Writing Prompts: Creative Writing Ideas
91There are days when ideas seem to flow from everywhere. The mind is flooded with overwhelming passion and enthusiasm to express all these things on a blank paper or on a computer screen. But then again there are days when nothing happens. No thoughts. No mind boggling things screaming for attention. Just dead silence.
When these things happen, I don’t force the issue. I accept that I need to be away for awhile and allow myself to bask in that silence. For sometimes in that silence, I am made to accept my emptiness and find my peace. And in that peace and stillness, I allow myself to open up and be filled once again. The sparks come back and I find my inner voice.
So there may be certain reasons why you arrived in this hub today.
- You are out of ideas and browsing around for topics
- You want to write but can’t seem to muster yourself to pick up a pen or type
- You feel like doing some writing exercises
- You just want to know what I am up to (duh!)
Whatever reasons you may have, just grab a prompt and write something today. Let’s get started!
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On Writing
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On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
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The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need: Top Grant Writers and Grant Givers Share Their Secrets (Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need: Top Grant Writers &)
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100 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Mentor)
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Best Food Writing 2009
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SHORT AND SWEET
Write anything that comes to your mind. You may begin just by writing words or phrases and if you feel like it, a paragraph. No pressure. Keep it short and sweet.
- Rain
- Joy
- Blanket
- Smile
- Bankrupt
- Miracle
- Pregnant
- Dream
- Headache
- Birthday
- Time
- Toes
- Itchy
- Vacation
- Playground
- Books
- Wrinkles
- Bones
- Bloody
- God
Now I would love to write all the one letter words I could think of right now. But I believe that is not plausible here. If you like this writing exercise, you may find this blog interesting: The One Minute Writer. This blogger added an extra challenge. As she gives off the writing prompt for the day, set your timer to one minute and write. It’s pretty cool. Try it!
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Portable MFA in Creative Writing (New York Writers Workshop)
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Writing Creative Nonfiction
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The Practice of Creative Writing: A Guide for Students
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The Everything Creative Writing Book: All You Need to Know to Write a Novel, Play, Short Story, Screenplay, Poem, or Article (Everything Series)
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Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief
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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing, 2nd Edition
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BE IMAGINATIVE!
Answer these questions without being too logical or practical.
- What if you have three arms instead of two?
- What would you do if a man approaches you on the street and gives you a dozen flowers?
- What if you were a princess stuck in the form of a frog, how would you make your prince fall in love with you?
- What if your goose lays golden eggs?
- What if you have super powers?
- What would you do if you were in a department store and suddenly find yourself accused of robbery?
- What if you find your nose growing long every time you say a lie?
- What if you wake up one day and see that you are a leprechaun?
- Would you dare walk on the streets with curlers on your hair and wearing mismatched shoes?
- What if ice cream comes out from a volcano instead of lava?
- What if you are so excited and you pee in your pants?
- What would you do if you discover that your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend has a secret – they keep their cut toenails as a hobby?
- What if you don’t brush your teeth for a week?
- What if everyday is your birthday?
- What if you have wings?
- What if your eyes are found at the back of your head?
- What if you have 50 million dollars on your bank account?
- What would you do if you sleepwalk?
- What if you are the president of your country?
- What if today is the last day of your life on earth?
LIFE EXPERIENCES
Everyone has their own story to tell. What is yours? Here are just a few sample prompts. Feel free to write anything that comes to your mind.
- Your earliest memory of your childhood
- Your favorite room in the house
- The playmate that you had a crush on
- Your first kiss
- To cheat or not to cheat
- My most favorite teacher
- Why I sleep with my teddy bear
- An angel who saved me
- The father I never knew
- My best friend, my enemy
- The man and the rose
- Inside this box
- Miracles of my life
- Dancing in the moonlight
- The laundry woman
- The voice that I miss the most
- Bitten by an alligator
- The stranger that saved me from death
- Life of an estranged daughter
- Escape from boredom
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The Feeling Intellect: Selected Writings
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This Is Why We Cry: A Book of Poems and Writings: Feeling the Pain Associated with Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Words of Wisdom, and Touching on Our Nations Travesties
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ONE AUSSIE'S ENDEAVOURS: POETRY WRITINGS LYRICS FEELINGS
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FEELING WORDS
Remember the incidents when you felt…
- Embarrassed
- Frightened
- Joyful
- Sad
- Surprised
- Ashamed
- Doubtful
- Anxious
- Jealous
- Angry
- Sexy
- Cheerful
- Hopeful
- Horrible
- Inspired
PHOTO PROMPT
Look at the photos below. What comes to your mind when you see these photos? Write it down. It may be in whatever form you like - a paragraph or two, an essay or even a story.
