01/14/2026
Maybe not the most savvy way to establish myself as a “serious” educator, or academic / writing coach, but this makes me laugh and deserves to be shared. I created “Bigfoot Needs New Shoes” as the first of a series of weird and cryptid writing prompts I’ve used over the years, mostly to great effect.
One of the biggest struggles with writing, besides not knowing what to write about, is the fear of not writing well, or not writing well enough for someone else’s assessment of what constitutes “good writing”. This then turns into what Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones, describes as the ever-present and judging monkey mind..sitting there on your shoulder, whispering, “It’s not good enough.”
I started using a variety of ridiculous prompts as a way to help unlock some of these obstructions. If I’m remembering correctly, I really doubled down on them during COVID, when everything was remote and we also were in dire need of some levity. Afterwards, I brought them into the classroom as an element of the dreaded ‘morning work’ routine..again, to add some levity and generate some enthusiasm for writing.
I would always do my best to ensure time for everyone to share their responses, usually sitting in a circle. In the very best of circumstances, the prompts would morph into stories that would extend throughout the year, or that other students would then blend into their own. It was all good fun, and I saw some mighty fine, but reluctant, writers emerge and gain confidence in their capacity to tell engaging, funny, and oftentimes very weird stories.
Here’s the serious teachery part - my take on writing has always been this: if you want kids to write, and to enjoy writing, then just let them write. Let them write whatever and however they want. First and foremost, it’s about unlocking the potential that is already there. Now, I understand there are legitimate and significant hurdles that some students face, which require creative and compassionate support. But writing to meet expectations, or correctly, should never be an impediment to creative expression.
Email me at [email protected] if you’d like the full version.
And yes, I did use AI to help with the Bigfoot illustration, and clearly the Advance Praise is AI generated, which I think is kinda hilarious. Everything else is made by me.
