Friday Writing Prompts #1

A little inspiration for your weekend

Image by bluebudgie from Pixabay

Here’s a new thing I’m going to start doing — Friday Writing Prompts. If you use one, please tag me (@srstowers) so I can read and clap for you. I’ve organized the prompts by genre, but you can switch things up and use the prompts however you want. For instance, if a poetry prompt seems like it would make a fine essay, then go ahead and write an essay instead.

Essay prompts

1. When authors create characters, they’re supposed to give them a motivation. The author is supposed to ask, “What does this character want? What is standing in their way?” For this prompt, ask these questions of yourself. What do you want? What is standing in your way?
2. If you could have one “do-over,” what moment from your past would you change?
3. Write about your favorite person. Why are they the best?
4. What makes your soul happy?

Article prompts

1. 5 things to do by age 60.
2. How to keep your cat from standing on your keyboard.
3. The 3 most important things to do for your health besides diet and exercise.
4. Weird animals that might kill you.

Short story prompts

1. A werewolf is stuck in traffic, trying to get home before the full moon.
2. A con artist gets conned by someone he trusts.
3. A homeless man wins the lottery.
4. A group of friends take out life insurance policies on each other. One by one, they start to die in mysterious accidents.

Poetry prompts

1. The power of someone’s smile.
2. Three memories from your childhood and their impact on you today.
3. If the object to your left could talk.
4. A leaf stuck to a shoe.

There you have it. Have fun. Be creative. Remember, there are no actual rules. Mix and match. Tweak the prompts. Whatever you want to do. Just don’t forget to tag me.