Writing prompt: These boots were made for talking
Write a short story or poem from the perspective of a pair of shoes. What kind of shoes are they? What kind of life have … Read More “Writing prompt: These boots were made for talking”
Writing Prompts
15 summer writing prompts to heat up your latest draft
Too hot to write? These prompts beg to differ. Read More “15 summer writing prompts to heat up your latest draft”
Chasing the muse: What does your ideal writing space look like?
You may not be able to force your muse to appear on command, but you can replicate the settings in which she most often appears. Think about … Read More “Chasing the muse: What does your ideal writing space look like?”
Summer solstice writing prompt: A world without darkness
June 21 is the annual summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Imagine a world where daylight operated differently: Perhaps four hours of sunlight … Read More “Summer solstice writing prompt: A world without darkness”
What was the first album you bought with your own money?
Write about your very first album purchase – and what that music meant to you. Alternatively, write about your main character’s first album.
Out for the summer: An end-of-the-school-year writing prompt
A school teacher is packing up the classroom for summer vacation when a student walks into the room. The student reveals something that will change … Read More “Out for the summer: An end-of-the-school-year writing prompt”
Summer writing prompt: Water, water everywhere
Write about you (or your main character’s) earliest memory involving water.
Avoiding cliché characters in fiction
Take a widely-known cliché character – the ditzy cheerleader, the dumb jock, the workaholic lawyer, the no-good cheating husband, the cat lady, etc. – and … Read More “Avoiding cliché characters in fiction”
Your most memorable Mother’s Day
Write at least 500 words about your most memorable Mother’s Day. (Alternatively, follow the same prompt about your protagonist’s most memorable Mother’s Day.)
Your first line
Sometimes the hardest part is coming up with the first line. Use one, or all, of these first lines: • Charlene leaned closer to the … Read More “Your first line”
Featured Posts
Why story trumps plot
The three crucial storytelling elements every novel needs to succeed. Read More “Why story trumps plot”
Do you really have to write every day?
What does an ideal writing life look like? We asked successful authors to share their essential goals, habits, and routines. Read More “Do you really have to write every day?”
How to cope with making mistakes
Every writer’s worst nightmare is finding an error in print…but it happens, often, and to the very best of us. Here’s how to cope. Read More “How to cope with making mistakes”