Crossword Puzzle Writing Prompts

                                                  LIMES By Smabs Sputzer


Here is an idea you can use for a writing prompt anytime. Find words in crossword puzzles.

Since it is the New York Times' crossword editor's birthday --- Happy Birthday, Will Shortz!  ----- , in his honor I have picked words from a New York Times crossword puzzle for your creative writing prompts.  The words are below.  Pick 5-8 of them to use in a poem, story or scene.  OR pick one that prompts a memory and write a little bit of creative nonfiction.

Here are your words:

Limes, hissy fit, overtures, cartoons, ripest, hiatus, netted,
suede, flame, taken, royal, onyx, used, seance, swooned, sanity

Dorothy Parker Writing Prompts

Dorothy Parker Writing Prompts

Happy Birthday to Dorothy Parker! 

Dorothy Parker (August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist, best known for her wisecracks and wit.  You can read some of her poems and more about her here.

Below are creative writing prompts for fiction, play writing, and poetry.  ENJOY!  Feel free to post anything you come up with.  

Fiction Writing & Play Writing Practice:  Dorothy Parker is the one who wrote: 

Men seldom make passes
At girls who wear glasses.

Below is a picture of a cute girl with glasses in a vineyard.  Write a scene where someone makes a pass at her.  Keep your setting in the vineyard.  Keep in mind she is stealing this grape.

anna and the grape 

 Anna snacks on a stolen grape from a vineyard in province b

 

y austinevan

Creative Writing Prompt for Poetry:  In honor of Dorothy Parker's birthday, please read the two short poems below, and create a little witty poem of your own.


Drink and dance and laugh and lie,
Love, the reeling midnight through,
For tomorrow we shall die!
(But, alas, we never do.)
"The Flaw in Paganism" in Death and Taxes (1931)

Observation

If I didn't care for fun and such,

I'd probably amount to much.

But I shall stay the way I am,

Because I do not give a damn.

First printed in New York World, (16 August 1925)

Orville Wright's Birthday Writing Prompt

"We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests; to investigate whatever aroused curiosity."  -Orville Wright

Today it is Orville Wright's birthday.  He and his brother Wilbur launched the first successful flight of a "flying machine" in 1903.  His quote above is about his childhood and curiosity.

Do you remember making inventions when you were a child?  What did you learn from exploring curiosity?

For your creative writing prompt today, free-write for 10 minutes about your memories of your childhood curiosity.

After your free-write, take the subject and develop a short creative nonfiction piece, or a short story based on the theme, or a poem.  

Writing Prompts with Paper Stars

Stars, a photo by credo_vsegda on Flickr.

Hello, Creative Writers!

Though I am usually not a big fan of one word writing prompts, I am not opposed to trying something new. There is a word I have been reflecting on all week, so I am offering it up to you as a springboard for inspiration.

Write for 10 minutes (form of your choice) on what comes to you from this word:

BELIEVE!


Happy Writing! I hope you are all enjoying your summer!