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Writer's Digest Prompts
Writer's Digest releases monthly writing prompts, one for each day of the month. Here are the ones from most recent months I have collected.
OCTOBER
1. Take a stroll down a tree-lined street or through a park to admire the changing colors. Write a poem based on what you've seen.
2. What is the most adventurous thing you've ever done? Write a short story where that event is the climax.
3. Pretend you are handed a child's school yearbook in which to inscribe your autograph and special sentiment. You only have 25 words to write.
4. Imagine you're a prison guard supervising visitations. What conversations do you hear?
5. Take a break from writing today; instead, volunteer to read to children.
6. Take a cue from the Mad Libs game and fill in the blanks to get a title. For example: (Number), (Color), (Noun). Now, take this title, and write a short summary appropriate for a book jacket.
7. Put an ice cube in your mouth. Sit and write at least until the ice cube melts.
8. Seething over a rejection? Write a letter to an editor rejecting his or her rejection letter. Be specific. Don't send it, though. You might want to submit to this editor again in the future!
9. What's a novella? It's longer than a short story, but smaller than a novel. Try turning one of your short stories into a novella.
10. The deadline for Writer's Digest Your Assignment is October 10! You can still submit your idea through our Web site.
11. Look out the window, and describe what you see. Imagine a story that might take place there.
12. Take one paragraph of a previously written story. See if you can turn it into one long sentence.
13. What is the weirdest or most bizarre occupation you can think of? Create a short story focusing on a character who has this job.
14. Have you ever written a script or a screenplay before? Think it's good enough to compete in the Writer's Digest 2003 Screenplay Competition? Give it a shot! See complete rules here. The deadline is tomorrow!
15. Rent a movie you've never seen before. Watch half of it, then turn it off and write two plausible endings. Then, finish the movie to see how your ending stacks up.
16. You're driving along a country road, and you see an old, decrepit house. Write the story of the family who built it, and why it now stands empty. Or, imagine the house is yours, and write about life in the house.
17. Good friends are few and far in between. Who is/was your best friend? What is/was so special about this person?
18. Why do you write? Pen a persuasive essay on the joys of the writing life.
19. Today's journal entry: Write your earliest childhood memory and explain its significance.
20. Join a local writers group. Meet other creative souls like yourself. Not all of them will be published, but all will love to write like you do.
21. Take your grown-up character back to his or her childhood and write a children's story. Understanding how your characters were as children will help you understand decisions they make as adults.
22. Children have a durable and steadfast sense of wonder. Write a story about a situation where this trait is needed to "save the day."
23. Visit the grocery store, and buy a pack of gum. Pay attention to the cashier. What does he look like? What do you think is on her mind?
24. Find an interesting picture in a newspaper or magazine. Ignore the given article, and write about what's going on in the picture.
25. Who's the strangest person you know? Write a science fiction story with that person as a main character.
26. Pretend you're a tourist in your own town. Plan a day of sightseeing, and write about your experiences.
27. Watch the evening news. What's the worst thing that happened today? What do you think the offender's motivation was? Write a crime story using this news piece as your plot.
28. When was the last time you felt disappointed? Write an imaginary dialogue between you and the person who disappointed you.
29. Browse the "For Sale" ads in the classified section of the newspaper. Pick out an item, and write a story about why it must be sold.
30. Browse an atlas or road map to find new places to use as story settings.
31. It's Halloween! In the spirit of this bewitching holiday, write a children's story. Make it ghoulish!
NOVEMBER
1. If you have experienced unrequited love, write a scene in which your love is requited.
2. Write a story as a diary. Your topic: A wife finds her husband's secret diaries and is shocked to find he's led a double life.
3. Dramatize a social get-together; suppose you visited a family, enjoyed a meal and talked. Record your conversation, observations and thoughts in a scene.
4. Using yesterday's story, evolve a different story line. Suppose there was temptation to do something outrageous, make a pass at the host or walk out of the bathroom naked.
5. Research a disease, say a multiple-drug-resistant strain of TB or cirrhosis of the liver, and write a story centered on therapy.
6. Imagine glaciers melting and ocean levels rising, washing off low-lying city fronts. Now, put yourself into this cataclysm, and imagine what would happen if the floods overtook you.
