ONLINE ADVENT CALENDAR
By Chris Dunmire | Posted December 14, 2005 | Updated December 22, 2019
“To appreciate the beauty of a snow flake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”
—Anonymous
Cold, snowy winter weather! Looking for some inspiration or the "write" kind of prompting for the winter and Christmas season? Never fear, look right here! These cool writing prompts and photos will help facilitate your creative stories, blog entries, and holiday reflections for the winter season and melt any icy writing blocks you've been chipping away at. Grab your writing shovel and dig in!
Write about one of the five senses (related to your winter experience):
What is your favorite winter or Christmas memory?
Write a funny rhyming poem about winter, snow, or Christmas.
What do you think or feel when you walk through freshly fallen snow? What kind of metaphors do these thoughts bring forth in you?
What are three things that you enjoy most about the winter season? What three things do you dislike?
How does the cold winter weather and shorter days affect your mood or outlook on life? What if winter lasted year-round?
Why are you are grateful for the winter season? List 10 (or more) specific things you are grateful for.
What do you think or feel when you look at snowy winter scenes? If you could describe a scene from your imagination (past, present, or future), what would it look like?
What do you think the symbolism of winter is in relation to the human life span? Does winter mean "old age" or could it be a metaphor for other kinds of cycles? Can it refer to a 'dying off' and readying for a new beginning in other spheres of our lives? Which ones?
Why do you look forward to the winter season? If you don't enjoy the winter season, why don't you?
Sunrise with icicles overhanging a window view. How does it make you feel to be inside when it's warm and cozy? What do you think it's like living in a cold climate like Antarctica?
Choose a prompting word from the following list and write about whatever comes to mind for 10 minutes without stopping. Alternatively, choose one or more groups of words and create a short story using all of the words in each group at least once.
Choose one group from the list below and use all the words in a piece of writing such as a short poem, haiku, essay, or reflective writing.
Group 1: Winter, snow, holidays, family, eating, blizzard, snowstorm, snowman, holiday season, ham, sled, love, gathering together, winter arts and crafts, sweaters, icicles, traveling, cooking.
Group 2: Winter berries, candles, ice crystals, time off, snow flakes, seasonal, winter, snow, holidays, Christmas, family, eating, religion, Santa Claus, reindeer, Rudolph, blizzard, snowstorm.
Group 3: Gifts, presents, 'Tis the Season, giving, receiving, snowman, holiday season, ham, turkey, sled, love, gathering together, toys, pine tree, trimming, star, ornaments, winter arts and crafts.
Group 4: Sweaters, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Christmas music, wreath, centerpieces, batteries not included, everything closed, icicles, traveling, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, elves, coal, cooking, bah humbug, Scrooge.
Group 5: After Xmas Sales, Night Before Christmas, cookies and milk, Yule logs, mistletoe, winter berries, candles, gift wrap, greeting card, returning or exchanging gifts, holy day, Jesus, Bethlehem, baby in a manger.
Group 6: Ice crystals, three wise men, Silent Night, holiday cheer, time off, selfish, greed, gimmee, Dr. Seuss's Grinch Who Stole Christmas, snowman poop, fruitcake, Christmas cards.
Group 7:Christmas shopping, crowded stores, last minute shopping, re-gifting, more happiness in giving than receiving, New Years Eve, taking down decorations, cleaning up.
Do winter months make you restless with cabin fever? They do me. At my wits end last Saturday I bundled up for a winter hike (at 20° F) on a snow-lined trail near a lake. The sun was shining, the sky was crisp blue, and the lake was frozen over with artful ice formations around the edges. I walked for an hour, bracing myself against the wind, constantly monitoring my body temperature — especially my toes layered in extra-thick socks inside my boots.
I knew the fever left me about midway through when I suddenly felt a rush of joy coursing through me. I felt engaged, happy to be outside connected to nature, witnessing its frozen wonders, moving the pent-up energy that made me so restless. The change of scenery, the change in temperature, and the physical demands on my body shifted everything.
If you need to move some pent-up energy this month, consider engaging in an outdoor activity — even a simple walk around the block. It may do wonders for you.
January Writing Prompts:
When the holidays are over...
Taking down Christmas decorations...
A brand new year! I get to...
If this were my last year, I'd...
My greatest accomplishments last year are...
Where I live, winter is...
I like/don't like January because...
My New Year Resolutions are...
In six months I hope to...
Starter Topics:New beginnings, new year resolutions, cabin fever, winter blues, snow, ice, freezing temperatures, shoveling snow, winter driving, sledding, ice skating, skiing, being inside, being outside.
©2005, 2011, 2019 Chris Dunmire. All rights reserved.