Winter Entertainment
Writing Prompts

711. In Joni Mitchell's song Urge for Going, she makes it seem like everyone and everything wants to leave when winter closes in. Would you say that's accurate? Why or why not? Have you ever felt like leaving your town for greener pastures during the winter? Why or why not?

712. In the movie An Affair to Remember, the character Terry McKay said, "Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories." What does it mean to have a warm memory? Would you agree that people without that kind of memories would act colder? Why or why not?

713. The narrator in the song California Dreamin’ by the Mamas and the Papas states that he'd be "safe and warm" if he was on the west coast during the coldest months. Would you rather live in a place that was warm all year round, even if you'd miss out on playing in the snow? Why or why not?

714. In the famous horror movie The Shining, the main character goes crazy when he's cooped up in a hotel in the middle of nowhere during the winter. Do you ever get restless when you're not able to go outside in the winter? Why or why not?

715. The song Early Winter by Gwen Stefani refers to an impending breakup as an "early winter." Do you think of an early winter as an upsetting thing? Why or why not? Why do you think songs and poems often use winter to refer to something negative?

716. The movie Groundhog Day shows a grumpy newscaster having to re-live the same winter day over and over again until he gets it right. What would you do if you had to live the same 24 hours over many times in a row during the winter? How would you pass the time and why?

717. The television show St. Elsewhere, a medical drama from the 1980s, ended its series by revealing that the entire universe of the show was the daydream of an autistic child staring into a snow globe. What would you do if you found out that part or all of your life was nothing but a dream? How would you live life differently and why?

718. The movie The Day After Tomorrow shows part of the world descending into an ice age with the people having to survive the new landscape. How would your life change if your town became year-long arctic wasteland? Would you consider moving? Why or why not?

719. In the Seinfeld episode The Strike, we are introduced to a winter holiday called Festivus that includes a metal pole and an airing of the grievances. If you could create a winter holiday, what would it be called, what activities would it involve, and would your family enjoy it? Why or why not?