Okay, so I had this month’s writing prompts drafted early in my journal, and then whoosh, completely missed my March 1 deadline for my blog. And whoosh went the next few days. If March continues like this, it will be April before I know it. That’s fine with me, actually. Bring on Spring!
If sometimes you have trouble getting started on your stories, check out this great post by Jill Williamson, 10 Types of Prewriting, for great tips that go beyond brainstorming and freewriting. If you know you need to learn more about your character before you start some serious writing, use the character sketch template here to add more details to your character’s life story. 
Here are your writing prompts for March.
Use one, some, or all of the words in each group to create a story or poem:
- Bright, cloud, cold, bird song, waste, blue
- White, stifling, breath, under, trapped, scream
- Fog, echo, shadow, lurk, strain, peer, black
- Flame, heat, roar, fear, run, red, alarm
See if any of these opening sentences spark a story:
- It’s too dark. I can’t see.
- In the distance, the castle’s tall towers loomed black against the bright blue sky.
- Vultures.
- It seemed like we’d been climbing for ages.
- The warm sunshine was welcome after the long night in the cave.
- The alarm rang for the third time.
- We were supposed to be the first living beings who had ever been here.
- What was it about him that frightened me? I hadn’t even shaken his hand yet.
- I hadn’t reckoned on him being a liar, too.
- Henry came back.
- I was afraid, and I didn’t like it.
Can you think of a story or poem to go with one of these titles?
Last Victory, Ember, Shroud Dancing, Port of Call, Getting Lost, The Climb, Murder at the Zoo, Marathon, First Stop Mars, Second Sight, Unglued, Free Ride, Yellow Tulips, Ice Storm.
Here are some snippets of dialogue. Can you write a scene around one of them?
- Stay of out there!
- But I just saw Henry go in.
- He shouldn’t be in there either!
- I wish you’d stop bugging me.
- But this is important.
- You’ve said that before.
- But this time, your life is in danger.
- It’s been a long time.
- Not long enough.
- Why is Henry so angry?
- Helen left him.
- He can’t be surprised.
- No, just angry, and that’s worse.
- Can you keep a secret?
- Well ….
- That’s what I thought.
Hope you have a writerly month! If you’re getting stuck on you book project and need some help, please check out my coaching services here.