There are many ways to stimulate and prompt your creative juices. If you are a hubber, you can read the hubs of your choice and leave a comment. Sometimes reading other people's work will inspire you to write something of your own. Or you can opt to join sites like facebook or friendster or myspace and communicate with friends.
Words and phrases can stimulate your senses. Photographs and sceneries are feast for the eyes. The sounds of life heard everywhere can perk up your ears. Your experiences and your own imagination will take you far and beyond. Keep sharing. Keep writing.
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JUST FOR FUN!
...and there she was talking about the monkey in the zoo when out from nowhere came a big BOO! Huh?
Choose a prompt above and write something below... Enjoy writing!
By: Michelle Simtoco
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Comments
Great hub! I'll bookmark this for my next session of writer's block. Usually, it's more about not finding the time to write with me, instead of what to write. I need more time! Thanks for your hub!
Hi KCC, that was quick! Hahaha Thanks for sharing that activity. That sounds pretty neat... :-)
Hi Cailin, me too... I squeeze writing in between work and family duties. :-) Now you gave me another idea. Here's another topic we can write about.
Where do I find the time to write? LOL Thanks!
Beautiful Hub. I am always inspired to write about something outside of myself, that has affected me within. Inspiration is always a two-step process at the minimum.
tDMg
Great writing ideas Michelle.
You had me in stitches at a few of them. Like what if your eyes are found at the back of your head. When my kids were young and they did something wrong they would ask me how I found out. I ALWAYS told them that mothers have eyes in the back of their head. That worked for a while.
When they got older and wiser, I started telling them that Gods eyes were everywhere and his eyes are MINE! They had to think twice about that one! And still do! LOL. Thumbs up on this hub, sis - WAY TO GO!
Thanks dear for this prompt. I thing I got a push to write about anything since I haven't for a long time!
Hi Nana, I love how you said that :-) Thanks for being here!
Hi Dottie, I had to laugh at your sharing. :-) When I was a child, I did remember wondering how come adults seem to know if we have been guilty of something. LOL Now I know better. (wink) Thanks for the support sis!
Hi Shamel, that is great news. I'm off to read your hubs. :-)
Hi dear ripplemaker, wish all going alright with you? Good luck for your Hub challenge :) Thumps up!
Ripplemaker, I loved this. I am bookmarking it both for myself, and for my son, who is 6 and beginning to show an interest in Creative Writing. I think I am going to ask him to write a story about what happens when a volcano overflows with ice cream instead of lava. Fantastic! Keep up the good work!
Very informative. With this great info. I could write 30 in 30 days, now only if I had the time. Good job!
Such good shared ideas - just all over the place. Thanks. And I just LOVED that 'bridge to somewhere beautiful' picture!
Hi Shamel, surviving. Hahaha Thanks for asking. :-)
Hi Motherhubber, that is so cute of you. I would love to read what your 6 year old son's answer would be. I bet it would make me smile a lot. :-) Kids are so witty and smart and think really differently. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. Much appreciated.
Hi cobraski, hahahaha :-)
Hi frogyfish, oh me too, I love that photo too. It just seems to beckon to you and invite you to cross and discover and have an adventure of your life. :-) Thanks frogyfish.
Hey, fanastitic hub! Some truly great creative writing ideas and amazing picture prompts. I have a site http://creativewritingideasandprompts.com/ which is all about creative writing prompts and you're all welcome to come and check it out.
