Since this is the new year, how about trying something different with regards to writing? If you have never tried a SciFaiku, I have featured it for today's writing prompt. While it might not be new to all of you, my guess is that it is new to most of you. I have also included fiction writing prompts and essay prompts for you, too.
Poetry Writing Prompts
A writing friend of mine just won a SciFaiku contest, and I will admit, I was not familiar with the form. I ask that you read about the genre here.
Also, enjoy the winners of the SciFaiku contest from the blog Stars in My Sugar Bowl .
After learning about the SciFaiku form, give it a try and feel free to post your attempt in the comments section
Fiction Writing Prompts
Add to one of the following lines and see where the story takes you. Write for 5 minutes without stopping.
1. She noticed a purple cloud floating toward her. . .
2. That evening, the stars started to turn to. . .
3. The dead bodies beyond the hills began to. . .
4. He knew the sword had the secret power to. . .
Essay Prompts
1. The best thing about 2012 was. . .
2. I look forward to 2013 because. . .
Showing posts with label fiction writing prompts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiction writing prompts. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Red Truck Writing Prompts
Your writing prompts today will be based on the painting.
Fiction Writing Prompts:
1. Look at the picture and write a story about where they are going today. Notice how the dogs are all in place for a road trip. Where will this character take them and why? What will they do? What will they encounter?
2. Study the person in the painting and write a character sketch about her. What is her name? What are her hobbies and passions in life? What is her relationship like with her dogs? Where do they live? Write about this character for at least 5 minutes without stopping.
Poetry and Creative Nonfiction Prompts:
If you visit the Red Oak card site, you'll find a super awesome "quote-o-matic" machine that features a new quote every time you go to a new page or refresh the page. All quotes in the quote-o-matic are by poet Ellis Felker, Red Oak's founder. One quote states:
"A simple life is what I ask. Just a life full of hill sitting and west watching."
Write an essay or poem about the simple pleasures of summer that bring you peace.
Many thanks to Ellis Felker and Toni Pawlowsky for inspiring today's prompts. I discovered Red Oak cards years ago, and I HIGHLY recommend them. They are of excellent quality, the artwork is amazingly beaituful, and you can't beat the price. Spread some joy and send one of their free ecards today. The process is simple and there are no crazy flash ads or registration requited. You can get there by clicking here.
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About Ellis Felker and Red Oak Publishers
Ellis Felker founded Red Oak Publishers in 1976. It all started with the publishing of his first little book of poems, Childhood River. In 1983 he began publishing photographic cards and posters. Gradually he added the work of other fine artists and photographers to the Red Oak line.
From clowns to cows to crocuses, Red Oak cards depict inspired scenes from all across the world - or from deep within the imagination. All cards are available either greeted or blank, and all are printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks. On the back of each is the encouraging motto, 'Find the good - and praise it.'
Today, from their rural Wisconsin address, Red Oak distributes cards, posters and across the country.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Creative Writing Prompts with Colors
For your prompt today, I thought it would be fun to have a colorful abstract painting. I love this one by Andrey Grinyov. You can study the painting and write a list of what the shapes remind you of. After you make your list, free-write about one of the images it provoked for you.
Poetry Writing Prompt: Look at the names of the colors listed below and write a poem with one of these color names as a title. (Note: I hijacked these color names from a catalog.)
Midnight Mauve, Cocoa Glow, Rose Radiance, Blue Shock, Mocha Latte, Waterfall, Bronze Treasure, Sparkling Blush, Twig
Fiction Writing Prompt: Write a story about an animal that is named one of the colors above.
Creative Nonfiction: Pick one of the colors that provokes a memory for you and write about it.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Creative Writing Prompts with Elizabeth Spann Craig
Happy Earth Day!
Today I'm proud to feature mystery writer Elizabeth Spann Craig as our guest prompter. Many thanks to Elizabeth for providing us with creative writing prompts. I hope they will keep you busy throughout the weekend.
And for those of you celebrating Easter, may you all have a blessed holiday celebration!
And now, here's Elizabeth. . .
********************************************************
Thanks so much to Anjie for allowing me to guest post today.
