Writing Prompt: Behind the Mask

Use the image as a starting point. What's the story behind this picture? Write a poem inspired by the image. Write about a time you were in costume. What was the occasion? People often wear masks, whether literal or figurative. Examine your characters. What masks do they hide behind? What secrets or insecurities are they …

Character Meet Plot. Plot Meet Character.

You’ve probably heard that popular fiction is plot driven while literary fiction is character driven (driven being the key word because if a narrative isn’t advancing then what story are you even telling?).   This is true. There is sit on the edge of your seat plot driven fiction, and there is sink back into …

Writing Prompt: Dear Diary

Write a diary entry on behalf of one of your characters. Is it an ordinary day? A momentous occasion? Explore a glimpse of their thoughts and personality through the pages of their diary. When did you start to realize that you liked to write? What was the first thing you remember writing? Write about your …

Do Your Characters Talk to You? Should They?

Have you ever heard a writer talk about her characters as if… they were real? Like, as if the writer were not entirely in control of her own work? It used to be my pet peeve to hear writers say “my main character told me _____,” or in more ludicrous scenarios, “my main character refused …

Writing Prompt: Embarrassment

Write about your most embarrassing moment. Is it still embarrassing or has your perspective changed? Describe the feeling of being embarrassed. Use vivid, active language. Describe before and after the moment as well as the experience of the embarrassing ordeal itself. Is your character easily embarrassed? Hardly ever? What might they point to as their …

Writing Prompt: Letter to Yourself

Your character opens the mailbox and finds a letter addressed in strangely familiar handwriting. The letter claims to be a note from your character to him or herself. Is it from the past? Or from the future? What happens next? Write a letter to yourself. Will you write to your future self? Your past self? …

Storytelling Tips from A Quiet Place

When I walked into a showing of the film A Quiet Place earlier this week I expected thrills, chills, and awkward popcorn munching in an otherwise silent theatre. I didn't know that I was heading into not only an entertaining and intriguing movie but also a display of excellent storytelling. I came out of the theatre energized …

Writing Prompt: Fear

What are you afraid of? Is it something silly you can't quite explain? Is it something entirely rational? Can you pinpoint an experience that started it? Have you ever been in a situation where what you were afraid of actually happened? Use this as a character development tool. Write about your character's greatest fear. What …

Writing Prompt: Work

Write about your first job. What did you do? How did you come to it? What did you learn? Select a character and write about what work they do. What would they like to do? Is he or she happy with their job? Does your character work with their hands? In an office? A factory? …

Writing Prompt: Home

Home is a deeply powerful theme in our lives. Whether warm fuzzy feelings, mixed memories, or even confusion, considering home in your writing will resonate with readers while helping you to explore your own experiences and/or that of your characters. Use any of the prompts below to jumpstart your writing today. Write about a homecoming. …