Prompt 80: Do you prefer to read electronic books or paper books? Why?
I’m a reader. I don’t care if my words are printed in ink or digital. Electronic books are great because they don’t take up any physical space. Paper books are great because you can feel the weight of the book in your hands.
E-books are easier to stealth read at work. The Kindle Cloud Reader has made many a dull day go by much faster and I look like I’m concentrating very hard on something even though I’m just waiting for a script to run. They’re also convenient for long road trips. I like to read to my husband while he drives, and it’s just easier somehow to do it on the tablet.
Physical books are great too. I love having overflowing bookshelves in my house. I always pack a book or two in my suitcase or duffle bag when I travel. Even if I don’t get around to reading them, it feels wrong not to have them with me.
I think my favorite thing about physical books is that you can see how much they’ve been loved. Some people cringe at cracked spines or dog-eared pages, but I find it endearing. Used bookstores are great for those kinds of books. The ones with history. Stories transcend time and souls, bringing them together briefly. It’s a bit romantic, sure, but I believe it to be true.
What about you? Do you have a preference when it comes to reading? What are the pros and cons of each medium? How can you work this into a story? Maybe a character loves old books and frequents the local library or bookstore just to be near them. Perhaps you have a character who has no time for books and just needs a quick way to find what she needs. There are plenty of ways you can use this. Write down your thoughts and come back to them later!
Prompt 81: Complete this simile: “As awkward as _____.”
-a newborn fawn trying its legs out for the first time
-a teenage love confession
-walking in on your parents making you a new sibling
-meeting your new girlfriend’s dad for the first time and realizing he’s your arch nemesis (no, YOU watched Spiderman: Homecoming tonight, shut up)
-screaming the wrong name during the throes of passion
-confidently shouting the wrong answer in the middle of class
-being at the wrong end of a public misunderstanding
-spending an hour on the most professional, perfectly worded email, proofreading it over and over again, only to realize you spelled the recipient’s name wrong in the greeting after you’ve clicked “Send”
-an uncoordinated cat on a narrow ledge
-a car with a boot
-running into your boss at the bar getting very intimate with someone who is NOT their partner
-a writer trying to articulate what their story is about on command
I heard you like lists. So I got you a list for this prompt. What other things do you think of when you think “awkward?” Come up with some of your own!
Closet Full of Notebooks 