As a mystery writer, I’m constantly on the lookout for new characters for my books.Mysteries frequently have a good-sized cast of characters so it’s important to give the folks who populate the books distinguishing characteristics. Not so much physical characteristics, which I think are tough to keep track of, but personality traits that show through in dialogue and the character’s actions—excitability, a tendency to exaggerate, self-centeredness, shyness, or enthusiasm.
What I’m going for, as a writer, are characters that pop a little on the page. They don’t have to be wildly quirky, but they’re individuals. When I’m out running errands I’m on the lookout for these types of people. Thankfully, they seem to obligingly come out in droves whenever I’m out of the house—it’s almost like they know I need them, that I need their odd traits, their rudeness, their peculiar mannerisms. Many times these strangers will come up and talk to me. I must look really receptive to them. J I hope they’ll always be there for me as I make amalgams of different people and traits to form characters.
Since this is National Poetry Month, I thought I’d refer you to one of my favorite poems as part of my prompt. It is called "Summons," by Robert Francis and you can read it by clicking on this link: http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Robert-Francis/17647
1. This nighttime summons was a happy one, but usually calls or visits in the middle of the night are dreaded. Write a story involving a different kind of nighttime call or visit.
Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin/Berkley (as Riley Adams), and the Southern Quilting mysteries (2012) for Penguin/NAL, and the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink. She blogs daily at Mystery Writing is Murder, which was named by Writer’s Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers for 2010 and 2011. Her next book, Finger Lickin’ Dead releases June 7, 2011. You can find her on Twitter as @elizabethscraig.
Today I'm proud to feature mystery writer Elizabeth Spann Craig as our guest prompter. Many thanks to Elizabeth for providing us with creative writing prompts. I hope they will keep you busy throughout the weekend.
And for those of you celebrating Easter, may you all have a blessed holiday celebration!
And now, here's Elizabeth. . .
********************************************************
As a mystery writer, I’m constantly on the lookout for new characters for my books.Mysteries frequently have a good-sized cast of characters so it’s important to give the folks who populate the books distinguishing characteristics. Not so much physical characteristics, which I think are tough to keep track of, but personality traits that show through in dialogue and the character’s actions—excitability, a tendency to exaggerate, self-centeredness, shyness, or enthusiasm.
What I’m going for, as a writer, are characters that pop a little on the page. They don’t have to be wildly quirky, but they’re individuals. When I’m out running errands I’m on the lookout for these types of people. Thankfully, they seem to obligingly come out in droves whenever I’m out of the house—it’s almost like they know I need them, that I need their odd traits, their rudeness, their peculiar mannerisms. Many times these strangers will come up and talk to me. I must look really receptive to them. J I hope they’ll always be there for me as I make amalgams of different people and traits to form characters.
Since this is National Poetry Month, I thought I’d refer you to one of my favorite poems as part of my prompt. It is called "Summons," by Robert Francis and you can read it by clicking on this link: http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Robert-Francis/17647
Picture by: bosela
Fiction Writing Prompts:
1. This nighttime summons was a happy one, but usually calls or visits in the middle of the night are dreaded. Write a story involving a different kind of nighttime call or visit.
2. An invitation from a friend is the titled summons. But there are many other summonses in life. Come up with a story about a different type of summons—is it a call to military service? A jury summons? A call to the ministry? Something different?Poetry Prompt:
Write a poem about a nighttime walk. What types of things do you hear or see? What type of mood are you in—joyful, as the poet in Summons? Or is your mood darker? Show either your enjoyment of night or night fears in your poetry.
Phrases as Prompts:Come whistling up the road.Start a story with someone whistling as they walk. Who are they? Where are they going? What happens when you encounter them?
Journal Writing Prompt:
What kind of a sleeper are you? Do you sleep soundly or are you restless? Are you creative at night? Do you get ideas at night? Are you happy to interrupt your sleep, or do you really need it? Have your sleep patterns changed since you were a child?
Friday, April 8, 2011
Creative Writing Prompts with Kathie Giorgio
Today I'm very thrilled to introduce our first guest prompter, Kathie Giorgio, the director of AllWriters' Workplace and Workshop. Kathie was my writing teacher after I finished college. I learned more from Kathie about the writing life in one year than I did in all my years of college combined. I'd like to say thank you to Kathie for providing today's creative writing prompts and for being such a great teacher who helps get writers where they want to be. You can read more about Kathie under the prompts. ENJOY the prompts and have a wonderful weekend. Also, don't forget to comment!
