Archive for the 'Writing prompts' Category

Short Story Starters

Okay – so you are trying to face a day of writing – but the ideas just won’t come.

Nothing.

It’s a frustrating feeling, knowing that you have to get a story written in the next two days and off to meet the magazine deadline or competition due date, but you have no ideas. The sinking feeling in the stomach makes the sinking of the Titanic seem like a hole ridden rubber duck in bath tub.

Sound familiar?

It’s a common feeling with too many writers. That’s where I come in. My most popular posts on this blog by far are the series I’ve called Short Story Starters. This is how it works: I give the first line or sentence or two of a story – you use that to get you started and before you know it, you have 200, 500 or even a thousand words and it’s taking over. Wonderful. Problem solved. Use any of the ideas here, adapt them to your own ideas, style, voice – whatever.

Short Story Starters

  1. “I’ve seen that face before.” Ken stared at the photo, trying to remember. That’s the thug who…
  2. Loretta knew she had one chance left. The butterflies were already dancing and the stomach churning threatened a further disaster of epic proportions. She gripped the pole tighter and…
  3. In the fog of trying to wake up Mickey was aware of someone else in his room. He tried to sit up but….
  4. ‘Neil? Are you there Neil?’ The voice was persistent and tinged with anxiety. ‘Are you in there?’ The knocking grew louder and Neil knew he had to respond, somehow. He….
  5. Paula had finished. With a smile of satisfaction she lightly brushed across her mouth with the back of her hand. ‘That was…
  6. The setting sun lit the vineyards stretched out across the valley. Rob watched as the golden glow deepened. He reached for…
  7. Susan hesitated. The door should have been locked. It gently swung open to reveal a…

Over to you. Time to get writing.

Good writing.

Conditions of use:

  • Feel free to use any of the story starters listed above. Change anything to suit your needs.
  • Give it your best shot.
  • Edit your work carefully before sending it off to a publisher or posting it on your blog.
  • Let me know in the comments section how it went.
  • If you publish your story on your web site or on your blog let me know so I can make a link to it for others to read.

Writing prompt #8

It has been quite a few months since I gave my last writing prompt, so it’s time for another one.

This time I thought I’d do something different. Instead of just one idea, I’m going to give a list of writing ideas. Use these ideas however you want. You might get an idea for a story, or a magazine article or a blog post. Or you might just use it as a warmup activity before the main writing project for the day.

20 Writing Prompts:

  1. Write about the Teddy Bears’ Picnic from the ant’s point of view.
  2. Write a list of things that are white.
  3. Explain why your character is afraid to go into the shadows.
  4. Write about a librarian who discourages people from borrowing books.
  5. Describe the most vivid dream you ever had.
  6. Make a list of things that make you laugh.
  7. Describe the last time you had a really good cry.
  8. Write about the joys of moving house.
  9. Write a conversation between a tree and a bird.
  10. Describe the most exotic place you’ve ever visited.
  11. Write the transcript of an interview you did with the character of a book.
  12. Make a list of the ten major events in your life.
  13. Write about the worst smell you have ever experienced.
  14. List the attributes of the most evil character you can imagine.
  15. Tell your life story in 50 words or less.
  16. Write a story about a cat in exactly 50 words. It must have a beginning, middle and end.
  17. What would you most like to change about your life – either in the past or the present.
  18. Imagine what it would be like living in a palace and write about it.
  19. Write a list of the ten things you would never do.
  20. Imagine being in your mother’s womb. Write about your feelings.

Related articles:

What I learned from mowing grass

My home is situated on five acres (2 hectares) on the outskirts of a country town in South Australia. We have a small orchard, about two acres of bushland scrub and the remainder is open grassland. Many years ago it was used for grazing sheep.

We used to have five sheep, but they had an accident and ended up in the freezer. The sheep did a good job in keeping the grass down and mowing was unnecessary. It’s a different story now. In spring and early summer the grass and weeds grow quickly, sometimes up to waist high, depending on the winter rains. Of necessity I bought a ride-on mower a few years ago. It was a good move.

What has this to do with writing?

Plenty.

I learned a great deal about writing from mowing the grass.

Get a  spark of an idea

Last spring the grass needed mowing. It was becoming a fire hazard as it dried in the warm sun. I went to start the mower – nothing.

Not a spark. The battery was flat. It wasn’t going anywhere.

Our writing can be like that. It seems to be going nowhere; in fact, some days it just won’t even start. Sometimes it needs a jump start to get it going. Take a break. Make a cup of tea or coffee. Go for a walk.  Read a book for ten minutes. Then come back refreshed and ready to get it going again.

Get some outside help

Even though I charged the battery of my ride on mower, it still wouldn’t start. I tried everything I know about mowers and motors and batteries (which isn’t much – more of a short, short story actually). It needed professional help. I loaded it up on the trailer and took it to the dealer, a specialist in mower maintenance. That did the trick. He knew exactly how to solve the problem, giving me a few maintenance hints as well. Get some professional help with your writing. This is where networking and writers’ groups can be so beneficial. If necessary you may even need to pay to have your manuscript professionally assessed.

Eliminate the rubbish

When the mower was home again I got busy. There was plenty of grass that needed mowing before the summer fire danger season. Round and round I went mowing happily until… until the mower stopped mowing efficiently. What the… ? I stopped and looked down: the cutting area was clogged up with matted dry grass. The blades couldn’t do their job properly.

Is your writing clogged with rubbish? Words that don’t fit, or redundant sentences. Paragraphs that are really run-on sentences going nowhere. Wordy descriptions that “tell and don’t show.” Spelling and grammatical errors that readers – not to mention editors – will trip over and curse you for their sore knees.

