What is the one gift your character really wanted for Christmas? What did s/he get instead? What are the consequences? I hope this and all of your holidays are filled with things that matter most. And, in the years that holidays are difficult or heartbreaking, remember that next year is an opportunity to write a…
Tag: creative writing exercises
Writing Prompt: Stop Clock
At midnight Eastern time, and simultaneously around the world at the respective time, all clocks stop. Why? If you enjoyed this post, look around, or sign up below ↓ to receive future posts via email.
Writing Prompt: Time to meet the family
A couple has been dating for almost a year when one of them finally decides the other can meet his or her family. Why was the family kept such a secret? What happens when they meet? (In my mind, this could go in so many directions–comedy, horror, melodrama.) If you enjoyed this post, look around,…
Writing Prompt: Flash Flood Warning!
Your character is on his or her way home from work. A torrential rain is flooding roads and cars getting trapped everywhere. The character’s children are home alone. What does he or she do to get to the children? If you enjoyed this post, look around, or sign up below ↓ to receive future posts via…
Writing Prompt: …the meteor
A meteor streaks across the sky and then brightens the horizon behind a stand of trees. What does your character find when s/he investigates? If you enjoyed this post, look around, or sign up below ↓ to receive future posts via email.
Writing Prompt: The Last Minute Cancel
Your character wants to cancel on an obligation. Maybe it’s work or helping someone move or helping sneak kittens safely out of enemy territory. Whatever the obligation—what lie does he or she make up to get out of it? If you enjoyed this post, look around, or sign up below ↓ to receive future posts via…
Writing Prompt: XYZ…the wardrobe malfunction
During an important meeting or presentation (or a date), your character realizes s/he is having a …wardrobe malfunction. What happened and how does s/he handle it? If you enjoyed this post, look around, or sign up below ↓ to receive future posts via email.
Writing Prompt: The Paintings
Patrons in a museum are suddenly cast into the paintings. Where do they go? What happens? If you enjoyed this post, look around, or sign up below ↓ to receive future posts via email.
Thursday Writing Prompt: Dialogue Rewrite
Take a piece of dialogue that you’ve written. Rewrite it with one of the characters being from the deep south (US) and the other from Minnesota. What if one character is not a native English speaker? Besides punctuation, what word choices would you change? If you enjoyed this post, look around, or sign up below…
Writing Prompt: The Dark Room
A man awakes in a pitch black room with no memory of how he got there. How big is the room? What is the room made of? How does he determine it? How did he get there?