KATHIE GIORGIO’S first novel, “The Home For Wayward Clocks,” was released on February 1, 2011, by Mint Hill Books, a division of Main Street Rag Publishing Company. New stories will be appearing soon in Lalitamba, Karamu, Alimentum, Gemini, and Evening Street Review. Her poem, "In Retrospect," appears now in Fearless Books' newest anthology on love and touch. Her short stories have appeared in Los Angeles Review, Harpur Palate, Fiction International, Dos Passos Review, Ars Medica, Thema, CutThroat, The Pedestal, Bayou, Epiphany, Eclipse, Potomac Review, Arabesques Review, Hurricane Review, Oyez Review, Jabberwock Review, Karamu Review, Reed Magazine, The Binnacle, Licking River Review, Bellowing Ark, Hiss Quarterly, Midway Journal, The Externalist, Fogged Clarity, and many more. Her stories have also been in anthologies by Papier Mache Press, Main Street Rag Publishing Company, EBibliotekos, and Susurrus Press. She has been the featured author in Women Writers’ ezine. She’s been nominated twice for the Million Writer Award and for the Best of the Net anthology. She is the director and founder of AllWriters’ Workplace & Workshop, a creative writing studio. She also teaches for Writers’ Digest and serves on their advisory board.
Kathie's websites:
http://www.allwriters.org/
http://www.kathiegiorgio.org/
http://www.mainstreetrag.com/KGiorgio.html
Creative Writing Prompts on Dali Time
by Kathie Giorgio
by Kathie Giorgio
Poetry Writing Prompt:
Clocks are often used in literature as a metaphor for the passing of time. In this painting, time doesn’t seem to be passing, but melting away. Spend the next twenty minutes writing the rough draft of a poem where time melts, rather than flies. Try to connect in a new way with the idea of a clock as metaphor. Your working title is, “Time Melts.”
Fiction Writing Prompts:
While looking at the painting, start to formulate an idea for a short story. You can take this storyline one of two ways:
1) Write a story in which the painting becomes literal: A person is holding a pocket watch and it begins to melt in his hand.
2) Write a story in which the painting is metaphorical. Write about a person who feels like time is melting away from his grasp.
Journal Writing Prompt:
Try to remember what it was like to learn to tell time. Did you learn on a clock face or digitally? When did time become a concrete concept for you? Start your journal entry with, “Time began to have a meaning for me when…”
KATHIE GIORGIO’S first novel, “The Home For Wayward Clocks,” was released on February 1, 2011, by Mint Hill Books, a division of Main Street Rag Publishing Company. New stories will be appearing soon in Lalitamba, Karamu, Alimentum, Gemini, and Evening Street Review. Her poem, "In Retrospect," appears now in Fearless Books' newest anthology on love and touch. Her short stories have appeared in Los Angeles Review, Harpur Palate, Fiction International, Dos Passos Review, Ars Medica, Thema, CutThroat, The Pedestal, Bayou, Epiphany, Eclipse, Potomac Review, Arabesques Review, Hurricane Review, Oyez Review, Jabberwock Review, Karamu Review, Reed Magazine, The Binnacle, Licking River Review, Bellowing Ark, Hiss Quarterly, Midway Journal, The Externalist, Fogged Clarity, and many more. Her stories have also been in anthologies by Papier Mache Press, Main Street Rag Publishing Company, EBibliotekos, and Susurrus Press. She has been the featured author in Women Writers’ ezine. She’s been nominated twice for the Million Writer Award and for the Best of the Net anthology. She is the director and founder of AllWriters’ Workplace & Workshop, a creative writing studio. She also teaches for Writers’ Digest and serves on their advisory board.
Kathie's websites:
http://www.allwriters.org/
http://www.kathiegiorgio.org/
http://www.mainstreetrag.com/KGiorgio.html
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Creative Writing Prompts with Cat, Dog, and Random Words
Creative Writing Prompts
Today your prompts are based on the picture below along with some random words.
Random Words: bus, breeze, heeled, baby blue, jungle, parallel, lift, moon, imagine, wild, icy white, sway, tight, away, poppy, seek, speckled, luck
Fiction Writing Prompt:
Write a story about what happened before the cat and dog arrived where they are now. Use at least 5 of the random words in your story.