7. Write several pages that would work as an obituary. It could be a true obituary, at first, of someone you imagine having lived interestingly. Explain the major moments in the person's life.
8. The media today is full of experiments in cloning. What would happen if you met your own clone?
9. Write a story about a character in a religious community who realizes she is an atheist, and has to tell her religious family.
10. Write a story outline that takes place during a significant war. Sketch at least two characters and put them in a trying situation.
11. Begin a story with "I found out an astonishing thing about my grandfather, whom I adored until then." Or, "How could my grandmother do something like that?"
12. Have two characters, a husband and wife with children, disagree about what to do about their beautiful house near a toxic dump.
13. Construct a story as a series of events, and present each event as a scene. Your topic: a woman who has lived for pleasure alone, compromising her family, fortune and happiness.
14. Form a story as a memoir. Deal with an important event, such as the time your narrator was diagnosed as insane, although he thought everyone else was insane.
15. Plan a story about a person's obsession with collecting something.
16. Rewrite yesterday's story so that the character's obsession is against this person's best interests.
17. Write a segment of a loosely structured story—a story with many untied ends and tangents. One could be the importance of bread; another, socks; third, knives.
18. You've got one week to perfect your Writer's Digest Chronicle entry! Make it a good one!
19. Explore your bedroom setting, where most people spend a third of their lives. What dreams and worries do you experience there?
20. Let a married and impoverished counselor (or teacher or bus driver) fall in love with expensive wines. He must have one bottle of wine that costs $100 every evening.
21. Create a conflict. A character is seriously ill but wants to hide his disease. Have him work as a spiritual healer. He has been extremely boastful about his health in the past.
22. Write about your character in her place of work. What do you see in the office? On the desk? Bookshelves? Floor?
23. Create a dialogue between two of your characters. Pretend one is conducting a job interview for the other.
24. A successful, rich, intelligent, and otherwise kind man has become too ambitious and trespassed the law, or his own limits, and now faces ruin. What is the tragic flaw in your character?
25. Write a plot outline in which a poor woman with nothing but her intelligence climbs out of ruin and poverty into great fortune.
26. Write—or at least outline—a science fiction story set in the past.
27. Write a science fiction story set in the future. Perhaps tobacco has been thoroughly exterminated as a plant. Several scientists manage to recreate the plant. What happens next?
28. Can you plot an interesting love story? Make it quirky and odd, perhaps a romantic comedy. Outline the possibilities.
29. Write several fully developed pages about the death of a mother from her daughter's point of view.
30. Two kids report another kid who started a fight. Write the scene in each character's point of view.
DECEMBER
1. Tomorrow's the deadline for the Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition. Send us your bold, brilliant, but brief fiction! See complete rules at www.writersdigest.com/contests
2. Imagine you're a bartender, and there is a sad, lonely man sitting on the corner stool. You ask him what's wrong. What story does he tell you?
3. Make a note! Writer's Digest Your Assignment is due in one week. You can e-mail it or send it via snail mail to: Writer's Digest, Your Assignment, 4700 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati OH 45236.
4. Write a newsletter about interesting things that happened this year. E-mail or snail mail it to family members.
5. Imagine this scenario: You're at a museum, browsing ancient artifacts, when someone taps you on the shoulder. Startled, you spin around and accidentally break a rare vase. What happens next?
6. Write the final paragraph of a story. Then, work backward to create the rest of it.
7. Describe a December day without using the words "December" "snow" or "holiday."
8. Do you believe dreams have hidden meanings? Write about one of your most vivid dreams. What might it symbolize?
9. Have you ever self-published a book? If so, submit it to Writer's Digest's Self-Published Book Awards by the 15th. It's a great way to get your book noticed!
10. Write about the most boring party you've ever been to. Use your writer's imagination to spice up the party. Turn it into an unforgettable event.
11. If you only received one gift this holiday season, what would it be? A new car? A book deal? Write a journal entry about it.
12. Imagine you're a casting agent for a big Hollywood block-buster. Who would you cast in it?
13. Today's journal entry: What if rain were sticky?
14. Create a pen name for yourself. Now, write about a personal event from your past. Does the pen name make it easier for you?
15. Create a list of magazines you would like to query by the month's end. Research the magazines by reading back issues. Then, read over your work and brainstorm article ideas.
