Picture Book Prompt 118

“Inside all of us is hope. Inside all of us is fear. Inside all of us is adventure. Inside all of us is … a wild thing.” —Maurice Sendak

Every child knows there’s something wild living inside them—something that wants to roar, to run, to break free from being “good.” But they also know that there are times when it’s okay to let it out and times when it isn’t.

Think about the wild thing that lives inside you or a child you know. What does it look like? When does it want to come out? What happens when it’s been caged up too long, and what happens when it’s finally allowed to play? How do you manage it? How does it escape, and what happens when it does?

Write for fifteen minutes about a character who discovers their own wild thing. Let your character explore what it means to have wildness living alongside other qualities. Explore the moments when their wild thing is exactly what is needed—and ones when it needs to curl up and wait for the right time to emerge.