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Writing Prompts for April 2018

It will be a while until these are in bloom. Sigh. Writing Prompts for April 2018

Welcome to April! I hope you’re enjoying the longer days and that extra warmth in the sunshine. If you’re looking for some great resources on the craft of writing, marketing, editing, publishing, and the writing life, I encourage you to drop by The Writer’s Knowledge Base™ where you’ll find over 40,000 curated articles on every writing topic imaginable. This is my go-to resource when I’m looking for material for workshops and inspiration for my coaching clients. I hope you find the answers to your writing questions there, too.

Here are your writing prompts for April.

  1. Use one, some, or all of the words in one of these groups to create a story or poem.
  • Venture, pass, name, gale, last, copper
  • Plan, red, guide, tree, lost, under, walk
  • Time, truck, blue, late, race, mountain
  • Book, drop, sidewalk, green, park, leaf
  • Dog, shelter, evil, yellow, food, fear
  1. Here are some opening sentences that might inspire a story or two.
  • “It’s no big deal.”
  • Old songs are the best.
  • The scribe wiped the ink from his fingers.
  • Everybody lies, except Henry, and sometimes I wish he did.
  • “When did your eyes start to glow in the dark?”
  • I waited as long as I could.
  • It ends tomorrow.
  • “Just leave him/her alone!”
  • I swear that the eyes in his portrait followed my every move.
  • I liked things neat and tidy. Helen was driving me crazy.
  1. Perhaps one of these titles will help you find a story idea.

Looking for Hope, Your Number is Up, One Heart: Two Loves, The Spy Who Liked Ice Cream, Only One Choice, Last Dance, No Options, Hero’s Return, Packing Up, Incandescent.

  1. Here are some short dialogue excerpts. Choose one and see if you can write a scene around it.
  • I didn’t stay long.
  • Why not?
  • I know when I’m not welcome.

 

  • Did Helen ask you to come?
  • If I waited for an invitation, I’d never go anywhere.

 

  • Where were you?
  • I thought the meeting was cancelled.
  • Who said it was cancelled?
  • Henry.

 

  • Where’s the dragon?
  • He’s sleeping.
  • Still?
  • He was nearly killed yesterday, remember?

 

  • I’d like more information before I decide.
  • You know all you need to know.
  • I disagree. It’s my life that’s at risk here.

 

  1. What’s your favourite book? List some reasons why this book is your favourite. Use the items on your list to make an editing checklist for the book you are writing.

6. Make a numbered list of twenty items that you can see right now. Pick three random numbers                 between 1 and 20 and use those three items in a story.

Hope you have a writerly April!

 

Writing Prompts for March 2018

 

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.

December 2017 and January 2018 Writing Prompts

The end of a year and the imminent start to a new one prompt two responses: reflection and looking ahead. Reflecting on 2017 has helped me put my writing successes and failures in perspective. In my head, I, too often, equate creative writing with fiction. When I look back at the writing I did in 2017, I realize that it was all creative, even though very little of it was fiction. Taking research and an interview with an engineer and turning it into a case study worth reading is creative writing. Inventing new test questions for a communications textbook is creative writing. Turning 7000 frantically typed words chronicling a day-long series of seminars and turning them into a 2500-word summary is creative writing. Editing/rewriting ad copy so it sells the product and the company is creative writing. All this writing has kept my brain in gear and taught me a lot over the past year—and I’ve been paid. A definite bonus.

So, looking ahead, what are my plans for 2018? I’m going to become a student again. I’ve invested in a course that focuses on middle-grade and YA fiction, and I’m going to work through it step-by-step. I have a journal set aside especially for the course (a must for an inveterate journal collector.) The plan is to work on it in the morning before I check email and Facebook. A much better use of my waking time. It will be nice to look at the clock at 9:30 and realize that I’ve actually accomplished something other than watching cat videos and going down YouTube rabbit holes–and don’t talk to me about those quizzes that determine my spirit animal or the colour of my aura or the Celtic meaning of my name. Yup, I love them all.

I’m looking forward to starting my writing course when all the family is back at work and into their usual routines again. This week is all about relaxing and reading my Christmas-gift books–and clearing my desk for a positive start to 2018. Through 2017, my laptop and necessary resources for various projects have occupied increasingly less space on my desk and the piles around them have grown higher. I have garbage bags at the ready–and I intend to fill them!