16. Visit a place for the first time. Take pictures. Then, hang the pictures up in your writing space so that it feels like you're still there. Use the place as a setting in a story.
17. Organize a poetry reading at your local library or coffee shop. Ask your friends to join you. Are you brave enough to read your poetry? Give it a shot!
18. Looking for a holiday gift to give to a close friend? Buy a new journal, and use the first page to write a paragraph or two on why you value the friendship so much. Then give the journal as a gift.
19. Take some time today to look over old rejected manuscripts and query letters. How can you improve them? Decide which ones can be revised and which ones should be pitched.
20. At what point in your life did you realize you were finally an adult? Write a journal entry about it.
21. Expand any classic Christmas carol into a short story.
22. Browse through newspapers and magazines for happy stories. Cut them out and post them on your wall to remind you that good things do happen. If a story about you were tacked on that wall, what would you want it to say?
23. Try this writing exercise: Write the first few paragraphs of a story. Then, let a friend write a few paragraphs. Continue to take turns until you have several pages.
24. Do you ever get a case of the "what-ifs"? Use it in your writing! Write about what your life might have been like had you taken a different job or married someone else.
25. When you hear the word "Christmas," what do you think of? Write your response as a journal entry.
26. Groucho Marx once said, "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read." Create your own humorous quote about the writing life.
27. Write a piece of fiction where the climax takes place in a lake or swimming pool.
28. What are the essential tools for a writer? A computer? A sense of humor? A dictionary? Make a list, and be specific.
29. What were family get-togethers like when you were a child? How are they different now that you are an adult? Try writing a memoir about it.
30. Make a list of 10 misconceptions about writers. (Writing is easy. Writers are solitary.) Then, write why they aren't true.
31. Today is the last day of 2003. Use today to reflect on the writing goals you created at the beginning of the year. Did you fulfill them? If not, don't worry. As long as you keep writing, that's all that matters.
JANUARY
1. Name five things you can find in nature but think are ugly. Write a description of each, naming only the beautiful qualities.
2. Ride a bus, and observe the passengers as if they were story characters. What are they wearing? How are they acting? What do their faces, mannerisms and physical characteristics tell you?
3. Create a Law & Order script about the arrest and trial of Goldilocks for vandalizing the Bears' house.
4. Observe people as they exit a store. Try to pair them with their vehicles before they get to them. Write about someone who surprised you with his car choice.
5. Go to a garage/yard/estate sale. Browse the items for sale, and have a brief chat with the seller. Write a short story using him as a main character.
6. Write a poem about a color that especially appeals to you this season.
7. Write about an ongoing project that's keeping you from writing. Why is it so important?
8. If you were going to live Thoreau's solitary life at Walden Pond, what three items would you have to take, and why?
9. Write a story that revolves around a remarkable historical figure.
10. Think about the best advice you've ever received. Use that advice as a theme for a short story in which a character either heeds or ignores the advice given.
11. Write about why you don't have time to write today. Did you learn anything from this exercise? At day's end, rewrite it with a twist of humor.
12. Turn on the radio, and wait for the start of a new song. During the tune, write continually, without worrying about spelling or punctuation. When the song is over, revise your short work. If it's good, keep writing.
13. Your favorite author is writing the forward for your upcoming book. What will it say? Be sure to write in the author's voice.
14. Select a paragraph from one of your current works. Change the point of view to see what new details you might find.
15. Select a common child's game, such as hide and seek. Write a passage that describes people participating in the game, but don't actually name the game until the end of the exercise.
16. Imagine your favorite author is writing a review of your writing career. What will it say?
17. Think of a time when you were nasty to someone. Put yourself in that person's place. Write how she might think or feel.
18. Pretend that astronauts have made it to Mars and have found life there. What do the creatures look like? Are they smarter than us? What aspects of their lives are similar to ours?
19. Sitting in a café, your character is given a note: "It's in your best interest to meet me at 7 p.m. tonight, alone, at Pine and 4th." Write your character's thoughts as he decides what to do.
20. Make a list of products or services that no longer exist, but you remember (i.e., 8-track players). What memories are connected to them? Write to the next generation describing them and relating your experiences.
