Get Going with Six Writing Prompts
For those days when the writing is not going as planned, switching direction may be helpful. I write in different genres; that helps me flex muscles I didn’t know I had, giving me a different perspective, which can be satisfying! Writing prompts can also help crank the engine. Here are six prompts to start with:
1. Find a photo that is intriguing. Write a story around it. Two talented mystery authors tried this regularly on the Sleuths & Sidekicks website, to great success! They left me always wanting to know more.
2. For character development, reflect on a good friend (or not so good) in your life. Write about qualities that make them special to you (or make them repelling). As you may have noted, this may assist in creating villains, as well as heroes/heroines, and even sidekicks in your story.
3. Consider how you have changed in character. Have you gained new insights that have altered your perspective? I did and used it in my latest, MURDEROUS MEANS, to give my heroine, Corrie, insight into a murder suspect’s behavior and motivation. It was enlightening!
4. Think about a favorite memory or a favorite location, and how it shaped your life. Write it down. Every location in my SoCal Mysteries is a location that impacted me in some way. And I weave favorite memories into my stories as well. No one else can relate, but I enjoy inserting bits and pieces of myself in my novels. It’s my little secret.
5. Nearly every night we experience something: dreams. Dreams can be outrageous, distressing, or creative. Try writing about your dream to stir up creativity.
6. What about the silver linings or blessings in your life? Writing about them can be inspiring and uplifting. That type of writing really jumpstarts the creative juices, making one feel that anything is possible. Because it is.
