Shutterstock©This week’s writing prompt is of course inspired by the festive season!
As the great pop song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
People are kinder and more warm-hearted right now. Apart from the odd Scrooge, most people will go out of their way to help others, whether they’re family or a complete stranger.
So this week I wanted to use this writing prompt to celebrate that aspect of the holidays. Acts of kindness.
You only need to flick through an issue of “The People’s Friend” to get tons of ideas for this one.
I’m always blown away by the amazing people we feature – those who volunteer their time, dedicate their lives to good causes and generally make the world a better place!
A grand gesture
Think flash mobs, yarn bombs, organising a huge charity event, or even creating a charity!
There are so many possibilities.
Perhaps a sudden shock or personal tragedy spurs your character on to help make things better for others going through the same thing. Turning a negative into a positive.
Maybe a local knitting group decides to light up a struggling town centre by decorating local landmarks with their knitted creations!
Or, what about a dancer who takes time to teach people a routine so that they can liven up the high streets with a flash mob performance?
Anonymous acts
The best acts of kindness are those given without anything in return.
Your character could decide to write notes and leave them in different places. Instructing people to look up, take a deep breath, enjoy the moment. Somebody might need the reminder.
Or what about leaving books on the bus or train with special notes inside? Passing on a good read for other people to enjoy.
The personal touch
An act of kindness doesn’t have to be big. It could be inviting a neighbour round for tea and a chat.
Children are always good at it – how about a young character who spots a new girl or boy at school and asks them to join their game?
I’m a believer that any small act of kindness has a domino effect.
It’s likely that the person will go on to do another small act of kindness for someone else and on and on. Who knows how far that small act will travel?
Even fiction has its place in the cycle of goodwill – a story could inspire the reader to action.
So, have a very Merry Christmas and don’t forget to pass on the good cheer!
Click here for more writing prompts from the Fiction team.
Abigail Phillips Abbie is the newest member of the fiction team at the "Friend." She loves how varied the role is - every day is different and there is always a new story to read. She is keen to work closely with established writers and discover new writers, too.