Because I combined my long overdue December prompts with those for January, today, there are double the prompts to launch your creative new year. I hope your reflections and plans for 2018 help bring you closer to the creative results you are dreaming of.

Prompts

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

  • Lights, star, snow, trees, book, red
  • Message, hurt, open, candle, door, white
  • Wind, sky, grey, ice, worry, urgent, hurry
  • Box, bus, snowman, house, wreath, green
  • Table, candle, package, fear, cold, cabin, black
  • Water, sunshine, window, gulls, breeze, blue, hope
  • Grass, cliff, rocks, edge, running, love, yellow
  • Palm trees, beach, escape, broken, memory, pink
  • Child, swing, remember, grandfather, Old Spice, joy

Use one of these opening sentences to start a story.

  • I think Santa hates me.
  • That red stain was not cranberry sauce.
  • The river’s surge collapsed the bridge. We were wet, hungry, and trapped.
  • A cool hand touched mine in the dark.
  • I fell asleep in front of the fireplace. When I woke, the fire was out and I was in ….
  • The snow swept across the road in horizontal waves. I had to stop.
  • A tropical island wedding seemed ideal until someone murdered the bride.
  • The chief arrived with new orders.
  • It wasn’t just his/her smile that made him/her irresistible.
  • The puppy, shivering and crouched by the wrecked car, was the only creature dead or alive that the rescuers found that night.
  • This was not a good time for the power to fail.
  • The silence was starting to get to Henry.
  • Today I broke my all-time record for saying the wrong thing.
  • My home town didn’t exactly welcome me back. I wasn’t surprised.
  • The dark rangers crested the hill. They were closing in.
  • Next time that I pretend to be someone else, I’m going to think about it first.
  • Cheating was not an option.
  • The saying “less is more” does not apply to chocolate.
  • Never open the door to a rain-drenched ex with a head cold and a kitten.
  • This situation had nothing to do with who was male or who was female—it was about power.

Here are some titles that might inspire a story or two.

For Love of Him, Moonrise, The Music Box, Red Defenders, Keeping the Faith, The Book of Why-Not, Seven Mysteries, Last Day of Freedom, The Stars’ Promise, The Fire, Castle High, Thin Ice, Last Train to Wonderland, Science Fair: Worst Day Ever, The Unwelcome Mat, Drums, Turn Around, The Hawk’s Cry, Two for Danger, Snow and Ice, Mars Traveler, The Sea Calls, Music and Mayhem.

Below are some snippets of dialogue. See if you can imagine a scene around one or more of them.

You took the last one!

So?

 

You’re awfully quiet.

I’m thinking.

What about?

Why we haven’t seen Henry since Linc came back to town.

 

I miss her.

We all do.

She didn’t think about us before she left.

Maybe she did. We’ll never know.

 

Number 46!

Yes, sir.

Keep your mind on your work.

 

When are you going to be finished?

Why do you care?

 

I told you that in secret!

I didn’t tell anyone. Honest.

Then how did _______ find out.

 

Did you say something?

I thought you did.

They turned and looked behind them. The cat was smiling.

I wish you all the best for a happy, healthy, and writerly 2018.

Writing Prompts for November 2107

WRITING PROMPTS FOR NOVEMBER 2017

I’m late with the writing prompts this month, but here they are now. My October was crazy busy–celebrating two birthdays and an anniversary, hosting Thanksgiving dinner, freelancing, singing, and lots more. Yikes! I’m so glad it’s November–and that the clocks turned back last night. Time is moving deliciously slowly today, and I’m getting lots done, including some lazy reading time. Perfect.

If you’re tackling NaNoWriMo, I wish you every success. It wasn’t for me this year, but I’m certainly cheering on those who made the commitment. Yay for you!

For my readers in the United States, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.

And for all of you, I hope you have a healthy, happy and creative November!

WRITING PROMPTS

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

  • Fog, wind, yellow leaves, cold, grey, breath
  • Journey, break, wake, noise, stars, blue
  • Wall, forest, stones, escape, green, wonder
  • Gems, throne, permeate,strength, poison, red

Use one of these opening sentences to start a story.

