Chodesh tov! Here are the writing prompts my How To Winter book club has used so far (chapters 1-5). You can use them alongside or independent of the book:
- (Chapter 1) Make a list of physical preparations you can make for winter. Bonus: Schedule time for each of the items on your list. Ex. find/buy boots and winter accessories, change bedding, reorganize closet, stock up on hot drinks…
- (Chapter 1) While a bit overdue, the next prompt was to make a plan for the clock change week. Even if you did not do that, you can think about how you can lean into the early darkness.
- (Chapter 2) Think about how to use winter as a season of rest. What can you eliminate from your schedule? What can you put aside?
- (Chapter 2) Consider and explore slow winter hobbies.
- (Chapter 3) Make a list of “winter admiration”: things about winter that you like.
- (Chapter 3) At least one day this week, notice nature and how it makes you feel. It can be something very small. Record what you noticed and your thoughts and feelings about it. Perhaps take a picture. (As an aside, I’ve shared about the chrysanthemums and the changing foliage on my book club chat.)
- (Chapter 4) Name every week of winter. Inspired by Japan’s microseasons, the idea here is to notice the nuanced differences between the weeks and months of winter, instead of seeing the season as one long stretch. I listed the weeks from December through February for this exercise. You can include weeks of November and/or March if you would like. (Realizing that this is only referring to the Northern Hemisphere!)
- 11/29-12/5
- 12/6-12/12
- 12/13-12/19
- 12/20-12/26
- 12/27-1/2
- 1/3-1/9
- 1/10-1/16
- 1/17-1/23
- 1/24-1/30
- 1/31-2/6
- 2/7-2/13
- 2/14-2/20
- 2/21-2/27
- (Chapter 5) Write a winter fun list! What activities, big and small, do you want to try and do between now and the turning of the season? Bonus: Put them in your calendar!
Over the next week or two, I’ll share some of my responses! Winter is coming slowly, but it is coming.
(Photo credit: mali maeder/Pexels)
