Below is a list of writing prompts I made up, and links to my own interpretations of them. Please use them, just link me so I can share in the fun! My prompts tend to go in a sci-fi direction, but not always.
The list
- 1- The child yelled at the monkey (time: 7 minutes)
- 2- I was playing in the snow when aliens walked out of the woods (time: 7 minutes)
- 3- What if a disease that causes schitzophrenia became common (time: 7 minutes)
- 4- The whirlpool sucked them downwards (time: 7 minutes)
- 5- What if the creatures in your decor emerged? (time: 5 minutes)
- 6- The secret to space poppies is harvesting the right part (time: 7 minutes)
- 7- The rider approached from the distance (time: 5 minutes)
- 8- Mistaken identity (time: 10 minutes)
- 9- She watched the autumn leaves fall (time: 7 minutes)
- 10- A ghost in the building (time: 10 minutes)
- 11- He tore off another sheet of paper and threw it in the bin (time: 7 minutes)
- 12- Magic tea (time: 7 minutes)
- 13- The tissue printer (time: 8 minutes)
- 14- Monkey Day (time: 5 minutes)
- 15- Cleaning the lab (time: 7 minutes)
- 16- Intrigue and alchemy (time: 10 minutes)
- 17- Night at the pool (time: 7 minutes)
- 18- Unexplored wilderness (time: 7 minutes)
- 19- The light blinked off on the ship (time: 5 minutes)
- 20- Red (time: 7 minutes)
- 21- The devious cat (time: 7 minutes)
- 22- The special box of chocolates (time: 7 minutes)
- 23- The spongy place in the yard (time: 7 minutes)
- 24- Giant sheep (time: 7 minutes) Inspired by Cordwainer Smith’s Norstrilia.
- 25- The Melt (time: 7 minutes)
- 26- The Little Viking (time: 7 minutes)
- 27- Using an illustration as inspiration (time: 7 minutes)
- 28- The woods burst into flame (time: 10 minutes)
- 29- An impending storm (time: 7 minutes)
- 30- Modified pollen (time: 7 minutes)
- 31- Preparing for a long journey (time: 7 minutes, followed by a 10 minute edit)
- 32- The dream weaver (time: 7 minutes)
- 33- The rain man (time: 7 minutes)
- 34- The shortcut (time: 7 minutes)
- 35- The newt and the cat (time: 7 minutes)
- 36- What if there was no Bering land bridge? (time: 7 minutes)
- 37- Invent a pivotal historic person (time: 7 minutes)
- 38- Feeling spooked while camping (time: 7 minutes)
- 39- A door that goes anywhere (time: 10 minutes)
- 40- Lie detector (time: 7 minutes)
- 41- Expand upon a character in an in-progress work (time: 10 minutes)
- 42- World build for an in-progress work (time: 7 minutes)
- 43- Invasive species (time: 7 minutes)
- 44- Add a cat to an existing universe (time: 7 minutes)
- 45- The enchanted dollhouse (time: 7 minutes)
- 46- Driftless (time: 7 minutes)
- 47- Foraging (time: 7 minutes)
- 48- “I’ve never seen one before, but how hard could it be?” (time: 7 minutes)
- 49- Pop-up people (time: 7 minutes)
- 50- Turning 200 (time: 7 minutes)
- 51- Farming the Death Valley (time: 7 minutes)
- 52- An elderly diatribe (time: 7 minutes)
- 53- Expand a detail from an existing story (time: 7 minutes)
- 54- Jump forward in your Nano project (time: 10 minutes)
- 55- National Hat Day (time: 10 minutes)
- 56- Measure your feet day (time: 10 minutes)
- 57- National puzzle day (time: 10 minutes)
- 58- National weatherman’s day (time: 10 minutes)
- 59- Blame someone else (time: 10 minutes)
- 60- Chinese New Year (time: 10 minutes)
- 61- Tell a fairy tale (time: 10 minutes)
- 62- Abduct an extraterrestrial (time: 10 minutes)
- 63- Make up your own holiday (time: 10 minutes)
- 64- Reconciliation day (time: 10 minutes)
- 65- National Stress Awareness Day (time: 10 minutes)
- 66- World Laboratory Day (time: 10 minutes)
- 67- I think my house is haunted (time: 7 minutes)
- 68- I forgot day (time: 7 minutes)
- 69- Stay out of the sun day (time: 7 minutes)
- 70- Cousins day (time: 7 minutes)
- 71- Race your mouse day (time: 7 minutes)
- 72- Bald and free day (time: 7 minutes)
- 73- Old Rock day (time: 10 minutes)
- 74- Dress up your pet day (time: 10 minutes)
- 75- Hugging day (time: 10 minutes)
- 76- Create a vacuum day (time: 10 minutes)
- 77- Don’t cry over spilled milk day (time: 7 minutes)
- 78- Middle Name Pride Day (time: 7 minutes)
- 79- Submarine Day (time: 7 minutes)
- 80- Pint and Prompt #1 (time: 7 minutes)
- 81- Pint and Prompt #2: designer babies (time: 10 minutes)
- 82- This day in history: Ringling Brothers’ Circus (time: 10 minutes)
- 83- Junk Food Day (time: 7 minutes)
Why writing prompts?