  • “I want my money, now.”
  • I was careful about what I wished for. It didn’t help.
  • I loved everything about my dragon—except his uncanny ability to get me into trouble.
  • When Henry had a secret, it was no secret.
  • The freezing rain soon coated our cloaks making them so heavy that we could barely walk.
  • The yellow emergency light on the panel suddenly flashed. Too late, we already knew we were in big trouble.
  • I looked at the clock beside the bed. 3 a.m. Why was the musical birthday card that I’d left downstairs by the door, playing “The Chicken Dance” at this hour?
  • Henry inspired obedience—but only when he was standing in front of you and threatening.
  • Don’t throw stones at a wasps’ nest.
  • Henry was the last person that Helen expected to see at the concert.
  • The house had been empty for two years. Tonight, a light moved from one room to another, flickering briefly through cracks in the blinds.
  • I don’t care who selected me. I’m not doing it.
  • I have no idea why my mom picked “Last Chance Ranch” for this year’s summer camp. Well, maybe that’s not exactly true.

See if one of these titles inspires a story or poem.

Guitar King/Queen, The Last Turn in the Road, Henry’s Millions, A Bug in the System, Two More Sleeps, The Orchid Seller, Bones Town, The Face in the Photograph, When Eagles Dared, The Balcony, Winter Warrior, The Door to Somewhere. Magic Carpet, Recycled.

Write a scene or a story around one of the following dialogue excerpts.

  • Your back is really bleeding.
  • It’s okay.
  • Let me lift your shirt. You might need stitches.
  • Just leave it!

 

  • I can’t come with you tonight.
  • Again?
  • I have stuff I have to do.
  • Yea, like avoid your friends—and me.

 

  • Are you sure this is how you put this together?
  • Yeah. I’ve done it lots of times.
  • In the dark?

 

  • What was that?
  • Coyotes.
  • In the city?
  • Yes. When you need to worry is when you can’t hear them? Now, get moving.

 

  • I hate snow—
  • Cold? Wet? Needs shoveling?
  • You didn’t let me finish. I hate snow in July.

 

 

Writing Prompts for September 2017


Writing Prompts for September 2017

I can’t believe that it’s September already. Summer flew by, and now, there are glimpses of colour in the trees that say fall is just around the corner. Yikes!

I’ve always loved fall. For years as a student and then later as a teacher, it was always the time for fresh starts and resolutions–like New Years without the snow. This fall is no different. I have plans for paying more attention to my fitness, doing some serious culling of years of accumulated paper and teacher resources, and basically, just getting my act together. I live in hope!

Whatever happens, writing will still be a priority. I hope that small steps will help me reach my goals, and I’m already wondering about tackling NaNoWriMo this year. Again, I live in hope. 🙂

If you are looking for a new creative project for the fall, maybe one of the following writing prompts will inspire you. Have fun!

a)  See if one, some, or all of the words in one of the following groups suggests a story or poem.

  • Lake, gull, lighthouse, sunset, shadows, blue
  • Clouds, rain, thunder, fear, rising, dog, grey
  • Bench, waiting, listening, others, call, risk, purple
  • Time, past, legend, mystery, shell, clasp, green
  • Stones, message, fail, portal, wonder, run, silver

b)  Here are some opening lines that might lead you to a story.

  • Last year, we were happy.
  • Henry sighed. That was never a good sign.
  • I learned to climb the day my life depended on it.
  • I hadn’t smelled that particular cigar smell in years. He was back.
  • The cries of the gulls downed my scream.
  • The council assembled in silence.
  • A smooth black stone lay half-hidden in the sand. It wasn’t a stone.
  • The storm circled the tower.
  • It was too late when I remembered my grandfather’s words: red sky at dawning—sailor’s warning.
  • I dug my nails into my palms and kept my mouth shut

c)  Here are some titles that might suggest a story or poem: End of the Line, The Oracle, Bram’s Ring, When Good Witches Go Bad, Bottom of the League, Turner’s First Game, The Wild Ones, The Cartographer, The Secret in Black Wood, Kayak Adventure.

d)  See if you can write a scene around one of these short dialogue excerpts.

  • Bring him along.
  • But he’s just a kid.
  • Doesn’t mean he can’t be useful.

