Vignettes as prompts
One of the distinctive facets of the Internet experience is the small glimpses we get into the lives of other people, which seems to satisfy the inner voyeur in us all. It’s an endless well of vignettes, those “short, impressionistic scenes that focus on one moment or give a particular insight into a character, idea, or setting” (definition from wikipedia). Someday I’d love to use them as writing prompts for myself or even students to launch short fiction or essays, so I’ve been keeping track of my favorite sources:
Overheard in New York, which is too raunchy/profane for high schoolers, but could work in composition classes and makes me laugh out loud every time
Post Secret, also available in book form and sometimes breathtaking in their vulnerability
The “Missed Connections” ads you can find in newspaper personals or on your local Craig’s List– these can be skimpy, but sometimes you stumble across a real jewel, like this one:
Oh Joeleen YOU silly Girl! You chose to stay with your boyfriend… It was such a good run we had. I never laughed with a girl so much in my life. I hope he is all you said he wasn’t.
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