A recent discussion among us Muselings had us musing on subjects to write about. Sice I am reading Natalie Goldberg‘s Writing Down the Bones , in which she suggests 
generating just such a list, I volunteered to post mine — mine and Natalie’s. Here it is:
What to write about, the list so far
Write about a favorite poem. Wrie about a poem you learned in school. Write about a poem you hate. Write about memorizing poetry. Did you feel differently about the poem after you memorized it?
Write about flat feet. Write about aching feet. Write about orthotics. Write about shoes. Write about high heels. Write about fashion in shoes.
Write about art in your childhood home. Write about art in your present home. Write about art museums.
Write about school. Write about a particular year in schol. Write about a favorite teacher. Write about your least favorite teacher. Write about your favorite subject in school. Write about your least favorite subject in school.
Write about writing. Write about the physical act of writing. Do your fingers cramp? Do you like to write by hand?
Write about pens. Do you have a favorite? Do you like pencils? Do you do crossword puzzles, and if so do you do them in ink or pencil, and why?
Write about laundry. Write about laundromats. Write about laundry detergent. Write about bleach. Write about fabric softener.
Write about a favorite author. Here a few of mne:
Robert A. Heinlein. One of my favorite authors
Lewis Carroll. I am a big Lewis Carroll fan as well, both of the Alice books and of his poetry. I love the whimsey.
Write about a favorite book: Here are a couple of mine
Alice in Wonderland. I reread this every exam-time at College.Peter Pan by James M. Barrie. One of my favorite books as a kid. I also saw the play with Mary Martin as Peter. Pure magic.
Bookshelves, and what’s on them.
Food poisoning. Have you had any notable encounters with bad food?
Toothpaste. Rolling up the tube. Squeezing out the paste.
TV Advertisements. Do you watch them? Do you watch TV?
The ASPCA. ASPCA ads. Dogs. Cats. Birds.
I remember… Pick a memory and write about it.
Choose a color and write about it. Choose a color word and write about the word.
Write about light. Write about darkness. Write about shadows.
People you have loved.
People who have influenced you.
City streets. Country Roads. Getting lost.
Grandparents.
Pick subject you hate and write about it as though you love it, even if you don’t. How does this make you feel? Do the opposit: pick a subject you love and write about it as though you hate it. Do you feel the need for a disclaimer at the top of the article: This does not typify my personal opinion.?
Write about today. Write about yesterday. What was notable? What was different?
Write about ‘leaving’. This can mean anything you like.
Write about your first memory. How old are you? How detailed is the memory?
Open a poetry book, pick a line, and take it from there. See where you go.
What kind of animal are you? Are you an animal at all? Can you do this, or do you draw a blank?
Write about sex. Write about how you learned about sex. Write about your first sexual experience.
Write about the closest you’ve ever felt to God or nature.
Write about God, about your belief, or lack thereof.
Write about the stars. Write about the planetarium. Write about the Museum of Natural History.
Write about the movies. Write about your favorite movie. What movies have you watched more than once? Why?
The most frightened you’ve ever been.
Write about swimming. Write about learning to swim. Write about beaches. Write about sea shells.
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