Our host server WordPress has recently started posting daily writing prompts (or maybe I am just now noticing them). I am not sure how I feel about these. Part of me likes the idea, although the questions are not always my cup of tea. Part of me prefers the process of coming up with writing topics on my own. It’s an interesting process to struggle though. A process that can take anywhere from hours to months to complete. There are a couple of ideas that I’ve been contemplating for years, and perhaps will never get to?
Anyway, I don’t just want to write-off the daily prompts, they could turn out to be fun, especially trying to connect them to climbing, hiking, or the outdoors. What better way to kick the tires on this idea than to give a few of them a test drive! Who knows how it will go, but I’ve decided to look at 5 prompts and see where they lead?
Here are 5 responses to 5 Daily Prompts.
- What activities do you lose yourself in? Starting off with a softball question! I lose myself in climbing. I don’t think that is an overly metaphorical way to state it either. There are times when I’m on a route and the entire world melts away. My personal life disappears, it’s just the rock and the challenge of getting up a little higher. There are times when I’ll push myself really hard and when I finally make it to the top, my belayer is surrounded by other climbers standing around and cheering. Where did they come from, how long have they been there? I have no idea. One of my favorite things about climbing are the times I get lost in the rock. It’s one of the greatest feelings in the world.
- What makes you most anxious? Still kind of a softball, but it’s a good question. I have taken a few really bad falls over the years that have shook me. It’s hard for me to trust belayers or to get on intensely challenging routes with someone I’m not very familiar with. There is a bit of snowball effect that comes into play as well. When climbers get nervous, we tend to over grip, causing us to get pumped (lactic acid buildup), thus making a route more challenging than it otherwise would be. This in turn leads to more desperate moves and more falls, which if bad enough makes matters worse. Getting pumped on a runout route with a beginner belaying and not knowing if I’ll be able to clip in before a big fall gives me anxiety. That anxiety reminds me I’m alive, and for that I am thankful, but I much prefer losing myself on a route than being reminded that I am alive!
- Are you superstitious? No, but also a little bit. I don’t believe in superstition in any of its occurrences. I don’t have a particular way my harness needs to be situated in order send. I don’t have magical shoes that will make me better. I do have shoes that make me better, but not because they’re magical. I don’t pray for a safe journey on road trips. AND, I teach my logic class that superstitious beliefs fall under the fallacy of False Cause or in Latin, Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc. Which is an expression that I love to say. It’s my favorite fallacy to talk about, and it just asserts that something happened after the fact, therefor it happened because of the fact. Bad luck after I broke the mirror, therefor bad luck because I broke the mirror. My team lost after I washed my favorite jersey, therefor my team lost because I washed my favorite jersey. I have this habit of really stretching out my arms before challenging myself on a hard route, and in the past I have thought that I fell off a route because I didn’t do my little stretch. Is that superstitious? Maybe just a little stitious?
- Where would you go on a shopping spree? This is my favorite prompt of the 5. I love the idea of a shopping spree. When I was little, my sister and I would be glued to the show Supermarket Sweep. Basically, it’s a game show that’s based on a shopping spree in a grocery store. If there was one game show I could be on, it would be Supermarket Sweep. I bring up that show, because a proper shopping spree needs some rules. It can’t just be a blank check and an unlimited amount of time. There has to be some gamesmanship, some excitement, a spending limit, and a few other limitations. The other limitations could include things like a timer, a weight limit, and/or a size limit. So, I am reinterpreting the question to ask where and how would you go on a shopping spree. The where is easy. REI is like Disney for a climber, or maybe Disney is like REI for a non-climber. Either way, REI is the store. The function of the spree would break down as follows. I’d be limited to 5 minutes, one shopping cart, and anything I could fit in, balance, or support on top of the shopping cart without duplicating any items. My game-plan would be to start small and finish big. New climbing shoes, chalk, rope, quickdraws, slings, etc… then on to sunnies and camp gear, titanium spork, dehydrated food, camp bowl, plate, water bottle, cook stove, I’d grab a free Clif Bar while I’m at it. Then it would be time to hit the refresh button on the more expensive camp gear. New tent, sleeping bag, backpack, camp chair, sleep pad all into the cart, before I make my way over to the clothes. Fresh pants, jacket, shirt, socks, and hiking boots. As time starts to run out, I balance my new kayak and paddle on the cart before finally tossing my new mountain bike on top of everything.
