Image by Terri Cnudde from Pixabay
I hope your November is off to a good start! If you’re in the midst of NaNoWriMo, I wish you lots and lots of words and every success.
I hope you have wonderful holidays ahead with friends and family, and that, sometime in the following weeks, you are able to sneak in all the writing time you need to keep your imagination and your heart happy.
Here are some writing prompts to brighten your imagination as winter closes in. It’s cloudy and snowing hard here right now, and the plow has just gone by and filled up the end of my driveway. It’s times like these that I’m so grateful I’m a writer because I can sit down and write about sunshine and seashores and escape the whole thing—after I’ve shovelled the snow. 😊
Use one, some, or all of the words in these groups to create a story or poem.
- Sunshine, seashore, gulls, breeze, clouds, danger, red
- Purple, panic, chase, fly, dragon, castle
- Potion, magic, snow, pocket, alone, found, gold
- Bridge, river, boat, lamp, night, stars, silver, wary
- Pen, ink, journal, secret, thrill, plan, hurt
Here are some opening lines for you to try:
- How empty is empty?
- That’s a very big needle.
- I want the bigger half.
- Yesterday, I was sure I trusted her/him. Today is a different story.
- What did you put in this cocoa?
- The general waited until everyone was silent before he spoke.
- Have you had a good look at Henry lately?
- I thought Helen was your friend. What happened?
- You’re the one who stole it.
- On Sunday morning, Henry’s dog was stolen.
Here are some dialogue excerpts that might inspire a scene or two.
Why is Henry always late for homeroom?
You don’t know about his dad.
I thought you said we were going to avoid going through the forest.
I did say that.
Then why have we changed directions?
Look behind you.
I’m cold.
Keep moving and you’ll warm up.
You said that an hour ago.
Okay, keep moving we won’t get killed.
I’ll shut up.
Good.
What’s with Helen these days?
She’s worried about Henry.
What’s to worry about. He’s been really nice to everyone lately.
That’s why she’s worried.
Here’s a great blog by Tonya Thompson with wonderful writing prompts to keep you inspired until the New Year: 301 Short Story Ideas Guaranteed to Kick Your Writing into High Gear. The Writer Igniter from DIY MFA is also a fun place to visit when you are looking for story ideas. If you have a question about any aspect of writing, drop by Writer’s Knowledge Base: The Search Engine for Writers where you’ll find links to hundreds of inspirational and practical articles to answer all you questions
I wish you creative, healthy, happy and writerly weeks ahead!