It’s ALL about Texas today! Let’s check out some really cool facts before we get to today’s writing prompt. Texas’ name comes from a Caddo Indian word, “teycha,” which translates to friends or allies. This name was given by the native people who lived here before the Spanish conquest. The land of this native American tribe was transcribed by an early Spanish explorer as “tejas,” and eventually made its way to the name we know today. Still today, Texas’ motto is “Friendship,” truly embodying the Southern hospitality the state is known for.
Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885 and began selling all across the country in 1904. Even today, the top-secret recipe is split in half and stored at 2 different Dallas banks.
Johnson Space Center in Houston is the site of Mission Control for all NASA flights into space. For more than 50 years, the country’s leading training, research, and flight control programs have been conducted here
Texas is a leading domestic producer of several products, like oil, natural gas, cotton, and wind power. This state alone accounts for 40% of the nation’s oil production and 25% of the natural gas production. Some of Texas’ other top exports include sheep, horses, citrus, pecans, and corn. Of course, to keep up with all that production, you need lots of land. With yet another #1 title, Texas has the most farms in the US–nearly 250,000!
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport covers 27 square miles of land (that’s larger than Manhattan), with 5 terminals and 191 gates. Even better, it’s the largest carbon-neutral airport in the world (and the first in North America)! (source: roamingtheusa.com)
Texas is known as the cowboy capital of the world. Many Texan ranches brand commercial cattle so that they can be identified. Since we’re in Texas, I thought it would be fitting to use this photo prompt for the creative writing exercise of the day! I’d like you to use the photo below to write a 2,000-word story in the third person narrative (he/she they/them), and I’d like you to put a Western spin on it; I’m talking cow folks in the old west, horseback, covered wagons and cattle drives, survival of the fittest. Use your imagination! For the opportunity to have your story featured on our blog, send us your work to pandapublishing8@gmail.com. Your story should be submitted before January 25, 2023, at 5 pm EST. Can’t wait to read what you’ve written! Check out some of our online writing courses here: Virtual Courses, Classes, and Workshops – Pandamonium Publishing House