 

  • I’m done. I want to leave.
  • That’s too bad.
  • Why?
  • We still need more answers.

 

  • Is Henry okay?
  • Why?
  • He walked right past me this morning like I was invisible.
  • Don’t you know? He’s trying to protect you.

 

  • The water’s fine.
  • It’s freezing!
  • You’re just not used to it.
  • And I don’t plan to be!

Hope you have a writerly month ahead!

Writing Prompts for August 2017

WRITING PROMPTS FOR AUGUST 2017

I don’t know about your summer, but mine is flying by. Lots of heat and thunderstorms lately, but it saves me watering my mom’s garden, so I’m not complaining.

I hope you have been enjoying your summer and finding some creative time, too. If you’re looking for something to fill your journal pages, I hope some of the prompts below will provide the necessary jump-start to a story or poem.

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

  • Sun, blue, smoke, distance, danger, escape
  • Race, down, fear, road, gravel, slip, red
  • Bridge, under, flow, rain, caught, grey, free
  • Ledge, climb, safe, rope, loose, night, silver

Here are some opening lines to get you started.

  • Once upon a midnight ….
  • Henry slammed his fist down on the table, “Enough!”
  • That was my second lie today.
  • If you wanted someone who was going to be on time, you shouldn’t have picked Henry.
  • Horizontal snow and another two miles to ride.
  • That road led straight to the castle.
  • Another nightmare.
  • We had no choice. We left Henry and moved on.
  • I was tired of feeling that everyone had a say in the matter but me.
  • I wish I were programmed to forget.
  • Roscoe came and sat silently at my feet. He could feel something was wrong, too.

Perhaps one of these titles will be inspiring.

Moonrise, Copper Storm, The Girl Who Didn’t Care, A Rose for Helen, Team Player, Lonely Heart, Run, The Attic, Wonder Full, Storm Chaser, Pirate Moon, The World Beneath the Stairs, Samantha and Sam.

Here are some dialogue excerpts. See if you can build a scene or a story around one of them.

  • Am I the last one?
  • There should be two more.
  • How long are we going to wait for them?

 

  • Did you hear that?
  • Yes.
  • Then why didn’t you hide?

 

  • Six o’clock.
  • So?
  • So, Henry said we should leave at six.
  • Henry’s going to be disappointed then, isn’t he?

 

  • Come over here.
  • No.
  • But you’re all alone.
  • Exactly.

 

  • Have you seen Henry lately?
  • Why? Worried?
  • It’s not like him to stay away so long.
  • Enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts.

Hope you have a writerly August!

 

Writing Prompts for July 2017

WRITING PROMPTS FOR JULY 2017

Canada celebrates its 150th birthday today, and my American readers celebrate their country’s national holiday on July 4th.  I hope that you all have wonderful holidays with family and friends.

If creativity is on your summer agenda, here are some writing prompts to help you find a story or two.

Choose one of these word groups and use one, some, or all of the words to create a story or poem.

  • Feather, dawn, call, open, blue, keep, end
  • River, cliff, safe, grass, cold, grey, running
  • Boat, pier, home, green, wonder, few, child

Try one of these opening sentences and see where it takes your imagination.

  • Henry was early. Henry was never early.
  • Helen carefully put the box on the table.
  • I was sure I felt a breeze, but the wind chimes were silent.
  • The child lay in the tall grass.
  • The shack didn’t look as welcoming in daylight.
  • The best present ever was my bike.
  • There were days when Helen frightened me.
  • No, Henry, that wasn’t funny.
  • The tree branch scrabbled against the window.
  • Last night the rains came.

Can you think of a story or poem to go with one of these titles?

East Texas Blues, Century, The Apple Tree, Forgive and Forget, Hope’s Island, The Garden, Mystery at MacDonald’s, Last Child Standing, The Waiter, Nemesis, Heist, One Bad Day, Life with the Smiths, The Final Strategy, Wind Across the Prairie, Storm.

Here are some dialogue excerpts. See if you can create a scene around one of them.

  • Something’s wrong. Did you hear that?
  • I can’t hear anything.
  • The engine’s failing.
  • But we’re miles from our destination.

 

  • Have you heard the latest about Helen?
  • I don’t like gossip.
  • Not even if it’s what she said about you?

