I said I would have 50 new prompts by the end of my vacation, so here’s 20 more to go with yesterday’s 30. Whew!
Have a great Sunday!
31. Write a scene that happens in a parking lot.
32. Brainstorm around the word “ice.” Take one or two of the ideas that you generate and see where your imagination takes you.
33. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: screen, light, white, wave, sleek, torrent
34. Go for a walk and look closely at something that is smaller than you. See if you can think of words to describe it that use all five senses.
35. Try one of these opening lines:
Tires weren’t the only things that screeched when Marko turned the corner.
A graveyard?
Wishing stars can work.
36. Write a scene with an animal and a hill.
37. Here are some lines of dialogue for your story:
“Where are we?”
“I have no idea. But I do know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s not safe.”
38. Start a story with one of these actions:
Someone or something falling
Someone standing at attention
Someone shaking something
39. See if any of these pairs of images suggest a story or poem: a candle and a book, a loud noise and a tree, a whisper and a cave.
40. Try one of these titles for a story or poem: Wind Song, Castle Hill, Never Ever, The Last Game, First of the Few, Dragon’s Pride
41. Using your birthday month, or a friend’s, use the number of the month in a story. My birthday is in October, so I would need to use the number 10.
42. We expect scary things to happen in old, abandoned houses or in graveyards or in dark forests. Write a scary scene that happens in a place where the characters would expect to be safe and happy.
43. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: holiday, window, fire, call, paper, carving.
44. Think about a major political or social issue/event that you’ve read about in the newspaper or heard about on TV. What would be your character’s opinion of that issue or event? How would your character behave if s/he were stuck in an elevator with someone with the opposite opinion?
45. What memory from the past does your character wish s/he could forget?
46. Write a scene with a photograph.
47. Start a story with one of these actions:
Someone tripping over something
Someone hearing something loud
Someone telling a secret
48. See if any of these pairs of images suggest a story or poem: a keyboard and a wish, wings and a sword, a door and a small animal, a box and a date.
49. Try one of these titles for a story or poem: Fear Corner, Connections, The Cloak of Parmel, Winter Mystery, Silver’s Forest, Reflection.
My goal for my vacation was to create 50 new writing prompts. I managed 30, which means, from one perspective, that I had a very lazy and enjoyable vacation. And which, quite frankly, is really okay. Technically I have another two days, so I’ll be working, in between loads of laundry, to create the other 20 by Sunday night. In the meantime, I thought I’d share what I came up with here. I’ve added them under the Writing Prompts tab, too.
Do you reread books? I do. In fact that’s what I’ve been doing for the past two weeks. I’m a fan of the Dorothy L. Sayers’ Peter Wimsey novels, and discovered that they could be purchased very easily and inexpensively for my Kobo–a dangerous discovery for someone like me. Anyhow, I’ve been rereading all the ones featuring Harriet Vane, and I’ve really enjoyed them. Perfect vacation reading. Like visiting old friends. What kind of books do you reread?
Hope you have a great weekend, and if writing is on your agenda, maybe one of these prompts will help you with your story.
1. See if these pairs of images inspire a story or poem: Blue pens and ice cream, flashlights and doorknobs, tea cups and sunglasses.
2. What was your character’s favourite childhood movie? Which movie scared him/her? (For me, it was when Pinocchio got swallowed by the whale.) From your character’s point of view, write his/her memoires of seeing these films.
3. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: door, bottle, corner, light, smile, star.
4. Try one of these first lines to start a story:
The ring hit the empty garbage can with a clunk.
Why are you leaving?
I heard the bang and ran.
5. Can you think of a story for one of these titles?
Wings and Lace, Emerald Crown, Longing, Full Stop, Star Struck, Run, Hitching a Ride.
6. Can you work these lines of dialogue into a scene or a story?
“You missed!”
“I know.”
“But you never miss.”
7. What’s your favourite song or soundtrack? Explain why this music is special to you and why someone should listen to it.
8. See if these pairs of images suggest a story or poem: yellow lilies and rain, smoke and a mirror, lightning and a wing.
9. Try one of these opening sentences to begin a story or scene:
Snow. Again.
I missed the sign that read: Caution Wet Floor.
Loose gravel crunched beneath my feet.
I thought she looked familiar.
10. They say that our sense of smell is the most evocative of our senses. When I smell lavender I recall memories of my grandmother. When I smell fried onions, I think of the Canadian National Exhibition, and am swamped with images from many childhood trips there. What smells can trigger your memories? Where do those memories lead when you start to write them down?
11. Consider starting your story with one of these actions:
Someone running away
Someone or something getting lost
Someone being frightened
Someone or something falling.
12. Are you afraid of heights, spiders or crowds of people? What is your character afraid of?
13. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: cup, bloom, note, cave, sign, red.
14. What does your character think and feel when she/he looks in the mirror?
15. Can you work these lines of dialogue into a scene or a story?
“It’s too dark. I can’t see.”
“We have to keep going.”
