We are well into the second quarter of the year. How have your 2024 writing goals for 2024 been going?
You don’t have to answer. But if you’re feeling convicted by that question – or you’re just ready to step up your writing game a notch, then keep reading.
Writing is a discipline. But it should also be fun. What is one of the best ways to get back into a writing routine or get over a creative writing slump?
By utilizing writing prompts.
A writing prompt can be a sweet little gift to our creative energy, letting us play with story and words in ways we might not have otherwise considered. Even if you’re in the middle of a piece that has nothing to do with the prompt, you might find that breaking from your intended subject into a more playful topic frees your mind up to get back to your work refreshed and inspired.
In the first quarter of the year, I asked my readers to share some of their favorite writing prompts. They did, and we’ve pulled some of them together below. (If you are one of the readers who shared a prompt, thank you!) Tackle one or all (one at a time, of course!) and see where the writing takes you!
If you’re looking for a re-charge on your writing goals for the year, we’d love for you to join us on June 1 for a free goal-setting webinar for writers. “Take the Next Step” will be a jam-packed session of reflection, planning and learning how to make progress with your writing project or writing routine. You can learn more and sign up here.
Here are 10 writing prompts to help you break through your creative rut and re-energize your writing:
- If you could be any fictional book or TV character, who would you be, and why? Up the ante: Write a monologue in this character’s voice, extolling their own virtues.
- Turn to the news. Find a juicy headline – don’t read the article! – and write a short story or a fictional news article inspired by the headline.
- What is your favorite piece of furniture? Why do you love it? What does it mean to you? What stories does it hold? Up the ante: Write as if you ARE the piece of furniture.
- Firsts are terribly important to us. Remember losing your first tooth, your first day of school, or your first kiss? Write about one of your firsts. What was so important about this first at the time, and is it still important to you now?
- Write a scene about overcoming a monster. What, in your own life, has been a “monster?” Think in terms of a person, a place, an experience, or a particular struggle in which you triumphed.
- Write about something you’ve found. Don’t overlook the menial, like a lost sock under the couch, or something humorous, like a wig outside a bar.
- Introducing her book, Autumn Song: Essays on Absence, Patrice Gopo writes: “We all live lives littered with what we leave behind: places we once lived, friendships we once had, dreams we once envisioned, the people we once were.” Write a story/poem/essay on something (or someone) you left behind. What was the catalyst of the leaving, and how was that leaving a turning point in your life?
- Have a furry companion? Sit them down for an interview, and write in their voice their answers to your most probing questions.
- Think of the last public place you’ve ventured. Can you recall any individuals who drew your eye, either by their appearance or their actions? Write a short story about this person.
- Take to ChatGPT. Choose a character, a place, and an action your character might do. Type, “Give me a writing prompt about a ____ who does _____ in _____.” See what you and an AI companion can come up with.
We want to know which prompts you’re trying, what you’ve written, and how it’s going. Post a comment below, or send us a message via the Contact form! Don’t forget to sign up for the free goal-setting workshop for writers, happening June 1.
Happy writing!
