PROMPT # 7: Watch your favorite movie. Afterwards, experiment on giving it different endings. If it's a romantic movie with a mushy happy-ending, why not re-write ending and say, have guy end up with other woman? Or if it's an action film, ask yourself what would happen if hero got killed. The thing here is you have to think of a different version for movie's ending.

Prompt # 8. Imagine you're walking in a mall and all of a sudden, a woman grabs you by hair and starts a catfight with you. What would you do? Would you fight back? If you're a man, think of what you'll do if another guy punched you on nose for no reason at all. Would you punch back? Describe "fight scene."

Prompt # 9. Recall last dream (or nightmare) you had. Describe dream in detail.

Prompt # 10. If you were an animal, what would would you be? Why?

Prompt # 11. When you were in gradeschool, what was your most hated subject? Why did you hate it? Do you still hate it? Why or why not? Did teacher have anything to do with it?

Prompt # 12. Put on your favorite CD or tape. What music comes out of it? When you listen to it, what do you feel? What comes into your mind?

I hope prompts I have created for you will help you get those words out of your head and onto paper.

Drop me a line and share with me your writing if you are inclined. Until then, great writing to you!

ON TO A GOOD SECOND DRAFT! Remember English and grammar rules you threw out window day before? Now's time to pick them up. You need them now. Go over remains of your first draft. You probably can't help wincing as you go along and start editing your work, joining fragments, making verbs and subjects agree with each other, correcting your spelling and finding that sentence or paragraph to lead your article or story. Firm up your second draft. You will find that it's a lot leaner and better than your terrible first draft.

GO AHEAD, GO FOR THE KILL! With an already better and much- improved second draft, why stop when you can make it even better and more polished? Like what Lamott wrote, go over your third draft as if you're a dentist looking for cavities, flossing every tooth and treating bad breath. Your third draft hopefully is your final and best draft.

ASSIMILATE, ASSIMILATE! Lamott wrote, "The first draft is child's draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later." Let your ideas flow first time you sit down to write that article or story! It's only when you write those terrible first drafts will you be able to produce really, really great stories! Then you can get them published!