Wednesday again, already? That was fast. Since I'm still knee-deep in editing, I wanted to share some of my favorite writing prompts today. These never fail to get the brain working, and sometimes these exercises lead to plot points I want to include in my novels. I think the most helpful prompts are those that aren't super specific. They set the stage, and let you provide the performance.
From my teachers/professors:
- What does your character have in his/her closet?
- How does your character want to celebrate his/her birthday?
- Write about a tree.
- Pick a color.
- Yesterday was_______________.
From my brother:
- This is my personal favorite, and it came from my brother. At the time, I hadn't completed a single novel and I was struggling with a character. He suggested the following, and I call it "The Diner."
- Sit your character down in a booth at a diner. Across from him/her, seat an existing character you know well from a book, TV show, film, etc. Write their interactions from the perspective of the established character. (This prompt would lead me to fan fiction, and the realization that, make fun of it all you want, fanfic is an amazing writing tool for those of us looking to get our feet wet in the world of fiction-writing.)
I fall back on these prompts time and again. You never know where they'll lead you. "Pick a color" took me to Tam...and you see how far that went.
I know some high school English teachers who could have benefitted from using some of your ideas. I can remember when sitting in class that the hardest part of any paper was just getting those first few words down. Any inspiration was helpful! Great ideas!
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