Hi Vanja, I visited your site and thanks for including the link here. :-) I am sure those who need it will find the resource helpful.
This is great. Since I've started a new job, I feel like my writer's mind is mush. Hopefully these ideas will inspire something grand.
I will cheer you on...go Cindy go...to something grand. May you find your inspiration! :-)
Although these comments all are dated three months ago, I hope you, ripplemaker, still read your mail! :o)
I am a new writer, well, actually I am a writer who has only recently screwed up the courage to even call herself one. Either way, I am new to the world of computers, as well. HubPages, I joined only yesterday.
Who would think I can think of nothing to write about with all this 'newness' surrounding me? Well, it seems that the more my life surprises me, the less I have to say about it...Perhaps I need to mentally digest first, then compose a summary!
Whatever the reality is, I want to let you know that your words are inspiring and welcome to a newcomer such as myself.
You are a ray of sunshine!
Hi lorlie, I do read my email! :) Might skip a day or two esp. if the internet connection is lousy and running at turtle neck speed. Hahaha Thank you for leaving a comment. I always love to hear from other hubbers and even non hubbers their thoughts and ideas and perspectives. You can do it - be a wonderful writer. Thank you for allowing me to share my light with you as I in turn receive yours. :)
This is definately one hub I'll be bookmarking
Great stuff. Thanks for contributing your secrets.
rebecca and nicomp: Thanks for reading and commenting. Hope this hub sparks your imagination. :)
Very helpful,thanks!
this is very helpful. THIs is wonderful
i needed this...thx
jonillynn: Thank you too! :)
Ladman: Glad you found this helpful. :)
Loveofnight: Hope this will prompt wonderful things inside you to create something beautiful. :)
Wonderfully refreshing hub - Great content, Great ideas (prompts) for topics. I will personally be bookmarking this for future referral! have a great weekend.. =D
thanks for this very useful hub. i particularly liked the Life Experiences and photo prompts..Though i find writing under pressure (where prompts are given and you are suppose to write in a given time or words)doesn't really work for me...
to me it happens in a spark..suddenly a word, a phrase, a common face reveals something..a kind of epiphany and i have to pen it down or else it hounds me..the pic out there in your hub that says "some dreams are made of pages" moved me..that's where the spark is.
will bookmark this hub and try getting to some of these prompts.
Excellent ideas! I look forward to using these prompts to jumpstart my creativity again. I was especially compelled by the photo and life experience prompts.
I always have ideas, the problem I run into is having the patience to turn them into a full-length story. I get so excited to see how things will unfold, and end up getting in the way of the process. I want my stories to tell themselves, and for the characters to be themselves.
And sometimes it's just plain laziness or busy-ness.
Hi everyone, thanks for dropping by and having fun with these writing prompts. :)
Truly an amazing and poignant idea - envisioning can inspire the greatest of ideas and you've done a spectacular job of finding a way to relate images to the human subconscious.
Great hub! Very informative!
Thanks Arthur and Lissa! :)
You have a fun, and helpful hub to get the writing juices flowing. Good hub!
Thanks Smireles :)
Great content with excellent ideas. I posted a link to this hub on one of my creative writing hubs...hopefully it helps you get the traffic you deserve...you can check it out http://hubpages.com/_2l0kmu5o8k0g5/hub/An-Attempt-
I learned so much from this hub. It is certainly food for thought and hopefully will ignite some imaginative and creative juices inside me. I don't think I am up to the 30 day challenge yet, but I will keep trying to write more and interesting and exciting hubs. Thanks a lot for all the tips. I have taken them all on board. BB
Great hub! Looking forward to using some of your ideas! Thanks.
KCC Big Country says:
8 months ago
Great hub! Writing something inspired from a picture is a great idea!
I took a short creative writing course at a local junior college last year and one of the first exercises we did was to pretend you were in a car stopped at a traffic light. Your job was tell a story about the people in the 10 vehicles around you. You had to tell where they were going, what they were doing, etc. Then, the following week, you picked two of them that you especially had a fondness for (you do that when you create them) and have them end up at the same place and continue the story. It was fun.