Writing Prompt

March Promposity Challenge: In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion

Smash writers block and inspire ideas for wonderful new stories by participating in the Promposity March challenge focusing on interpreting the saying, In Like a Lamb, Out like a Lion.

“March came in that winter like the meekest and mildest of lambs, bringing days that were crisp and golden and tingling, each followed by a frosty pink twilight which gradually lost itself in an elfland of moonshine.”

- L.M. Montgomery

March is a month with many faces. For the northern hemisphere, March ushers in spring with the spring equinox, while in the southern hemisphere it ushers in Fall with the autumnal equinox.

In most places, spring is a time of unpredictable and often quickly changing weather. There is a lot of activity in nature during this month, as well. It is when birds migrate, plants start to grow, and animals begin to mate. The full moon in March is sometimes referred to as the Worm Moon, because this month is when insects begin to emerge.

In the U.S., for basketball fans, March is a particularly fun month as March Madness grips sports enthusiasts and they cheer on their favorite college teams hoping they’ll win the trophy. March is also when Daylight Savings Time occurs in many parts of the world and people “spring forwards” by setting their clocks ahead one hour. The month also makes up for the shortest month which precedes it, as it has 31 days in it, giving us the impression that time is on our side.

Of all the sayings about March probably the most famous is, “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.” Is there any truth to this saying? It all depends on your point of view and how you interpret the meaning of the adage.

Writing Prompt: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

The Promposity writing prompt for March is “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” You are free to interpret this prompt anyway you’d like. Talk about climate change, politics, relationships, the weather, superstitions, Spring, falsehood, or write something in which you replace “lion” and “lamb” with two animals of your choosing. We’ll accept flash fiction (500–1000 words) and poetry of any length. Be sure to tag three writers who you’d like to challenge to write a piece for the prompt.

To get you started, here’s my effort in the form of a poem.

All submission will be considered for inclusion in a future anthology. If you prefer not to be included in an upcoming publication, please put a private note on your submission and email us to let us know. This will in no way influence whether or not your piece is accepted for publication in Promposity. Should a future anthology be created, we will contact you with further information.

If you aren’t yet a writer for Promposity, leave a note on this story or email us at [email protected].

For further information about how to submit to Promposity, please see the submission guidelines here:

We can’t wait to see what you come up with!