Tag Archives: writing prompts

Writing Prompts, Anyone?

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I took a break from working on my WIP this morning and thawed some veggies in the microwave to have for lunch. It reminded me of the time not long ago when I had a bag of frozen French-cut green beans I wanted to thaw in hurry. I spread them on the counter and got my hair dryer. Do you know how long it takes to pick up itty-bitty green beans?

So, as often happens, my brain conjured an image as it might appear in a scene. A woman on the kitchen floor, cussing like a longshoreman when her partner walks in. From there my brain segued to turning the scene into a writing prompt. And that led to more writing prompts.

Play with them, and post your results in a comment, OK?

Following the high-pitched cuss words to their source, he . . .

Just one more YouTube how-to and she could  . . .

The last thing she wanted to hear from her hairdresser was . . .

“Smoke? I don’t smell smoke.”

“Not again.”

“Did you forget it was Daylight Savings Time?”

The capsule door was locked.

He looked in the mirror and saw . . .

“Don’t make me . . .”

My DNA profile says I’m related to . . .

“Unless you have  a screwdriver, we’re screwed.”

“You don’t look anything like your . . .”

“I found this on your computer.”

“What do you mean you threw it out?”

Quotable

To write something you have to risk making a fool of yourself.

–Anne Rice

Links for Writers v1.1

Writing Craft,

This is so much fun. This post was inspired by Cory Richardson, an aspiring writer related to my husband, Tim. She lives in a very small town and is eager to learn about writing resources on the internet.

With so much available, a Google search can be daunting. So I’m listing some links as a starting point. The cool thing about having a few resources is using them as a springboard to even more good stuff.

First of all, take a look at my posts in the “Writing Craft” category, especially Links for Writers v1.0 in which I refer to posts on character development and pacing, and Writing the Perfect Scene.

Get the juices flowing with writing prompts, for example the 365 Creative Writing Prompts from ThinkWritten.  

Since Cory wants to write science fiction, I Googled “science fiction writing prompts” which turned up several, including “58 Science Fiction Writing Prompts” from the blog of Mandy Wallace.

For plot development, I like Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method. 

Readers, can you help? Getting feedback on your writing is so important. My writing education has come mainly from the critique group Novel in Progress Austin. But I know now everyone has the luxury of a live group, and there are online groups and places online where you can find a reading buddy to exchange material with. I just don’t know where they are.

It’s almost time for NaNoWriMo.  Join the nearly half a million people who will take the challenge to write a 50,000-word novel between November 1st to the 30th. I’ve never done it, but I know people who have, and it’s a great immersion experience. One reason I like the concept is that in order to write about 1,00 words per day, you have to allow yourself to write crap. And really, that’s what a first draft is and should be. It’s the time to let the creative juices flow and turn off the editing Nazi. And there’s help and camaraderie as you and others bounce off ideas in the interactive NaNoWriMo Forums, such as the Character Cafe and Worldbuilding.

There you have it for starters, Rory. Have fun.

Quotable

I do not over-intellectualize the production process. I try to keep it simple. Tell the damned story.

–Tom Clancy

 

 

 

 

Use & Create Writing Prompts

Writing Craft

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Pictures can be great writing prompts.

Today I’m going to send you off to another blog, “Daily Writing Tips,”  where Simon Kewin has a post on writing prompts, along with 20 examples. Here are a few examples from his list:

This time my boss went too far.
Red eyes.
It was the first snowfall of the season.
The garden was overgrown now.
They came back every year to lay flowers at the spot.

Prompts can be a great way to get the juices flowing. Use them routinely, maybe at the start of a writing session, or randomly. Tuck a few prompts in the little notebook you carry everywhere (which is more likely to be your smartphone), & play with them as you wait to have your car’s oil changed.

And while you’re creating, dream up some prompts & submit them to the Writing Prompts feature on Reddit. Reddit actually holds contests for the best prompts.