 

  • I’m tired.
  • Me, too, but we can’t stop now.

 

  • I thought you said this place was safe.
  • It is.
  • Not anymore.

 

  • I’m sure I saw those curtains move.
  • That house has been empty for weeks.
  • That’s what I thought, too. Look.

Hope you all have a writerly month ahead!

Writing Prompts for June 2017

Writing Prompts for June 2017

I hope you had a creative May and made progress toward your writing goals. I feel like I spent most of May driving back and forth to the hospital/rehab facility where my mom is recovering from a fractured pelvis. Even though it’s not a long drive, and she’s usually in good spirits and making good progress with her physiotherapy, I’m still exhausted when I get home. It’s just hard, as you know, to see someone you love struggling, sometimes in pain, and wanting to have them back home where they belong. Creativity is elusive at the best of times, but right now impossible. I’ve managed a couple of short, freelance projects, and I’m grateful for those because they’ve kept me writing.

Keeping on the creative track is hard, but I’ve found great satisfaction in doing one simple thing every day. I’m taking a book that I love and am writing out—yes, pen on paper—a small section of it every day. I was inspired to do this by Jennifer Manuel and her blog, How to Write Your Best Story Ever with One Epic Exercise. My copying helps me see how one writer uses words well. It’s like a mini writing workshop every day. It’s also calming, and I need that now, as “stress” is my middle name right now as we get my mom’s apartment ready for her return (including filling her many garden containers with flowers and tomato plants and lettuce plants, etc.—sooooo not my thing) and likely installing a stair lift so she can get up and down stairs to her apartment without stressing herself. Life is not dull.

I hope you enjoy June’s writing prompts and have a writerly month ahead.

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

  • Pen, hope, clear, yesterday, erase, blue
  • Goblet, table, feast, music, undercurrent, red
  • Calendar, busy, time, renew, carry, up, yellow

2.   Here are some opening sentences from which you might invent a story or two.

  • Let the boy speak.
  • Wish you were here.
  • Haven’t you won that solitaire game yet?
  • Was this how freedom felt?
  • Helen looked up to face the crowded room.
  • I’d read stories about people who’d run for their lives, but nothing had prepared me for this.
  • Henry flicked the switch. Nothing. Again. Nothing.
  • I had never been so tired.
  • I don’t do edges well.
  • Helen tried to not think about her wedding

3.  Here are some titles that might make you think of a story or poem: This Is My Life, The Abandoned, The Beauty in Everything, The Lake, A Simple Life, The Castle on the Cliff, The Magic Forest, Dragons and Me, Dancing in the Street, Going Viral, Henry’s Letter, Runaway

4.  Try these dialogue excerpts and write a scene or two.

  • That was a pretty mean thing to say.
  • It was true. And she had to hear it.
  • She hates you now.
  • I know, but that’s better than losing her.

 

  • You were gone a long time.
  • Too bad it was wasted.
  • He wouldn’t listen?
  • No.

 

  • I saw Henry steal the–.
  • Quiet!
  • But—
  • Everyone knows.

 

  • What’s that?
  • A letter.
  • Who from?
  • My grandmother.
  • But ….
  • I know. She died three years ago.

 

Writing Prompts for January 2017

Writing Prompts for January 2017
Reflections at the Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle.

I considered reflecting on the events of 2016, but frankly, there’s lots you really don’t want to know–honest. The above photo is from a family holiday that included visiting Seattle, WA and Victoria, BC. I have great memories of explorations in galleries, museums, rain forests and mountains–and quiet family times of reading while the sun set. I’m very grateful for that time with my family and for every morning that I wake up and know  that I’m another day further into my life after last year’s cancer surgery–and feeling gratitude is not a bad way to start a new year.

But what will 2017 hold? I don’t know, but over the last couple of days I reread Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic, and I was reminded to “share whatever you are driven to share.” I write lots of non-fiction about writing. I enjoy it, and I’m going to keep doing it. I love motivating people to write. This year, I’m going to seek out other ways to reach new writers and help them share what they “are driven to share.” And if I find myself worrying about whether or not to take a risk, I’m going to remember this, too: “Hey, why not? Because it’s all just temporary.” Exactly, Elizabeth.