“YOU have to keep going.”
16. What was your character’s favourite childhood toy? What do these toys tell you about your character? Did your character learn any special skill while playing with these toys that might help him or her in your story?
17. See if these pairs of images inspire a story or poem: spoons and blue jeans, running shoes and a rainbow, tea cups and sunglasses.
18. Try one of these opening sentences:
I thought flying would be harder.
Jill disappeared on Wednesday.
I was sure I heard the sound of wings.
19. Who is your favourite modern author? Go back and reread just the first pages of his or her novels. Look closely at the techniques used to get and keep the reader’s attention. Look at your own first pages and see if you can incorporate any of those techniques to make the beginning of your story more appealing to readers.
20. Consider starting your story with one of these actions:
Someone climbing
Someone lighting a fire
Someone throwing something.
21. What is the one thing that your character doesn’t want anyone to find out about him or her?
22. Can you work these lines of dialogue into a scene or a story?
“I was told to bring you here.”
“Who told you?”
“You’ll find out soon.”
23. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: pitcher, nail, bag, yellow, edge, chain
24. Is your character a good sailor or does s/he get motion sickness? Can either of these characteristics be used in your story? An ocean voyage? A ride on a roller coaster?
25. Try one of these opening sentences:
Eldor was a different kind of capital city.
Chains rattled.
It was my turn to dig.
26. Who is your reader? Take some time and describe your reader. How old? What interests? Favourite TV shows? Where does he or she read? What makes your reader put a book down? What makes him or her smile or feel sad? What makes him or her laugh? Make your reader as real as possible, and think of this reader when you sit down to write.
27. Here are some lines of dialogue for your story.
“It’s cold.”
“Yes.”
“I’m freezing!”
“Keep moving.”
28. Try one of these opening lines:
The forest sighed.
There was only one way to find out if this would work.
They were wrong. Blood did not look like ketchup.
29. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: fence, line, sharp, red, cord, leaf, window
30. What does your character do at the beach? Play a competitive game of beach volleyball? Laze in the sun? Read? Catch up on email? Swim? Avoid the crowds? What do his or her preferences tell you about your character that you might not have known before?
I’ve been taking some time away from the desk, and I thought I’d share some of the sights I’ve seen. Even though I’m not glued to my laptop, I’ve still given myself a writing challenge: 50 new writing prompts for the site–a perfect project for relaxing times.
I just got a notice from WordPress saying that I’d registered with them four years ago. Wow! That seems like a very long time.
When I began blogging, I focused on two of my loves: knitting and writing. That quickly evolved into just writing, and then lately, I combined my writing blog with the website that I created for teen writers and their teachers, and also to promote my books. Fortunately, Wordpress made that last move very easy.
It’s been fun sharing my thoughts about writing, along with my thoughts about frustrations, and lessons learned, and books I’ve read, and challenges I’ve faced, and whatever has taken my fancy. I don’t find writing about myself an easy thing to do. I guarantee that you’ll never read that I published a personal essay–ever! But writing this blog has become easier, and it’s been wonderful chatting with some of you, too, through your comments. Thanks for taking the time to leave a few words.
This past week has been crazy busy, with a big new writing project added to the mix that I’m frantically working on to finish by Friday. All good. I’m taking the next two weeks off, though I’ll likely touch base here, just to say “hi”. I’ll be glad of a break when this week is done!
I hope that you are busy, too, in a good way, and that you are making progress on your writing projects, or are finding the patience to put them on hold for a bit while life sorts itself out. (I speak from a lot of experience there.)
Wow! August already. And you know what? That’s okay. I had a busy July and got a lot of writing done–including some for which I’m getting paid! I’m looking forward to another month of writing, some during a family vacation, and some definitely next week to accommodate a couple of late (and thankfully short) assignments. I love sending out invoices before I go on vacation!
In my last blog I talked about getting the sequel to The Dragon’s Pearl finished–and I did! I finished it last Saturday, but because of other writing tasks on my plate, I haven’t looked at it since. Today I printed it out, and I’m looking forward to my first, sticky-note run through. I love editing and revising!
Here are some prompts to get you writing in August.
1. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem.
jar, paperweight, cloth, key, white, grip
flashlight, stone, shelf, mark, camera, run
2. See where these opening sentences lead your imagination.
Mrs. Winthrop was peeking out of her window again.
Inside the apartment, the air smelled of cigarettes–and death.
Ducan raised his hands and tossed a ball of light into the darkness.
The last person I expected to see here was Luke
I always saw more clearly after dark.
3. Maybe these titles will suggest a story.
For the Record, Time’s Key, Heart and Hope, The Long Climb, Circles, First Vision, Silver Stars
4. Write a description of your favourite place. How does it look? Smell? What do you eat there? Describe the tastes. What do you hear? What’s the pace of this place? Does it inspire activity or do you just kick back? When you look back at your writing, does the pace of your writing match the pace of the location? Are your sentences long, and slow-moving or are they short and full of energy and action?
