I saw this writing prompt on the Writer’s Digest website:
You return home from work to find a Dear John letter on your kitchen table. Oddly enough, it’s from one of your favorite pieces of furniture. What does the letter say?
Sounds fun. Enjoy!
Dec 302009
Jul 302009
I’m trying to get back into writing more regularly. I figured I’d start with a few writing prompts before diving back into the trilogy. I came across an archive of a lot of wonderful 5 minute exercises on C.M. Mayo’s site. Here’s the one for July 30:
“One Eye”
Your character has lost an eye. This creates all sorts of unexpected challenges for him or her. What are they? Be specific. Sketch out a couple of mini-scenes.
Enjoy!
May 312009
With their diverse imagery and symbolism, tarot cards can make for interesting subjects of writing prompts. Here’s an example tarot writing prompt that I posted this morning on Cat ‘N Owl:
This is the Judgment card from I Tarocchi dell’Alba Dorata by Giacinto Gaudenzi. But the direct translation of Il Risveglio is The Awakening rather than Judgment and it is in that difference that I found inspiration for this writing prompt. I also love imagery, the witch’s hat and the shape of her horn. She walks barefoot with a posture that seems relaxed to me. Does she even realize she’s waking up the trolls?
Your writing prompt: Imagine you are one of the trolls sleeping underground. A distant noise catches your attention. It’s soft but somehow you find yourself wanting to be near it. You begin to pull yourself to the surface, the sound growing louder as you go. What does it sound like? Why do you feel drawn to it? Once you reach it, what message does it have for you?
Enjoy!
May 222009
Great image, isn’t it? Right away I see inspiration in it for crazy alien abductions:
So there I was already having the worst day ever when my car came to rest on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. I had no flashlight and wasn’t sure what to do so I sat there for a moment, punching the steering wheel. What can I say? It felt like the right thing to do. Like I said, worst day ever!
That morning I had gotten to work to find an FBI raid going on. Seems the executives had been stealing from our clients and now they were going to jail and the rest of us schlubs were stuck with no jobs—not to mention a black mark on our resumes.
I decided to head home to start doing some online job hunting, but while walking back to the subway, I got mashed in a crowd of people and burned by a cigarette. My skirt went up on flames and next thing I knew it I was on the ground and being rolled across the cement. I sat up and discovered that not only was I sitting there in a charred skirt, I had gum in my hair.
I finally made it to the subway and find out the train has been shut down due to electrical failure. I decided to huff it home despite the less than walking-friendly shoes I had on. I wanted to kick myself for deciding to place fashion against comfort that day.
A few hours later I found myself on the doorstep to my apartment, exhausted and in desperate need of a hot shower. My boyfriend opened the door, carrying a box and our cat, Minxie. He said that he was leaving me for a blonde and he was taking the cat too. As he drove away I noticed the box in the backseat of the car. It was full of my X-Files DVDs.
I kicked my front door. Then I went inside and got cleaned up and tried to relax. Sitting there wasn’t helping though, especially since I couldn’t help but stare at the gaping hole where my X-Files DVDs had been. So I decided to go for a drive.
I just needed to clear my head. I cranked up my tunes and drove out of the City and through some suburbs. I didn’t even realize had far I’d driven until my car stopped like it did, leaving me stranded in the middle of the country and in the dark.
An iridescent glow caught my attention and I glanced up to see three forms lingering in front of my car. I rubbed my eyes and blinked a few times. The forms were more like creatures, tilting their heads at odd angles that didn’t seem all that normal. I wondered if I missed Halloween and it was really kids in costumes.
Then I heard a voice say something that sounded like meezletinepop. Or at least that’s how it sounded to me…
……………………………………………………………………
Where does the story go? Or make one up from scratch yourself. Either way, enjoy!
I love National Geographic’s photography. I saw this picture of an aerial view of elephants in a national park in Kenya and thought the image was breathtaking. And then I thought—since I often have this thought—how on earth would you describe something like this to someone who is blind?
So there you have it, your writing prompt. Describe the scene to a blind person.
Enjoy!
Mar 012008
I love this image. The colors are fantastic. The frozen bubbles look like small orbs of glass or maybe even hovering moons and planets a wee bit too close together. I like thinking of it as a sliver of time within chaos. Yes, the imagination can get carried away in fun intoxicating scenarios.
Your writing prompt: let’s go for a simple description this time. Just write what you see in the simplest terms possible. No lavish vocabulary terms. Keep those 25¢ words for another time. You may even wish to try describing the image to a child who can’t see it.
I flipped over my calendar today (yes I’m late, I know. :P) and found this wonderful image you see here. Stephani Pui-Mun Law’s work continues to amaze me. I look at it and already have conversations going on in my head between the little pixies and the girl, who looks so timid to me.
Your writing prompt: Write a scene from a pixie’s perspective of the conversation taking place here. Keep in mind that some pixies are blue and some are yellow. Let that trait help define their personalities.
Enjoy.
Oct 262007
I saw this prompt on the writersdigest.com forum and found it entertaining. Figured I’d pass it along. Enjoy!
You’re a pizza delivery driver and it’s your last stop of the night. The house is on an unlit, unfamiliar street. As you ring the doorbell, you’re greeted by an unusual character who invites you in while he gets cash–and abruptly knocks you out cold. When you wake up, you’re tied to a chair. What happens next?
This is an image of Saturn. I found it inspiring today. An intriguing picture all around. Yet, when I look at it I see a marble sitting in the sand—perhaps even being sucked into said sand. I also see a ball on a plate and imagine someone setting up to practicing painting a still life piece. I find the circular striping in the image to be hypnotic. My head spins and I wonder what exactly that dark shape looming over the image could be.
Your writing prompt: Take as step back and focus past the idea that the image is a planet. Instead, think of it like seeing shapes in the clouds. Now describe what you see. Let your mind flow and have fun with it.
Enjoy!
Oct 012007
I adore creepy looking houses like this one from Historic Deerfield Massachusetts. It looks deserted because it probably is. But man, that lends well to the spook factor. Seemed fitting for a writing prompt to start off October, eh?
To me this looks like it could be haunted. Everything is too pristine and that spells trouble. Hah! I’ll keep the writing prompt vague this time. Try writing something with a spooky feel based on a setting with this house as the backdrop to it. If scary is not your thing, go for something more homey to celebrate the Fall. The important part is to keep writing and to enjoy the process.
