Hi!  My name is Nik.  You can find out more about me here.  I identify as queer and genderqueer and have been out since I was 13.  My pronouns are she/her/hers or they/them/theirs, but I don't mind being called Sir.  Thanks for joining HeartBrain tonight for Writing Rainbows!  We're going to alternate between different formats so that most everyone has a chance to participate, whether they're out to their families or not.  Below is a quiet series of prompts that everyone can do from their homes.  It doesn't require audio or joining a virtual group workshop (but there will be opportunities for that too).  I'll post each upcoming week's workshops here by Monday of that week, so you can decide if it's something you're interested in or not.  Participate as often or as little as makes sense for you.  This is free to all LGBTQIA+ teens 13-18, anywhere, so please feel free to share with your friends if you think they'd be interested.  It's your space, so you can decide if that includes allies.  There is a form at the bottom in case you want to share your work with me for some writing feedback or to post here to share with your peers.  It's completely up to you, if you don't feel like sharing, don't.  

​

Ok, let's get started! 

 

Writing Prompts

 

Option A:

Make a list of people you look up to.  

Circle one name on the list.  

Write a letter from that person to yourself.  

What do you want them to say to you?  

How do you want them to see you?  

​

Option 2:

Make a list of things you want to change.

Anything in the world.   

Circle one.

Create a character with one power or unique ability that can help change this.

What's your character's name? Gender? Sexuality? Favorite food? Favorite color? Favorite music? Favorite condiment?  Do they have siblings? Do they have parents? Do they hate broccoli? Do they go to school? How old are they? What's their favorite thing to wear? What's their favorite thing to binge? What's their longest streak? With who? Are they shy or outgoing or does it depend? What language do they speak? Do they have all the toilet paper? 

Circle something else on the list. 

Create a friend for your character with another unique ability. 

Keep going.  

​

Option C:

Look up Andrea Gibson's poetry.  

Choose a poem you like.  

Write down or print a copy.  

Cross out all the verbs.

Choose your own verbs for the poem.  

If you want to keep going, cross out all the nouns.  

Choose your own nouns.  

Be sure to give it your own title.  

​

Option 4:

Re-write the ending of a historical or personal event.  

 

What if Anne Frank had superpowers?

What if specific presidents or other world leaders had never been elected or taken power?

What if slavery had never existed?

What if Columbus had been an artist? 

What if men didn't have voting rights when women did?

What if binary gender didn't exist?

What if everyone were assumed queer unless they came out as straight or cis?

What if Shakespeare were a painter or van Gogh a poet?

What if the first women president were elected in 1996?

What if you had a superpower?

What if global warming were never created?  

What if you had a twin?

What if your parents had said _______? 

What if you'd never _________?

What if you had chosen to ________?

​

Option E:

1. Go to Out's 25 Queer Poets to Read Now and Forever.

2. Choose a poet that interests you.  

3. Read 3 poems by that poet.  

4. Choose one of the poems.  

5. Write a short fiction piece about the poet's life the day that poem was written.  What's happening around them? What are they doing, thinking, feeling?  Are they writing in a journal or on a phone or with a bath crayon?  Are they waitressing or at home?  Do they like the poem or crumple it up and toss it across the room?  Is this the first version they wrote? Who are their friends? Where do they live? Who do they live with? What do they eat? What do they wear? What's easy/difficult for them? 

​

​

Option 6:

Choose one of these short films:

FIFTEEN

The Devotion Project

​

 1. Write down each character's name.

(If they don't have one, lend them one).

​

2. List everything you know about each character from the film.  

(Who are they? What do they look like?  What is their personality?

What's important to them?  Do you like them?)

​

3. List things you imagine about them.

(What do they eat? What music do they listen to? Are they a night owl?) 

 

 

 

Use the form at the bottom of the page

to submit your writing to HeartBrain for feedback.

We're looking forward to reading your work!

​

Hope to connect with you all again next Wednesday! 

​

Rainbows and Kittens and Love, 

Nik  

​

P.S. I got a new plant.  If you want to help me name it, use the box below.