One thing I love about March is its sense of hope. In among the snow squalls and rain and up-and-down temperatures, the hope that spring soon will be here thrives. Birds are returning and singing, my daffodils are making progress in my flower bed, the days are noticeably longer, and the sun has some heat in it. In a sheltered corner of my sunny deck, I’ve actually eaten my lunch outside for the first time this year. Hurray for March.
It’s an inspiring month for me to get down to some writing and to pat myself on the back for the several full garbage bags that have been dragged down from my still-cluttered office. More to go. All good.
I hope that the hints of spring are reinvigorating your writing and your commitment to getting that manuscript done soon.
If you need some inspiration, I hope the writing prompts below give you some story ideas.
1) Use one, some, or all of the words in one of these groups to inspire a story or poem.
- Phone, skyline, blue, high, call, run
- Card, photo, black, window, tear, long
- Flowers, jar, table, deep, west, edge, map
- Lamp, cave, damp, hot, echo, fear, red
- Choice, gem, hide, purple, hand, grip, quickly
2) Perhaps one of these opening sentences will help you start a new story.
- Are you listening to me?
- Helen followed the noises to the space under the porch.
- Writing my journal by candlelight was never my thing, but time travel will change you.
- When the photo fell out of the envelope, I knew I couldn’t go back.
- Leopards hunt at night. So does Harry.
- Close the curtains. I don’t want anyone to see me.
- Most morning, I dropped some coins or a dollar bill in Ed’s guitar case as I passed him on the way to the subway. Today, he wasn’t there, but ____________.
- If I could have re-runs of days in my life, I wouldn’t pick today’s episode.
- I raced down the hill on my bike. Smoke was coming from my house.
- The general’s wife never kept living things alive or well for long: plants died, the dog died, the general was in a convalescent home. I was next.
3) Can you think of a story or poem to go with one of these titles?
Red Stars, Magic Carpet, Under Surveillance, Keep Strong, A Family’s Secrets, The Accident, Last Walk, Piper’s Glen, Jeopardy, The Ghostly Galleon, Race Day, The Glass Blowers.
4) Write a scene or story around one of these dialogue excerpts.
- How do you feel about bats?
- Why do you want to know?
- You haven’t seen where we’re spending the night.
- I can’t go any farther.
- Then, good-bye.
- I’m hungry.
- We’re all hungry.
- But—
- Keep quiet or go back. Your choice.
- I haven’t been here for years.
- And?
- Nothing … nothing.
- Can I keep it?
- Keep what?
- This.
- No.
5) How important is hope to your character? Has he been disillusioned from some past events. Is she a determined optimist?
6) What is your character’s favourite month or season? Does certain weather invigorate your character or turn him or her into a lump under a blanket for the duration?
Hope you enjoyed this month’s prompts. Have a writerly March!
If you’re getting stuck on your book project and need some help, please check out my coaching services here.