Each month we’ll offer a low-stakes writing prompt applicable to all genres. Upon completing the prompt, send your piece (500 words or less please) to chippewavalleywritersguild@gmail.com for potential publication in next month’s newsletter!

Without further ado, here is your January Scribble challenge...

It’s official: dumpster fire, including its associated trashcan and fire emojis, has been declared by the American Dialect Society to be the 2016 Word of the Year. The ADS defines dumpster fire as “an exceedingly disastrous or chaotic situation,” and if there’s one thing we can collectively agree on in 2017, it’s that 2016 was a bit of a dumpster fire. But somehow, we subdued the flames long enough to find moments of peace, progress, and dare I say it, joy.

As we move into this next year of ours, your task is to reflect on a time in 2016 that you were able to find a moment of good in a difficult situation. Savor it. Write about it. And don’t just send it to us—share it with your friends, family, and community. We could all use a reminder that even through the fire, it is, after all, our dumpster.

Image: Timothy Wildey, CC 2.0