Shed some light on your work

Sometimes I was enjoying the mowing so much the sun set on me and it started getting dark. The mower has two headlights but they don’t shed much light on the path ahead. I had to shut down, put the mower away and start again the next day.

Sometimes with our writing we get eyes that are dimmed through tiredness or trying too hard for too long. Put it away over night, or for a few days, and come back in the light of a new day. Instantly you will see where you were having troubles with a piece of writing and be able to correct it and move on.

Be sure to top up the fuel tank

My mower sometimes runs out of fuel. The gauge is on the side of the tank where I can’t see it from where I sit. It leaves me in no doubt about what is happening. It splutters to a stop with no warning. Sometimes it is a long walk back to the shed to get fuel.

Has your writing ever sputtered to a sudden stop, going nowhere? It is then time to refuel. Take a short holiday completely away from the work that is bogging you down. Go for a long walk every day. Set aside a day or two just for reading a novel. Stop and refuel by listening to music. Walk on the beach. Let the wind blow through your hair. See a movie or  two or three. Visit a friend and have a good yarn about anything except your writing. Then come back fully refueled and ready to go on with your writing.

Good writing.

Exercise your writing muscles

Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.

Jane Yolen

Good advice.

As writers we need to be writing on a regular basis.  I could almost guarantee that Tiger Woods practises his golfing skills on a daily basis. All professional sportsmen and women spend countless hours going over the basics, time and time again, day after day. Actors, dancers  and musicians rehearse, rehearse and then rehearse some more. I’ve read that it takes ten thousand hours to become truly proficient at any skill.

Write every day.

This is the only way to hone those skills, to learn how language works, to iron out any problems you may have and to discover your voice.

Here is a quick and  simple list of writing activities you could do on a regular basis to exercise those writing muscles. You can probably think of dozens of other ideas. Share them in the comments section.

A very short list of 30 writing exercises:

  1. Write a few paragraphs in your journal today.
  2. Write a list of the things you really like.
  3. Write a list of writing goals for this week.
  4. Start writing a blog.
  5. Write ten sentences about your childhood.
  6. Write a paragraph about your first pet.
  7. Make a list of the things that annoy you.
  8. Describe the smells that make you happy.
  9. Write three paragraphs about your best friend.
  10. Describe what you can see out through the nearest window.
  11. Write a letter to a family member who lives far from away from you.
  12. Write about your favourite fruit.
  13. Describe the most frightening experience you’ve ever had.
  14. Write about the happiest day of your life.
  15. Describe how to make your favourite meal.
  16. Make a list of the places you would like to visit.
  17. In twenty words (or less), tell the story of your favourite movie.
  18. Write a character sketch of your favourite fictional character.
  19. Make a list of the twenty best books you’ve ever read.
  20. Describe the smells that make you hungry.
  21. Write an email to a friend or family member.
  22. Describe the scariest movie or television show that you’ve ever seen.
  23. Write a letter of protest to your local paper.
  24. Write about a time you were terribly embarrassed.
  25. Write about your favourite toy (even if you are getting on in years).
  26. Write a list of the ways in which you would change the world.
  27. Write a list of things you like to do alone.
  28. What things really bother you?
  29. Describe the most dangerous thing you have ever done.
  30. Who is your hero – and why?

A Note to Teachers:

The list above is a great starting point for writing activities for your students. Give them a go and let me know how they go. You may copy the entire list for classroom use.

Good writing.

Further reading:

Short Story endings

One of the lecturers I have this year often starts her lecture with a writing exercise. It is a creative writing class in prose fiction after all, so this is entirely appropriate. Rosanne uses a variety of approaches, each writing exercise is stimulating. It is also very good writing practice under pressure. I love these exercises, and I have become keen at sharing my writing later during the workshop session after the lecture.

Last week Rosanne wrote a sentence on the whiteboard. She then challenged us to write for about five minutes – ending our piece with that sentence. Here are some interesting (I hope) and challenging (I hope) story endings.  Use them in whatever way you like. Try them as warm up activities for your current writing project.

  1. Which one will I poison first?
  2. That is how the school burnt down.
  3. I will never go there again.
  4. That is the last time I ever saw her.
  5. It still amazes me that I lived to tell this tale
  6. I never expected to hear from him again.
  7. The precious key slipped from her hand, bounced once and disappeared over the edge of the jetty.
  8. Just when I’d given up all hope, the phone rang.
  9. Sometimes life is stranger than fiction.
  10. I was left staring at the solid door that had just been slammed in my face.

It was the first one we were challenged with. Here is what I wrote. Remember that we only had five minutes. This left little time for story or character development and none for rewriting.

Tuesday started like any other day: shower, breakfast, cuppa, paper, crossword and then don’t forget the teeth. All was going well, on schedule, according to plan, just like any other Tuesday.

Until.

Until my brother-in-law came to stay with his tribe of brats. All seven. Four boys and three girls plus two over active Jack Russells who always decided to wait until getting here to relieve themselves – on the new carpet.

‘I’ve left Susanna,’ he announced matter-of-factly. ‘Nowhere else to go. So I’ll have to move in with you. I’ll use the spare room shall I?’

I stared in disbelief. This was the fifth time it had happened. I couldn’t stand my brother-in-law. The Brat Pack was uncontrollable. The Jack Russells beyond control.

‘Which one will I poison first?’ was my immediate thought.

Have a go – let me know in the comments how it went.

Good writing.