Monkey by Piotr Wojtkowski
National Mutt Day - Pedigree dogs are beautiful, yes, but so are mutts. I’ve owned many dogs throughout my life, and all of them, except for one, have been mutts. Usually mixed breed dogs are healthier, better behaved, and they usually live longer. Why not visit your local animal shelter and save a mutt from euthanasia to celebrate this day during December?
Katie had always wanted a dog, so her parents went and picked one out for her from the pound. The little girl was disappointed; she hadn’t wanted just a mutt. She longed for a purebred dog, so she ignored her new little friend. One day, even though he had been almost totally ignored by her, this dog saves Katie’s life and becomes her best friend. What happened?
Monkey Day - On this day, December 14 of every year, monkey business is encouraged. Dress up in costumes, have parties, act like a monkey, spend the day at the zoo visiting the monkeys. This s a day to bring attention to these primates and their place in the world, a day to see that this species is treated humanely.
Do you think monkeys can be trained? Create a character who trains these intelligent primates. Does he train them to do good things, like help people? Or does he train them to do bad things, like rob banks and people’s houses?
Cat Herders Day - Have you ever tried to herd a group of cats? It is a next-to-impossible task. December 15 isn’t a day to actually celebrate herding cats, it is a day for those who feel as though they have been tasked with the impossible and getting it done would be like trying to herd a bunch of cats.
Cat Herders Day may not be about herding cats, but you can create a character who specializes in doing just that. Your character would be famous for his skill in herding these animals who definitely have a mind of their own. He is in constant demand and travels all over the world herding cats for those who can afford his services. But is that all he does? Is it possible that he is also a thief who steals from his clients? Could he be a spy for an enemy government?
Skywarn Recognition Day - This day was started by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League. It celebrates the ham radio operators who act as severe weather spotters and alert the weather service to phenomena such as hail, high winds, tornadoes, flash flooding, and snow fall.
Severe weather spotters give warning of dangerous weather. Create a character who does this, and write about some of his adventures in spotting hazardous weather and tell how he managed to save the lives of those in his town.
Day of the Ninja - A ninja is a member of a feudal Japanese society of mercenary agents. They are extremely stealthy and experts in the martial arts. The work of a ninja includes espionage, sabotage, and assassination. And they are most active at night.
What if you character was a ninja today? What would you have him do? Or would it be a she? Who would hire his services?
Miner’s Day - Raw materials that are needed for modern manufacturing are mined out of the earth by miners. These brave men have a hazardous job as they venture deep within the earth to retrieve these metallic ores. This day pays homage to the miner and the job he does.
Create a character who is a miner and have the mine he is in collapse on him and his fellow miners. The chances of rescue are slim, but your character figures out how to save them all. How?
National Salesperson Day - How would you like to be a salesperson during the Christmas rush? I know I wouldn’t. Salespeople are many times underappreciated Their job is relatively easy when dealing with a civil human being, but face it, a lot of people just don’t know how to be polite anymore. This day is to honor and give thanks to the salesperson for all of his or her hard work, but why not do this every time you go shopping?
Your character is a salesperson who puts up with rude people on a daily basis. Then one day he has had enough and decides to put a stop to their rudeness. What does he do? What are the results?
Hopefully the above writing prompts gave you some idea of how you can use these unique holidays in your writing. If you have any more ideas on how these holidays could be used for your writing, feel free to share them in the forum.
