By: Christopher G. Fox, PhD
“Truthfully, I do a lot of travel, and I get far more ideas from wandering down random roads than from sitting in front of my computer. I’m a firm believer that a writer needs to get out and discover things and people to write about. ~Victoria Schwab
A Blank Page Can Become Anything
There’s a reason poets often say, ‘Poetry saved my life,’ for often the blank page is the only one listening to the soul’s suffering, the only one registering the story completely, the only one receiving all softly and without condemnation. — Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Getting the ink (or keystrokes) to flow can feel as hard as getting blood from a turnip sometimes. Anything that can help us overcome that is indeed a gift. That’s why I was so pleased to read Noelle Sterne’s recent post here about the power of morning pages. I, too, find the technique, incredibly helpful. I have boxes of notebooks to prove it.
Julia Cameron, the creator of the Morning Pages technique, sets it out clearly: “The bedrock tool of a creative recovery is a daily practice called Morning Pages. Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages; they are not high art… Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page… and then do three more pages tomorrow.”
Morning pages do provide an excellent source of inspiration for future writing, as well as just clearing your mind and instilling a writer’s mindset.
Exercising our Brains
In addition to mindset, as writers, we also have to learn to build muscle. The old standby exercise of a writing prompt comes up time and again precisely because it works. Some writing prompts exist to give you a topic when you can’t think of one. They are everywhere on the Internet and in writing classes. Others, however, act like more targeted muscle building because they take direct action on the psychological or technical components of the writer’s mind.
Prompts focus on helping us with Perspective Taking, Memory, Observation, Style, Self-Knowledge (Values), Inspiration, and Creativity. Click To Tweet
They can help us break free from cognitive biases that impede our ability to write fairly and observantly.
Finally, muscle-building writing prompts work not only when we feel stuck, but also when we need to grow. And of course, the reality is, we always need to develop our talents, whether writing is new or a lifelong practice.
Below is a list of 100 original writing prompts that can help you do just that. Use them for developing and growing your talents!
Prompts that Lead to Perspective-Taking
1. Imagine starting a conversation with a stranger in a grocery store, and write the dialogue you would have
2. Watch a short video clip on YouTube in a language you don’t understand, and write about what you think happened in it
3. Describe a time when you thought you knew someone else’s motives, and it turned out you were wrong
4. Develop a conversation between an adult and a child about a difficult topic
5. Develop a scene where one person is lying to another
6. Narrate something strange that has happened to you with no rational explanation
7. Tell a story from the point of view of someone overcoming a physical challenge
8. Narrate an unexpected event taking place in the midst of ordinary circumstances
9. Make a prediction about something that will happen five years from now
10. Tell a story about when your expectations affected your perceptions of a situation, and how you later realized you had misinterpreted what happened
11. List at least 20 possible alternate explanations or backstories for a recent occurrence in your life
12. Think of a past confrontation you had and write about it from the other person’s perspective
13. Write from the point of view of someone of a different gender, race, ethnicity, etc.
14. Write about why a common stereotype, perhaps one you occasionally find yourself thinking, is not an accurate picture of reality
15. Describe the possible unintended consequences of a new technology that interests you
16. Write an essay about how information and misinformation usually occur in the same form
17. Take an episode of your life that you remember as somewhat painful, and write about it with optimism
18. Make a list of at least 25 pairs of opposites, and choose one pair to explore why they may not be as opposite as people think
19. Think of an activity you generally dislike and describe the parts of it that you can find a way to enjoy
Prompts that Exercise Your Memory
20. Write about a meal that you vividly remember
21. Write about how you lost touch with someone with whom you once were very close
22. Describe the first three things you did after waking up today
23. Describe the best thing about your day yesterday
24. Go do the laundry or wash the dishes and then write what you can remember of your inner monologue
25. Think of a job or professional environment where you were unhappy, and tell a specific story that shows why
26. Describe a performance that has stayed with you long after experiencing it
27. Describe a moment when you strongly felt your desire to be a writer
28. Tell the story of a first day at a new school, yours or someone else’s
29. Think of the oldest relative you can remember and describe what you remember about them
30. Summarize a play by William Shakespeare or other classic work of literature that you read at least two years ago
31. Write about a period in your life that you remember least clearly (excluding infancy and early childhood)
Prompts That Hone Your Powers of Observation
32. Look out the nearest window, then look away and describe what you saw
33. Describe a specific smell in no less than 300 words
34. Describe your typical day to someone who does not have access to the Internet, telephones, or television
35. Imagine and describe the thoughts of three people waiting in line silently
36. Write a detailed account of your morning bath/shower routine from memory
37. Describe someone’s reaction to receiving a gift
38. Explain a favorite pastime to someone who has never heard of it
39. Describe your commute or another trip that you take on a routine basis
40. Take a notepad to a nearby window and list every color and shade of color you can see
41. Listen to someone speaking with an accent and transcribe it phonetically as precisely as you can
42. Describe the actions of a crowd of people
Prompts That Experiment with Style
43. Take a novel that you recently read, and rewrite the first page in your own style
44. Rewrite a story (your own or another’s) in the form of an Aesop’s fable
45. Write a story using only dialogue
46. Come up with 20 first lines for works of fiction, but only the first lines
47. Translate a favorite story in the form of a poem, or a favorite verse in a story
