Look familiar? That’s right, it’s a blank document. For many of us writers, that’s the stuff of nightmares—you know, the one where you’ve been paper cut to death by a swarm of rejection letters? That’s the one. Well, it’s an all-too common problem many us could live without. Oftentimes, instead of having this wordless screen stare back at me with a “Uhm, hello? I’m blank. You going to write something on me, or what?” I’ll close the laptop. Ha! Take that! Although that’s typically unproductive . . . unless I pick up a pen and a pad of paper. At times, I find I’m more productive when I go Old School and write on paper; it’s less intimidating than a blank Word Doc. But then what?
Get writing. Dennis Palumbo, author and former screenwriter, who spoke at the Jackson Hole Writer’s Conference a few years back said, “Writing begets writing.” Turns out, he’s right. However, when you need a hand to get going, story starters or writing prompts can help wake the muse. Here’s a few to try out:
- Emma knocked on the door and immediately regretted it.
- Ben hated what he had to say next.
- Had he been conscious, he probably would have said . . .
- “It won’t hurt a bit,” she told him.
- Most of the time I keep my promises, but . . .
- I thought I had more time, but the doorbell rang . . .
- She held out the box. “No, you open it.”
- She/He/It slipped in through the front door unnoticed.
- They didn’t believe me at first.
- Daniel thought she was crazy when she first told him . . .
- I tried to give back [fill in the blank] but he told me to keep it/them.
- Eric wanted to take the words back the second he said them.
- It went completely against his nature, but he had no choice but to . . .
- He walked in and saw her sitting with . . .
The following two prompts come from The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood:
- I could have avoided all that trouble if I had only remembered to . . .
- Seven days ago [fill in the blank]. Now, no one will talk to me.
Okay, now it’s time to take my own advice and write.
Do you have some writing prompts? Please, do share in the comments below.
It’s that time again. It not uncommon for a story or novel to open with dialog, and it can be very effective for dropping the reader into the middle of the action. Even if you chose to not open with one of these dialog pieces, one might at least inspire a conversation between two characters. Have at it!