Two Stories
J.M. Barrie once wrote, “The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.” Writing as yourself or as a fictional character, reflect upon how your life so far compares to what you intended to make of it.
J.M. Barrie, playwright and author of Peter Pan, passed away on this day in 1939. Peter Pan was always one of my favorite stories, and the novel adaptation in particular was brimming with enchantment and charming diction that I'm fond of echoing in my own work, but Barrie penned many other works that are often overshadowed by the immortality of Neverland.
Today's prompt is crafted in memory of J.M. Barrie's thoughtful and inspiring legacy.
The Prompt
J.M. Barrie once wrote, "The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it."
Writing as yourself or as a fictional character, reflect upon how your life so far compares to what you intended to make of it.
Post your response in 500 words or fewer in the comments below.
Note: The quote above is from The Little Minister (1891). You can read the full text of the novel here.
Jess Zafarris is the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications for Gotham Ghostwriters and the former Digital Content Director for Writer’s Digest. Her eight years of experience in digital and print content direction include such roles as editor-in-chief of HOW Design magazine and online content director of HOW and PRINT magazine, as well as writing for the Denver Business Journal, ABC News, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. She spends much of her spare time researching curious word histories and writing about them at UselessEtymology.com. Follow her at @jesszafarris or @uselessety on Twitter.
