January 2021 Age of Empathy Writing Prompt

What’s your spark?

Welcome to 2021! We hope the new year finds you doing well, warm, and cozy. If you’re struggling, our hearts go out to you. We hope Age of Empathy can offer all of you some comfort and hope.

Writing prompts will look a little different in 2021. We will publish twelve writing prompts — 1 per month, published on the first day of the month. The challenge will run the entirety of each month. Prompts may be based on films, books, or other sparks of ideas Shanna Loga, Bingz Huang, and I come up with.

We don’t have a budget for monetary prizes. We will promote all submissions on Twitter and in the Age of Empathy Facebook group. A story announcing the winners and runners-up will be published and included in a Growing in Empathy newsletter. This is a good way for writers to gain more visibility.

“A message to the children who have read this book. When you grow up and have children of your own, do please remember something important. A stodgy parent is no fun at all! What a child wants -and DESERVES- is a parent who is SPARKY!” — Danny, the champion of the world.” ― Roald Dahl , Danny the Champion of the World

What’s Your Spark?

Over the Christmas holiday, along with many others around the world, I watched Pixar’s movie Soul. If you haven’t yet seen it or have seen it and would like some reflections on the film, you can read my review here.

Soul is basically about not chasing career or wealth fulfillment, but finding the small things that make us happy. It reminds us we don’t need to chase grandiose dreams to live a purposeful, inspired life.

As Shanna Loga so beautifully explains,

“It’s about the idea that some of us feel like we have to have a purpose in life (eg. to be a musician or a writer or a sports star) versus the idea that life itself (the beauty of a leaf or the hug of your child) is the spark, or the driving factor in life.”

As we enter a new year, some of us take time to reflect, reassess, and reinvigorate ourselves.

We think reflecting on the question, “What’s your spark?” will inspire interesting and creative prompt responses.

The prompt runs from January 1 through January 30. To be considered in the competition, you must tag your prompt “AoE Prompt” and publish with Age of Empathy. One submission per category per writer, please. The categories to enter are Creative Nonfiction and Poetry.

Poetry is limited to a maximum of 50 lines or 250 words, whichever is highest and it can be any style of poetry. Creative nonfiction is limited to a maximum of 1000 words. As of January, 2021, Age of Empathy no longer accepts tanka or haiku, including in prompt responses.

Please use your subtitle as you would on any other story or poem. In other words, you do not need to put “Age of Empathy Prompt” in your title or subtitle.

Good luck! We’re looking forward to reading your creations.