Writing Prompts for February 2018

 

Writing Prompts for February 2018

For such a short month, February can seem very long—grey and cold, with that ominous hint of tax filing time looming in the air. Fortunately, as writers, we can create the kind of February we want in our imaginations, writing about warm beaches, palm trees, and sunshine. For those of you lucky enough to have those wonders outside your door already have fun writing about blowing snow, ice, and grey skies.

As writers, it’s a gift to be able to escape into the worlds that we create—or worlds that other writers create. I’m reading a couple of books at the moment, so I can choose to be in a remote hotel in New Zealand surrounded by pools of sulfurous, boiling mud or to be on the rain-swept North Sea coast of Scotland during the Jacobite rebellion. Do you have favourite authors who create wonderful worlds for you? Share your favourites in the comments and let us know why they are special to you.

If writing descriptions and world creation are challenging for you, here are a few links to some helpful articles:

Writing 101: Creating Effective Description   Kaitlin Hillerich

How to Write Better: The Art of Dynamic Descriptions  Mary Jaksch

Tips on World Building for Writers — How to Make Your Imaginary World Real  Chuck Sambuchino

The Ultimate Guide To World-Building: How To Write Fantasy, Sci-Fi And Real-Life Worlds Claire Bradshaw

Now, here’s your opportunity to do some world creation of your own with February’s writing prompts. Enjoy!

Use one, some, or all of the words in one of these groups to write a story or poem.

  • Pen, orchid, tea, table, green, lamp
  • Puzzle, yesterday, magazine, bottle, red
  • Candle frost, black, star, breath, icy
  • Music, hide wires, stripe, glow, blue
  • Picture, memory, delete, waste, once, grey

See if one of these opening sentences inspires a story. Maybe you could use one of these sentences to end your story instead.

  • I wish I could do that day over again.
  • It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which one is the smart one.
  • I was done with feeling lonely.
  • Some music just makes you heart ache.
  • I/We thought he’d left down for good.
  • We both needed a break.
  • The soldiers surrounded our house.
  • We woke to the sound of driving rain and breaking glass.
  • We couldn’t cross here. The river was too deep.
  • Bre’s falcon warned us first.
  • Henry’s first time on skates was the best laugh I’d had in ages.
  • Never say no to a cat.

Perhaps one of these titles will inspire a story: Night Life, Southwind, Karn’s Mountain, The Breakers, For the First Time, The Other World, Snow Men, Folding Paper, Four Pines, Pink Shoes, No News is Good News, Lady Moonlight, Weapon XI, Border, The Walk.

Create a scene around one of these groups of dialogue lines.

  • Can’t you see he needs help.
  • We need to go.
  • But—
  • Now.

 

  • Sit still.
  • But I don’t want my picture taken.
  • This isn’t about you, remember.

 

  • I don’t think we should be here.
  • I think you’re right.
  • Then, let’s leave.
  • We’re not finished yet, and you know it

 

  • What’s the matter?
  • I’m thinking.
  • What about?
  • Why we haven’t seen anyone from Trianor in three days.

Have a writerly month!

 

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