Sometimes I want to write, but I don’t have a great idea or I’m not in the mood to write something grand and perfect. I just want to write something. When I was working on my novel draft, I was writing 1500 words a day, and afterwards, I felt like a better writer than before. I learned to be in the habit of just sitting down and getting to it and worrying later.
I felt like I could do the same thing with writing prompts. I scoured the web, and a lot of what I found felt more like writing exercises than prompts– I wanted something to run with and retreat into a brief, if perhaps hastily formed, fictional realm.
So I decided I can make up my own writing prompts.
On different days, I can focus on different aspects of writing–beautiful language, or character development, or world-building, or economy of words, or plain weirdness. And I end up with a couple hundred words I can take and mold into something better, or that I can chuck. I do them on a timer, so far of 5-7 minutes, so I can fit them into any day, no matter how hectic.
Unlike fiction I intend to publish, I can share this with others through the blog. I’d love to see what others do with the prompts too. Just link me so I can enjoy it too.
Pingback: Writing prompt: “I was playing in the snow when aliens walked out of the woods” | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: “What if a disease that causes schitzophrenia became common?” | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: “The whirlpool sucked them downwards” | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: “What if the creatures in your decor emerged?” | Vironevaeh
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Pingback: Writing prompt: “The secret to space poppies is harvesting the right part” | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: “The rider approached from the distance” | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: “Mistaken identity” | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: “He tore off another sheet of paper and threw it in the bin” | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: “Magic Tea” | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: the tissue printer | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing Prompt: Monkey Day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing Prompt: Cleaning the Lab | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing Prompt: Intrigue and Alchemy | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: night at the pool | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: unexplored wilderness | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: the lights blinked off on the ship | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Red | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: The devious cat | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: The special box of chocolates | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: the spongy place in the yard | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: giant sheep | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: The Melt | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: The Little Viking | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: using an illustration as inspiration | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: the woods burst into flame | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: An impending storm | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Modified pollen | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt with edit: preparing for a long trip | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: The dream weaver | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: The rain man | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: The Shortcut | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: the newt and the cat | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: What if there was no Bering Land Bridge? | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Invent a pivotal historical person | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Feeling spooked while camping | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: A door that goes anywhere | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Lie detector | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Expand upon a character in an in-progress work | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: world build for an in-progress work | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: invasive species | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: add a cat to an existing universe | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: The enchanted dollhouse | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Driftless | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: foraging | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: I’ve never seen one, but how hard could it be?” | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Pop-up People | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Turning 200 | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Farming the Death Valley | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: An elderly diatribe | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Expand a detail from an existing story | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Jump forward in your Nano project | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Jump forward in Nano and write (again) | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: National Hat Day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Measure your feet day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Puzzle day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: National Weatherman’s Day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Blame someone else | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Chinese New Year | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Tell a fairy tale | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Abduct an extraterrestrial | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing Prompt: Make up your own holiday | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Reconciliation Day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: National Stress Awareness Day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: World Laboratory Day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing Prompt: National Tourism Day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: “I think my house is haunted” | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: I forgot day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: Stay out of the sun day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: cousins day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: race your mouse day | Vironevaeh
Pingback: Writing prompt: bald and free day | Vironevaeh