Ever have trouble finding something to write about, or maybe you just need something to prime your creative pump? You might find writing prompts and writing exercises helpful. Scads of books and sites are loaded with prompts and exercises.Here are a few to get you started. Choose one or more and just start writing. Feel free to share with us!
Creative Writing Prompts
“I thought I saw…”
“The clock winked.”
“You know what else children don’t know?”
Fiction Writing Exercises (Melissa Donovan)
“Two characters share a secret but it’s not what everyone thinks it is. "
“They say Old Weezie’s been reading palms out of her run-down shack for a hundred years or more. "
Writing Exercises (David Michael)
"After the door shuts and the footsteps die..."
"The Shadow Children"
"Touching the edge..."
"Between Silences"
WritingFix’s Random Daily Writing Prompts
"Was there no one else to play with? Write about the meanest or strangest kid you ever met."
"Where does that fear come from?”
“Because that's how we've always done it.”
“Can it be saved?”
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What do you think? Find anything you like? Care to share what you wrote? Do you have a favorite source of writing prompts/exercises? One of my favorite things to do is pull a picture out of a magazine and write about what's going on inside the picture, or even what's going on outisde the picture.
6 comments:
Love the prompts. These would be a good exercise for a meeting.
Getting started has never been the problem for me, it's keeping the middle strong that I struggle with. I'm not a plotter.
Hi Reese! I struggle with middles too. Sometimes writing exercises give me a jumping off point and help me muddle through. :D
It occurred to me that maybe everyone's being shy, so I'll go first. Silliness got the better of me and I thought I'd see how many of the prompts I could incorporate into one little scenelet. Here goes:
The door shut and footsteps died. “Can it be saved?”
In between silences, Gabby ignored her little sister and touched the edge of shattered the picture frame. “I thought I saw…. Was there no one else to play with?”
Ellie plopped down on the living room floor. “The clock winked. It scared the Shadow Children and they dropped the picture of Mama and Daddy.”
“Hush. It’s best not to speak of … them.”
Ellie lifted a slender shoulder. “They say Old Weezie’s been reading palms out of her run-down shack for a hundred years or more and she’s not afraid of no Sh—“
“I told you to shush!” Gabby held a finger to her sister’s lips. If they hear you—“
"I'm not scared! Where does that fear come from anyway?”
“Mama told me, and her mama told her. And…because that's how we've always done it.”
Ellie leaned close and whispered, “You know what else children don’t know?”
“Yes…naughty girls get taken by ogres and become Shadow Children who are never seen again! So mind your tongue.”
Penny, I chose two. What I wrote follows. I went for chilling--did I achieve it?
"After the door shuts and the footsteps die there will come the moment you know you are truly alone. Alone and safe."
“What if I don’t shut the door?”
“That’s a choice. Consider a door. Open. Anyone, anything can intrude, can disturb, can overwhelm you.”
“But to be alone forever . . . “
“To be safe forever.”
“But then you’d be gone.”
“Never. I am always with you. Am I not enough?”
“Enough?”
“With me you touch and stay on the edge of sanity. That is what you wanted? After all you’ve done all I’ve asked.”
“Yes, the room is empty.”
“Then take the knife and close the door.”
The woman gripped the handle of the knife. All she had to do was make one swipe across each wrist. Just one. She knew how. She knew it would close the door. Still she hesitated. Would the voice still be there is she did it? She needed the voice.
Holy cow, Joan! That was awesomely chilling! [shiver] Amazing. Brilliant. And I hope you continue with it.
Thank you Penny--for the blog too. It felt good to just stretch with an idea.
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