Writing Prompts: Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Most writers will face writer's block from time to time. Writing prompts are a good way to overcome writer's block. Writing prompts are also a good way of practicing and honing the skill of writing. By expanding on a writing prompt, one is able to practice and let new ideas flow without having to come up with the starting idea. Here are twelve writing prompts to get you started.

1.) Disappearing became second nature.......

2.) As the cab pulled up to the Westridge Hotel, I became puzzled. This is not where I asked the driver to take me. The driver turned to me and said "Ask for Sarah at the concierge desk. She is expecting you."

3.) What is one of your guilty pleasures? Why do you like this? Why do you consider it guilty?

4.) To steal a line from "Throw Momma from the Train", "The night was sultry."

5.) To steal a line from "Back to the Future". "They found me. I don't know how but they found me."

6.) I have always hated the smell of......

7.) Develop the following for a character: name, age, hair color, eye color, city of birth, current city, occupation, favorite place to go, biggest pet peeve, optimist or pessimist?, best friend, married or single, children?, fondest memory. Use the same questions to develop the character for this person's best friend, spouse, lover, boss, sister, mother, father, daughter, son, etc. Organizing this information on note cards will help when you are trying to build your story.

8.) Mark stood on the porch and watched the clouds move in.

9.) As I got out of bed that Monday morning, I stubbed my toe. I should have just gone back to bed.

10.) What is your biggest pet peeve? Why?

11.) Who was your favorite teacher? What qualities did you like about the teacher? How did they run their classroom? How did they make a difference in your life?

12.) What is one thing that you have accomplished in life that you are proud of? Does your answer surprise you? Why does it surprise you? Why are you proud of this?

Use these writing prompts to let your ideas flow. When responding to a writing prompt, your ideas do not have to be coherent sentences. Some writer make lists to respond to a prompt; some respond graphic organizers. Still others will just write with a flow of consciousness and make sense of of the writing later. The point is to get the creativity juices flowing. Enjoy the writing.