Tuesday 25 November 2008

Writing Prompts


Here are some ideas to prompt some creative writing. Sometimes I do such an exercise as a way of warming up. Sometimes we start our creative writers' group meetings with a 5 minute session.

- You have a scar on your face or body. Write an alternative version of how you got it.
- Describe a river from the point of view of someone who is bereaved or nervous about getting married or pregnant.
- Open a book at random and use the first full sentence on the page as your starting line.
- Start with "it was a dark and stormy night" and have the words bamboozle, niche and guard somewhere in the story.
- spend 5 mins writing a story that last 5 mins, then spend 5 mins writing a story that last 5 seconds.

First Lines

- Her favorite word was "ghastly."
- She appeared to be ...
- By the time the lie had spread so far and wide that everyone believed it to be the truth, it was too late.
- I don't know what possessed me to visit the palm reader.
- Nothing ever happened on my street.
- Anita was often wrong.
- Russell had no tact.

10 comments:

Niamh B said...

thanks - hope you don't mind if I use those with the teen writers group in Lucan...? One that worked well for us the other week was spend 5 mins writing a story that last 5 mins, then spend 5 mins writing a story that last 5 seconds. We tried a 5 year story as well, but that was a bit bland.

Emerging Writer said...

Thanks Niamh. I've added yours and a couple I thought of on the bus today.

Karen said...

Some great prompts there - I find first lines particularly inspiring :o)

That stunning photo is a prompt in itself!

Liz said...

Good ones ...and ditto the photo.
cheers emerging.

♥ Boomer ♥ said...

Yes, that photo is amazing!!!

Emerging Writer said...

thanks for all your comments. Please if you have any more that have worked for you, let me know.

Fearghus said...

And for this bodies and buildings choreographer, it's definitely that street that would inspire me to slide along the sinuous passage

Peter Goulding said...

It's not the Jewish quarter in Girona, is it? The photo I mean

Emerging Writer said...

Good guess Peter, but no. Any more guesses? I've never been to Girona. It looks beautiful.
I'll post the answer in a few days.

Niamh B said...

Dubrovnik???