here’s your second prompt.
This next year is the year that I will …
How do you complete that?
Pick something that you’re looking forward to, something positive, some growth, some change, a new adventure, an experiment.
Now write these stories down for yourself.
By writing our own stories, we get to frame the narratives of our lives, and that’s a very powerful thing to do.
You might put them aside and review them next December. If nothing else, you’ll have a few stories to share at holiday gatherings.
Have fun and let me know how it goes.