I hope that you have a 2017 filled with peace, and love, and creativity, too. To get you started on your creative goals for 2017, here are your writing prompts for January.

Use one, some, or all of the words in the following lists to inspire a story or poem:

  • Slide, column, eye, remember, red, hidden
  • Glass, case, door, fear, run, seal, black
  • Escape, tunnel, race, battle, freedom, star
  • Beam, rescue patience, delay, moment, revenge

Here are some titles that might suggest a story or two: Rate of Decay, Last Chance, Brother Why?, Indefinitely, A New Year’s Resolution, The Captain’s Son, Battle Stations, Just a Step Away, Love on New Year’s Eve, Holiday, Seeing in the Dark.

Try one of the following opening lines to start a story.

  • Most people have a party or, at least, drink a toast with Anderson and Kathy on New Year’s Eve. Instead, I open my back door, a stray cat walks in, and an hour later I have a cat, four kittens and an old college sweat shirt that I will never wear again.
  • The last time I saw Harry, he had that same dumb grin.
  • Saying goodbye is never easy.
  • If they could hear my heartbeats, I’d be found in about 30 seconds.
  • Nothing made a castle colder than three days of uninterrupted rain.
  • His cloak smelled of wood smoke and rain.
  • Security! Report to Deck 9!
  • I still haven’t told my family that I was fired.
  • Helen always knew the wrong thing to say.

Here are a few snippets of dialogue. Can you write a scene using one of them?

  • When was the last time you talked to Henry?
  • This morning.
  • Then, he told you.
  • Yes.
  • Do you want to get caught?
  • No.
  • Then keep up!
  • I thought you weren’t coming back.
  • I have something to say to you.
  • Then say it.
  • I’m getting cold.
  • Just a little bit further.
  • Promise?
  • Promise.
  • So, another hour?
  • At least.

Happy New Year and may 2017 hold only good things for you!

Writing Prompts for December 2016

Writing Prompts for December 2016

I always enjoy the approach to the holidays. Decorating the house, planning meals, and even all the long-overdue cleaning and organizing are done with a lighter heart. It’s a musical time for us, too. My choir has a concert, my son’s university ensemble has a concert, and we all attend the local symphony’s holiday concert, joining my brother-in-law’s family for dinner afterwards. I hope that you and yours enjoy times filled with peace, love, and happiness in the coming weeks and that these feelings follow you through 2017.

Though your writing time may be limited in December, I encourage you to take even 10 minutes out of your day to put a few words on the page. Typing at 25 words per minute would fill a double-spaced page. Think of how those pages could add up over the month, and how much further ahead you will be starting 2017.

If you need some writing inspiration or fresh ideas, here are your writing prompts for December. Remember that you can change names and gender to suit the story you want to write.

Opening Sentences – Start a story with one of the following sentences. You could use the sentence to end the story, too.

Wait! Don’t open that!
The fire was too small to warm the room.
Henry and I had an agreement—until yesterday.
The branches of the bare trees clattered overhead.
Making a wish as you blow out your birthday candles isn’t just for kids.
Helen should have known better.
Secrets should be kept secret.
I don’t have a cat anymore, so what was coughing and hacking in my kitchen?

Random Words – Choose a group of words from the following list, and using one, some, or all of the words in the group, write a story or poem.

Gate, pillar, robe, wonder, blue, cry, gold
green, hills, wander, home, far, cold, rain
run, danger, lost, captain, white, strange
window, tense, sneer, answer, leave, yellow

Possible Story Titles

Yesterday’s Man, The Gold Tower, Tree People, The Leaving, Ghosts at Summer Camp, Strangers at First, Ethan’s Mountain, The Blue Sword, The Kameron Curse, The Second Gift.

Dialogue – Use one of these dialogue excerpts and imagine the story around it.

Why do we have to travel at night?
It’s safer.
It’s also cold.

I haven’t seen you with Henry lately.
Oh, we’re old news.
But I thought you were getting married.
Tell that to Henry’s father.

Are you sure we can trust Helen?
I don’t see that we have a lot of options.
But, I told you—she’s lied before.
So have you.

I don’t like the sound of that.
Me neither, but it’s too soon to worry the others.

You found something.
No.
Show it to me.
No.

Hope you have a wonderful, writerly December!

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