Therapeutic Writing Prompt

So my brain’s still dealing with pandemic life. Today, I thought of a way to use those experiences that may be a bit more therapeutic than the rant option. A therapeutic writing prompt if you will.

1. Pick an experience from your life.

To be topical, you’d pick from the last year, but it could really be any time. I was going to say to pick a negative experience. The more I think about it, though, the more I’m sure it could work with any experience. Anyway, read all the steps and then decide which route you want to take.

2. Write the story of that experience in a different time.

What would it have been like in the Dark Ages? In Victorian England? In colonial U.S.A?

In all likelihood, the setting and time period will change the experience dramatically. Especially if you’re not a white heterosexual male.

3. Repeat.

There are plenty of different times and places to choose from. Some will be more dramatically different or more depressing/horrifying than others.

Seeing how the experience changes based on the setting and time is pretty enlightening. It adds strategies and tools to your worldbuilding arsenal.

4. Reflect.

This is kind of a bonus step, but it’s necessary if you want to explore the therapeutic possibilities of the writing prompt. If all you’re looking for is writing practice, feel free to skip it.

If you do choose to reflect, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to look at your own experience in a different light. If it was a negative experience, it may even improve your feelings towards it.

Then again, knowing something could have been worse isn’t always uplifting. So no guarantees. The only guarantee I’ll make is that it’s good practice for your writing.