Caption Writing Exercise: Write a caption for this photo using one of the random words in your caption. After you write the caption, you can write a paragraph about what happens next.
Poetry Writing Prompts:
1. Use at least 5 of the random words in a short poem about any subject of your choice in 15 lines or less.
2. Give one of the animals a name and write a poem about the animal. Use at least 4 of the random words in your poem.
Bonus Writing Practice Prompt: Make an opening line with at least four of the random words. Use it for an opening line of a story or poem. You can use any other words you want to in your opening line, but limit your sentence to under 18 words.
Many thanks to the photographer of today's photo, Jiri Vaclavek , and Dreamstime.com for making this photo available.
If you would like to celebrate National Poetry Month by learning more about poetry, I highly recommend the book below by Steve Kowit.
Today your prompts are based on the picture below along with some random words.
Random Words: bus, breeze, heeled, baby blue, jungle, parallel, lift, moon, imagine, wild, icy white, sway, tight, away, poppy, seek, speckled, luck
Fiction Writing Prompt:
Write a story about what happened before the cat and dog arrived where they are now. Use at least 5 of the random words in your story.
Caption Writing Exercise: Write a caption for this photo using one of the random words in your caption. After you write the caption, you can write a paragraph about what happens next.
Poetry Writing Prompts:
1. Use at least 5 of the random words in a short poem about any subject of your choice in 15 lines or less.
2. Give one of the animals a name and write a poem about the animal. Use at least 4 of the random words in your poem.
Bonus Writing Practice Prompt: Make an opening line with at least four of the random words. Use it for an opening line of a story or poem. You can use any other words you want to in your opening line, but limit your sentence to under 18 words.
Many thanks to the photographer of today's photo, Jiri Vaclavek , and Dreamstime.com for making this photo available.
If you would like to celebrate National Poetry Month by learning more about poetry, I highly recommend the book below by Steve Kowit.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Creative Writing Prompts Inspired by the Beatles
Today's Creative Writing Prompts: Playing Around with the Beatles
Who doesn't love the Beatles? It was on this day in 1964 that the Beatles held the top 5 popular songs on the charts.
The top five songs were, in this order: "Can't Buy Me Love," "Twist and Shout," "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and "Please Please Me."
Here is a flashback of the Beatles for your viewing pleasure, many thanks to YouTube's share button.
Poetry Writing Prompts: Bouncing off the song titles from the Beatles, here are three possible titles for poems you can write today. Please write for 10 minutes without stopping.
How to Buy My Love
Why I love __________ (insert the name of something you like, not a person)
I Want to Hold Hands with ______________ (insert the name of a famous person)
Note about National Poetry Month: Since April is National Poetry Month, I will be including a poetry prompt in every post this month. Please feel free to post a sample of your writing that is inspired by the prompts, and as always, feedback on the pompts is apprecaited. Thanks!
Fiction Writing Prompts:
Here are some story starters bouncing off the word "please":
1. Of all things that made him happy, it was peanut butter that pleased him most because. . .
2. Every time she tried to please her mother, she failed. One time she even tried. . .
3. After John died, the only thing that could please her was. . .
Journal Writing Prompt:
Write about a memory of holding hands with someone.
Reference on today's facts about the Beatles is from The Writer's Almanac. Retried on April 4, 2011 from http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2011/04/04
How to Buy My Love
Why I love __________ (insert the name of something you like, not a person)
I Want to Hold Hands with ______________ (insert the name of a famous person)
Note about National Poetry Month: Since April is National Poetry Month, I will be including a poetry prompt in every post this month. Please feel free to post a sample of your writing that is inspired by the prompts, and as always, feedback on the pompts is apprecaited. Thanks!
Fiction Writing Prompts:
Here are some story starters bouncing off the word "please":
1. Of all things that made him happy, it was peanut butter that pleased him most because. . .
2. Every time she tried to please her mother, she failed. One time she even tried. . .
3. After John died, the only thing that could please her was. . .
Journal Writing Prompt:
Write about a memory of holding hands with someone.
Reference on today's facts about the Beatles is from The Writer's Almanac. Retried on April 4, 2011 from http://writersalmanac.
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