What do you wonder about? Spend ten minutes making a list. It can be anything from Komodo dragons, to how babies learn, to what happens in our brains when we cry. Anything you’ve ever wondered about. Because wondering can be the best beginning for writing. (This was a writing prompt from Teacher Write).
These are some of my wonderings. Whenever I travel, I learn interesting things about places or things. I went to Greece two years ago, Spain and Portugal in the summer of 2023, and Italy this past summer. I am constantly in awe of our world’s many interesting artistic things. Here are a few:
- The Caryatids of Athens
- The Burial of Count Orgaz painting by El Greco
- University Salamanca, founded in 1218!
- Belem Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, was ruined in the 1700s by an earthquake but rebuilt using pictures and the stones that were left.
- Monument of Discoveries – I was fascinated by all the different people depicted.
- Battistero di San Giovanni, Florence where Dante was baptized.
- All the places in Italy where Dante visited or lived.
- The Irish have over 50 names for rain.
- I have an interesting grandma who eloped at 17 with a ranch hand instead of marrying her fiancé, whom she had been promised to. Her life was really interesting.
- I have a lot of pioneer heritage and we have a few journals with interesting stories that I have wanted to fictionalize.
- I read an article about Korea’s Jeju Province (Marado) where only women free dive. They can hold their breath for more than two minutes bringing up treasures such as sea cucumbers, conchs, and abalone. Diving might have started with men, but by the 18th century, the discipline had become women-only.
- Rainbows!
“Critical thinking and curiosity are the key to creativity.” – Amala Akkineni
I think a children’s book based on any of these ideas above would be interesting! We can uncover story ideas in everyday life.
“Wonderings” can be found right in your neighborhood or town. Writing lists of our “wonderings” can lead to the next story within us. What are you curious about? What do you wonder about? What did you find interesting on one of your travels or in your town?