48. Take a text message conversation from your phone (or messages from social media) and write it up into a literary form of your choice
49. List at least 25 things or situations that could be symbolized by a seed
50. Using a lot of rhyme, but in the form of paragraphs, write at least 300 words
51. Take a look at a list of poetic forms such as this, and try using one you have never used before
52. Do an analysis describing exactly how a favorite piece of writing is put together
53. Take one of your best pieces of writing, and remove all the adjectives and adverbs
54. Read a news story from at least three substantially different sources, and then describe it in your own words
Prompts That Explore Self-Knowledge and Values
55. Describe a moment when you were deeply disgusted
56. Tell your childhood self what they can do to be a better writer in the future
57. Lay out something that you believe about the world that few or even no other people would agree with
58. Write an essay starting with the words “I would never…”
59. Write down what you will do for the next four hours in the form of a story
60. Tell a story about when someone was unexpectedly kind to you
61. Think back to a moment when you did something counter to your own values and describe what happened
62. Write a letter to your representative about an issue that matters to you (and these really matter, so send it)
63. Think of a big question you did not understand as a child and write the answer you now have to it
64. Tell a story about a mistake
65. Explain something you wish you had known at a critical moment in the past and how it would have helped you
66. Explain why you are or are not good at a particular subject, such as math or foreign languages
67. Use a self-fulfilling prophecy as a primary element in a scene or story
68. Describe a seeming failure that turned out to be for the best
69. Write a story about an unjust outcome and illustrate the injustice without explicitly naming it
70. Write about a time when you learned something that completely changed your point of view on a past situation
Prompts That Generate Inspiration
71. Write about a space, indoors or outdoors that inspires you to write
72. Write a letter of appreciation to a writer, living or dead, whom you greatly admire
73. Write your own prayer or guided meditation
74. Describe a time in the past when you were unable to think of what to write
75. Draft a list of 20 questions you would ask a writer you admire
76. Go to a mirror and say, “I am an author,” and then write for 30 uninterrupted minutes
77. Write a thank-you speech for an award
78. Write a letter of advice to someone who aspires to become a writer
79. Go to a bookstore and browse, and then write down the ideas and thoughts you had about writing
80. Make an argument for why you find it better to write on paper or using a keyboard
81. Explain why you have always wanted to visit a specific place
Prompts That Foster Creativity
82. Write the first word you think of 100 times and then write whatever you think of next, stream of consciousness
83. Write a commercial for a banana
84. Draw a card from a deck of cards (playing or tarot) and write a story involving it somehow
85. Open a nearby book and write down the first whole sentence on page 91, then close the book and keep writing
86. Make up a bedtime story
87. Write as much as you possibly can about (not on…) a blank piece of paper
88. Define creativity
89. Create an original short scene or a vignette involving characters from a favorite TV show
90. Describe a completely imaginary place
91. Develop a scene involving a severe storm
92. Eavesdrop very briefly on a conversation, and then later imagine how the rest of it unfolded
93. Write about something from the point of view of a bird
94. Write about an inanimate object as if it had intentions
95. Draft a response to an opinion piece you recently read
96. Come up with at least 10 different metaphors in your writing process
97. Describe light
98. Outline the sequel to a movie you have always loved
99. Set a time for 60 minutes and just write anything that comes to mind with no concern for logic, grammar, editing, etc.
100. Create 100 writing prompts for yourself
Bio: Christopher G. Fox, Ph.D.
Christopher G. Fox, Ph.D. is a writer and communications strategist living in Los Angeles. He works with executives and subject matter experts to help them build reputations through messages, conversations, stories, and thought leadership.
His website, Syncresis® is a consultancy focused on thought leadership, patient communication, and content strategy. Its unique virtual operating model means that teams are purpose-built to the needs of a specific client and project.
He is also the creator of Kindness Communication®, which promotes the idea that the worlds we move in can be better places if we make kindness the core of how we operate.
More posts on Two Drops of Ink Taking the Leap of Faith: From Communication to Conversation
Five Ways to Become a Kind Writer
Two Drops of Ink: The Literary Home for Collaborative Writing
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[…] 100 prompts By: Christopher G. Fox, PhD are always useful when stuck, when looking for an idea… […]
Christopher,
Prompts are one of my favorite ways to play with my writing. When I pick one I try to go for one I wouldn’t normally choose, this requires me to stretch myself. I see many on your list I want to try! Thanks for sharing.
Maybe Marilyn Davis can do a writing prompt challenge and use some of these!
Christopher, What an inspiring list of prompts! I see many that I am interested in trying out. Thank you!
[…] https://twodropsofink.com/2019/02/10/100-prompts-to-get-the-ink-flowing/ ““Truthfully, I do a lot of travel, and I get far more ideas from wandering down random roads than from sitting in front of my computer. I’m a firm believer that a writer needs to get out and discover things and people to write about.~Victoria Schwab” […]
Christopher Fox, you are brilliant and big-hearted, I just adore the fact that you have supplied us all of this creative genius. As someone who taught writing for years and years (and dreamt about teaching writing last night!!) I salute you. And I add you to my favorite bookmarks. And yes I will start an original list of 100 writing prompts too. Thank you thank you thank you!
Claudia, thank you so much! What a wonderful comment to read as I start my working/writing day. I’m so glad to hear you feel inspired to start your own list, too!
Wow, so many good ideas! It makes think I may actually write again! Thanks!
Aïda, I hope you do! Whether you use these prompts, other prompts, or that spark inside you that leads you to writing on other topics, this world needs more stories, ideas, and voices!