Boost Your Creativity with These Writing Topics
Whether you have resolutions to fulfill or you’re plugging along as usual, the right writing prompts can help you start the new year strong. With that said, here’s a handful of ideas to get your fingers moving.
Regifting
Imagine a single object is endlessly regifted. What is it, why does no one want it, but why does no one just throw it away or use it?
New Hobby
New year, new hobbies, right? Your character tries to pick up a new hobby, craft, or skill, but it backfires terribly. What goes wrong?
Missing Word
One day, your character can’t remember a word. They remember the object, emotion, or action the word represents, but they can’t say or think it. Is this a sign of danger? Could it be a good thing? What happens when they need to use the word?
Coming Back
Every year, something from your character’s past returns to them. It may be an item or a person. What are the worst and best things from their past, and what happens if/when they reappear?
Dinner
A meal changes someone’s life. It isn’t the company or conversation – it’s the food. What’s in it, and how does it make such a huge impact? The change it brings could be for better or worse.
Barking
What is the dog barking at? The primary character has never seen anything, but the dog always barks at the same time/in the same place.
End of the Road
In a small town, an old asphalt road comes to a sudden end in the woods. There are lots of stories about the road, and your character must determine which is true.
Road Trip
A character follows another’s road trip route, trying to figure out what happened to them. The characters may know each other, or the second character may have a professional reason to follow in the first’s footsteps. What happens when they realize they’re following the wrong tracks?
Rituals
An annual ritual binds a small town together. It could be something scary, or it may be bizarre. It may be a tourist attraction or a deeply hidden tradition. What do they do, and why do they do it?
Forecast
Your character has a unique ability to tell the future. Maybe they interpret events based on cracks in the sidewalk, the first thing a stranger says to them on the subway, or the shapes they see in a pot of soup. However they see the future, they find themselves in a situation where they might be able to change what happens through their own actions. Do they try to make a change? Why or why not?
Perception
The hero of your story is the villain, but not by choice. Everything they do creates the opposite effect. If they try to kill someone, they’ll inadvertently save them. Theft turns into gifts. Are they the villain because they try to help – look good to the world, but make it worse – or because they really try to help – look like the villain, but make the world better?
Which of these sounds like a good story to read? Which sounds like a fun project to write?
Writing prompts are not only a great way to get yourself writing, but also a useful tool for improving your craft—especially if you really make the most of them.
Do you have any prompts you’d like to share? Please comment with them below!
