LIFE

Interested in starting to write for fun? Now is the perfect time to ignite your passions and try your hand at storytelling. Through these seven prompts, start expressing your imagination and, who knows, it could lead to something BIG!

1. Describe a story about one of the five senses

via GIPHY

This prompt will force you to flex your imagery skills. Imagery is one of the most powerful and essential literary devices, so it's a great place to start!

2. Imagine how you would feel if you woke up tomorrow morning in a different body 

via GIPHY

Weird, definitely, but this prompt will get you thinking about character development and what makes a person, a person. 

3. Envision what life is like for a desk object

via GIPHY

This is the chance to work on your personification—that is, giving an object some human capabilities and feelings. Make sure to keep "show, don't tell" rules in mind here. 

4. Describe the journey of a newspaper that started traveling down a gutter to a sewer 

via GIPHY

"The hero's journey" is a common archetype and a critical theme to master. Within this prompt, keep in mind that every story needs a plot, or a problem, and it must grow and progress as the story develops. 

5. Describe a music concert where you suddenly become the performer 

via GIPHY

This prompt deals with a shift in perspective. How do we respect the difference between main and minor characters? We also need to recognize the differences between a stoic character and a dynamic character. A stoic character stays the same throughout the entire story, while the dynamic character has some type of epiphany or development throughout the story. 

6. Describe a meeting between a child who has just met their grandfather for the first time

via GIPHY

This prompt forces you to try out some dialogue. A little scary? Maybe at first, but the key is to remember that it's just talking. Write dialogue as people speak in real life. This is also a great opportunity to develop distinct character traits. How do they take turns speaking and what do they say?

7. Explain the craziest road trip 

This is all up to you. You can use all the skills we've explored above and add some more. And most importantly, there are no boundaries to writing once you have a great idea. Writing is a reflection and a thought process that can help us make sense of the world. Try something new and you never know where your imagination will take you!

Which prompt is getting your creative juices flowing? Let us know in the comments!

by Nancy Bowne | 4/24/2020