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.