21. Imagine you see a co-worker in his car, pulling out of your work parking lot. He's crying. Why?
22. Find a short article in a newspaper or magazine. Write a poem based on its subject.
23. Write a haiku (three unrhymed lines of five, seven and five syllables) about the season of winter.
24. Describe your mother: her smell, walk and talk. What are your feelings toward her? Did she change much from the time you were a child to when you became an adult?
25. Describe the first person you disliked. Why did you despise her? What did she look like? How did it feel to loathe someone?
26. Describe your first love. Remember his clothes, smile or quirky sayings. Why did he catch your eye?
27. Remember your favorite summertime activity, and describe it in vivid detail. How old were you? Where did it take place?
28. Think about a popular computer or video game. Outline a family tree for the main character.
29. Your sibling calls and says, "Uncle George just died of leukemia. The funeral is tomorrow." You haven't seen or heard from your uncle in more than 10 years. Write what you might feel in this situation.
30. Take one bite of your favorite food or candy. Pretend it's the last bite of your last meal. Write down what you're feeling and thinking.
31. With pen and paper in hand, visit a popular bookstore. Sit at a table or in a comfy chair, and write down the snippets of dialogue you hear as people walk by. Don't look at their faces, just keep your head down and write.
FEBRUARY
1. What would your friends and family say is your true calling? Are they correct? Why or why not?
2. In a dream, you're visited by the ghost of a deceased great-grandparent. Write down the conversation that takes place.
3. Pretend you're a tree: What kind? Why? Describe yourself in detail—height, build, young, old, etc.
4. You've been asked to write the biography of an ancestor. While researching your family history, you discover disturbing news. What did you find out? How will you explain it to the family?
5. Write a letter to your first crush. Describe how you feel about him now.
6. Pick a romantic movie that never had a sequel. Imagine the children or grandchildren of the original characters, and write the first chapter of their continuing story.
7. Try to remember a stranger who was unexpectedly kind to you. Turn this person's act of kindness into the opening scene for a story.
8. Think of someone who has an upcoming graduation, wedding or birthday. Write a letter expressing what you admire or wish for this person. Be specific.
9. Think about a story that you thought was too predictable. Write a more interesting version of the tale by giving one of the characters a dark secret.
10. Imagine a sitcom starring the people in your life. What traits and quirks would you exaggerate to make each person more funny?
11. Write five adjectives that describe the taste of each of the following: a lemon, an olive and mustard. Challenge yourself to select unique words.
12. Three friends meet for dinner. What does one say that alienates the other two?
13. For each character in your work of fiction, list all the predictable actions each could take to keep the plot moving. Now mix and match characters and actions.
14. Where are you right now? Imagine yourself in the same place but 15 years later. Are you happy? What will have changed, and what will be the same?
15. Describe a familiar scene (your bedroom, neighborhood or regular vacation spot) from a different person's perspective (friend, relative or neighbor).
16. If you were from a different time period visiting the present-day world, how would you describe the everyday things around you? Imagine you're a time-traveler who must send back a report to the people of your time. Write what you see.
17. Check the day's forecast first thing in the morning. When you get to your desk, write a page explaining why this is the perfect weather for writing (even if it isn't).
18. You were recently fired with no explanation. How do you feel?
19. Imagine you're an ant, eagle or giant. Write a brief description of your writing space from this new vantage point.
20. Imagine you're a famous author. Describe your summer home.
21. Write a fan letter to your mentor. It could be a family member, sports player or author. If you like it, mail it.
22. Change one scene of your favorite movie. Write what you want to happen.
23. A new friend invites you to a water park. You can't swim, but you're too nervous to tell him. Describe your day.
24. You're getting married in two weeks, and a card arrives from an old flame. Before you open the letter, how do you feel? Write what you think is inside.
25. Pick one day this week and submit your writing. Call in sick to work or set your alarm an hour early. Either way, send out at least one query letter or story to a publisher or agent.
26. Pretend you're forced to dye your hair. Why are you being forced? What color would you choose? How do you think your friends would react?
27. Imagine you're the creator of a fantastic weight-loss formula... with one odd side effect. What's the drawback?
28. What was your first bicycle like? Was it a gift, or did you earn money to buy it? Where did you ride?
29. Imagine you have an identical twin. (If you're a twin, imagine you're an only child.) How would your life be different? How would it be similar?
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