Not long ago I wrote an article containing a bunch of writing prompts. As a writer and someone who leads writing groups, I love prompts. They are perfect tools for group writing and a great source of inspiration for solitary writing. There is an endless supply of prompts, so I decided to write another list. Here are ten more prompts to get you writing. Happy writing!
1. Write an unreadable letter
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The point of an “unreadable letter” is that it will never be read. Pick a person from your life and write the most honest letter that you can. You may be surprised by how writing honestly about a real person can help you write believable characters.
2. Get lost inside a painting
Go to an art gallery, (or find an online or print collection with colored images), and find a painting. It can be figurative or abstract. Focus on the painting and its details. Write about what you see. What are the colors saying? Is there a story? How does the painting make you feel?
3. Back to nature
Go outside and try to find a piece of nature in your environment. This element can be anything from a tree to large patch of grass. Find that piece of nature and think about how it fits into its surrounding area. You can personify it, use it as a metaphor, or simply write a detailed description. This exercise is interesting if you live in a more urban area.
4. People watching
A classic pastime for writers. A lot of other writers I’ve met love people watching and say how observing other people helps their writing. Go out to any public place, bring a notebook and beverage of choice, and watch people. Find one interesting stranger and write about them. Try and catch bits and pieces of conversations. Look at someone’s facial expressions and posture. People can be very interesting.
5. Make a found poem
A found poem is when you take a sample of text (like a newspaper or magazine clipping), circle chosen words and phrases, draw designs around the circled words, and create short poem. The miniature poem is random and does not come from your own mind, but they can be a great source of inspiration. I find that they can free the mind and get a writer thinking about how words relate to one another.
6. Play a game of M.A.S.H.
Have you ever played M.A.S.H. as a child? It’s a fun and silly game, but it can also be a writing prompt. Play M.A.S.H. as you normally would. At the end of the game when you have all your all your options either circled or crossed out, use the circled words as words that you must use in a piece of writing. It is like the random word list but more fun.
7. Mirror image
This prompt may be emotionally exhausting and personally awkward. Stand in front of a mirror and look at yourself for a minute. Try and see yourself as objectively as possible. After a minute describe your entire body in detail. Again, try to see yourself through a stranger’s eyes. Try not to let your own bias get inside your descriptions.
8. Never have I ever…
Think of something you have never done before. It can be something extravagant like skydiving, something fantastical like being eaten by a giant squid, or something mundane like eating a raw onion. Write a paragraph describing your chosen activity as if you had actually experienced it. Try to be as convincing as possible.
9. Your new favorite word
Create a word that uses at least half of the letters in the alphabet. If you are really adventurous, try and use all the letters. After making up the word, give it a definition. Your definition, though, must be in the form of a poem and cannot contain your imaginary word.
10. Time traveler
Imagine traveling back in time to have a coffee date with a younger version of yourself. Your young version has no idea who you are and you have no idea who your young version is. Write your own impressions of each other and the conversations you may have.
