A glimmer is the small thing that snags your attention—a color, sound, gesture, headline, or happening.  This prompt asks you to start with one glimmer and then follow two short lines of research that connect or collide with it. You’ll bring three strands—the glimmer and two inquiries—onto the page and let their points create pressure, tension, and meaning.

Journaling

• Name today’s glimmer in 1–2 sentences. What did you notice first?
• Ask two curiosity questions that pull you outward. (Ex: one about place/object/history; one about science/culture/conditions.)
• Research: Jot three fast facts per question. Don’t overthink. Note what surprises you.
• Freewrite for 10 minutes: Where do these three strands push against each other? Where is the pressure or contradiction?

Fiction

• Pick a protagonist and give them a glimmer (image/object/event) that hooks their attention.
• Choose two external forces to research lightly (5–10 minutes each):
  • Force A: A place, artifact, or local history.
  • Force B: A phenomenon, rule, or cultural current.
• Build a scene where the character and the strands collide. What does your character want, and what applies pressure?
• Let one researched detail become an obstacle; let the other become a key or misdirection.
• End the scene with a choice made under tension.

Nonfiction

• Define your glimmer, explain why it matters, and outline what’s at stake right now.
• Run two micro-inquiries:
  • Strand 1 (Concrete/Local): site, object, or person tied to your glimmer. Gather 3–5 specifics (names, dates, descriptors).
  • Strand 2 (Systemic/Abstract): science, policy, weather, language, or data. Gather 3–5 specifics (terms, stats, quotes).
• Follow the friction: What contradictions or harmonies appear between the strands? Identify one central question your piece will answer.
• Conclude by returning to the original glimmer with altered understanding.

Poetry

• Start with the glimmer in a concrete image with no abstractions.
• Weave in two points of research (one concrete noun, one concept).
• Use anaphora to pivot between strands. (I personally prefer using prepositions for anaphora.)
• Allow one contradiction to stay unresolved. End by returning to the glimmer and with your changed perspective or earned insight.
• Bonus: Write this using five unrhythmed couplets as your form.