- Write a letter to your 100-year-old self…
- Dear Carrot, how are you still alive? If you are ever offered a shopping spree at REI take it. Stick to the plan! – Sincerely Carrot
These are 5 things I probably would have never written about. The last one is a little silly, I wonder if a 100 year old Carrot would like to hear from me. I don’t really think I’d be stoked to hear from any particular earlier version of me. The other prompts however were pretty fun. I really enjoyed thinking about the shopping spree and in the end I may pay a little more attention to these prompts, just in case I am in the need of 5 things to write about!
V5 5 Things 1 Topic
thedihedral.com 
Daily prompts annoy me. Lord knows I talk enough as it is. There’s a slider to turn them off. When I found it, they were immediately gone from my site. Bless you. You’re more patient than I.
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I didn’t know about the slider, I was kind of taking the ‘if you can’t beat em join em approach’ good to know they can be defeated!
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This was so fun & my Grandson & I want to go shopping with you.
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shopping spree at a toy store would be the best!
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The first one reminds me of a recording by jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd. At the beginning he urges the listener to “lose your mind and come to your senses”. I love the word “stitious”. If you need another word for the day, try “gruntled”. The bad thing about “Supermarket Sweep” was that the winner was the one with the most expensive cartload of groceries, so contestants quickly learned to load up on beef, mostly steaks. I prefer your REI approach.
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You are so right on all of this…”lose your mind and come to your senses” is such a great quote! AND the worst thing about supermarket sweep was loading up on beef. I always felt bad for the poor fools who ignored the steaks, then never stood a chance!
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When I started my blog almost 10 years ago, I thought the prompts (then proffered by WP) were stupid but I started writing to them and discovered two things that were really cool. One was a community. The other was I became a better writing by writing every day challenged by a topic that came from outside. Back then the prompts were not just questions as they are now; they were actual writing topics. Now I’m posting prompts myself on Rag Tag Daily Prompt. Mostly it’s single words. Just another one of those, “Get over yourself, Martha.”
And… a mountaineer friend once asked me if I were afraid of heights. I said I was. He said, “I wouldn’t’ climb with anyone who’s not a little afraid.”
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You passed the heights test. I never really thought about it, but it makes sense, when I belay fearless climbers the risks they take seem to be too much to stomach. I get where your friend was coming from for sure!
It was kind of interesting being on the other side of a prompt for a change, I should make a writing prompt for students to come up with a writing prompt!
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I think that’s a great idea. It would be cool (for me, anyway) if you did it and then posted them. I’d try to write some!
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Alright…I like that plan!
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If I were offered a free shopping spree anywhere, I would take it! Even REI – I like their camping stuff. Good post!!
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Seriously it would be a blast. companies need to start handing them out!
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Perfect advertising strategy.
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I know right? People would be so invested in that idea for sure!
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They are annoying. However, for a writer stuck in the dead zone, it may give some inspiration. 🤷♀️
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That is a great point…sometimes you just need a little push, good call! Thank you!
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I’ve seen those prompts, but have never tried them. Like that you did- maybe I’ll look at the prompts more closely next time. They remind me a bit of books like The Artist’s Way, that seem to be great at getting me to expand on my writing ideas. I second the shopping spree ideas! A grocery store shopping spree would be awesome! I got groceries yesterday and wowsa, prices are still rising… great post!
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Seriously…I picked up 1 bag of groceries and dog food yesterday and it was $100. Ouch! Please, we need a shopping spree for real!
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I had noticed the prompts too but I was not inspired to use them as motivation to write.
I guess it can be useful to inspire some who are interested and who are stumped as to what to write about.
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I think that is kind of where I am too. I’m not sure I’ll write about them again, but good to know they are there if I need them!
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True🌷
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