Still More Prompts to Inspire Your Inner Muse
Ten Fun and Fast Creative Writing Exercises
Sep 30, 2009
Use one of these exercises per day (don't use them all at once). This will keep your goal of daily writing easy and manageable.
If you want to develop a habit, any habit, it's best to set a particular time and place and stick with it. Unfortunately this can be easier said than done. However if you keep these writing exercises quick, with regular practice, you'll find it becomes easier to incorporate writing into your day.
Writing Exercises
Here are ten fun and fast writing exercises:
Prompt #1:
Start a story with the following line:
“A chicken? How did a chicken get in here?”
Prompt #2:
Take your dog (or cat or iguana) for a walk. Write about the experience from their perspective. You may want to write your story as a stream of consciousness.
Prompt #3:
The following is an excerpt from Poe's poem, "Eulalie." Read it through a couple of times and write what ever comes to mind.
I dwelt alone
In a world of moan,
And my soul was a stagnant tide.
Prompt #4:
Do you remember the day you learned to ride a bike (or swim or drive)? Write about this experience in the third person. (Use "she" or "he" instead of "I")
Prompt #5:
Write a story that includes the following words: chest of drawers, poplar tree and cantalope.
Prompt #6:
A man or woman leaves for work. His or her pet cat and dog watch as the individual backs out of the driveway. Write a short piece of dialogue between the dog and the cat as they watch their person leave.
Prompt #7:
Write about the house you grew up in. Imagine you are describing it to someone a country, let's say somewhere in Africa, where the houses are quite different. Be creative, and try not bore your audience.
Prompt #8:
Start a story with the following line:
"What's that thing on your cheek?"
Prompt #9:
Write a character sketch for a man named Haben Castle. Include details like age, personality, career (if any) and physical characteristics. You'll also want to decide where he lives and his personal desires. If you like, you can write a short background on his past too.
Prompt #10:
Now take Haben Castle, and make him the central character in a short story.
Other Sources of Inspiration
Now that you've been writing every day for ten days (hopefully), keep it up. There are many places to find other writing prompts. Pick up a dictionary of quotations, and use the quotes as prompts. Flip through a book of poetry, and use random lines to supply opening sentences. Use your imagination, and keep writing.
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