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:

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 Starters

It has been far too long since my last set of short story starters was published here. Entries in this series of articles have proved very popular with my readers for several years now.

Use them

I invite you to look through this latest list of short story starters. If anything grabs your imagination, run with it. Borrow my idea and use it for a short story (or even a novel).

Writer’s block

If you are suffering from the dreaded Writer’s Block, these ideas are the ideal way to write yourself out of that slump. Take one of the ideas and just write – anything that comes to mind. Don’t worry if it seems like rubbish. Just write – and soon the words will be flowing again.

New writers

If you are new to writing, here you will find some great ideas to get you going. Don’t worry too much about the technicalities of spelling, punctuation and grammar on your first, rough draft. You can go back over those things later, once you have the main bulk of the story written.

Here they are – more Short Story Starters:

  1. As Alice rounded the corner she could hear the train coming. She…
  2. Before I had a chance to fully grasp what was happening, Ben had whipped out his knife. Seconds later he…
  3. Considering his past record, this latest move was sure to create a new round of controversy. Peter knew this, but he was adamant that he must go on. He…
  4. ‘Don’t come in here!’ she shouted. ‘After what you’ve done I don’t want to see you again. Get lost.’
  5. Even as I entered the room I could tell that she was not happy. She had that certain look that spoke volumes. I knew…
  6. ‘Fine! You just go ahead and leave – tonight! Good riddance, I say. And don’t think I’ll come running after you.’
  7. Getting over the party was the least of my worries. The cleanup could wait; that mess wasn’t going anywhere. I had to find George and explain. He was probably wondering…

Show – don’t tell

Notice that I start in the middle of the story. Many short stories start in the wrong place. Beginner writers tend to give far too much background detail and the real story starts part way through.

In the example above I have tried to get the action going immediately. Pages of background information is fine if you are writing a novel. Short stories are just that – short. They are tiny glimpses into one scene, two at most.

Beginner and inexperienced writers want to tell everything, going into the minutest of details and their short stories have nothing interesting happening in them. ‘Show – don’t tell’ is a mantra repeated endlessly by teachers of writing. Show the character’s motives through what she does. Show your character’s emotions through what he says (see example 6 above). Notice that I’ve broken my own rule in number 5 above. Sometimes telling is needed; you have to know the rules before you know when to break them.

Good writing.

For more short story starters click here.

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.

Blogging can make you a better writer

I haven’t written about blogging on this blog about writing for some time now. Of necessity my blogging activity has been rather limited over the last 12 months because of my studies. Getting my Master of Arts in Creative Writing has taken precedence over blogging. Despite that, my three blogs continue to tick along quite nicely.

In the previous 2 years I was blogging daily. In fact, I was almost a full time blogger, which kind of hindered my other writing. Writing an average of one article per blog per day  over two years has had some interesting flow on effects on my general writing.

  1. I am now far more disciplined in my writing life, especially in the amount of writing done each day.
  2. I am far more productive, turning out far more words per day than ever before.
  3. I can write ‘on demand’ and rarely wait for inspiration. The act of writing generates its own inspiration and I can also write a lot faster with fewer mistakes.
  4. Searching for ideas for my writing is no longer a problem, because constant blogging generates a momentum of its own, with one article often generating many more.
  5. My writing skills have vastly improved. One of my lecturers commented many times that she can see that my blog writing has helped my other writing develop too.
  6. I have gained a great deal of satisfaction from the comments of readers and the interaction between readers.

There is no doubt in my mind that blogging can vastly improve your skills as a writer. I’m not the only one who thinks along these lines. Jenny Cromie has written an excellent article as a guest blogger on ProBlogger. It’s worth reading.

Good writing.