Prompts of the Week

After a busy end of term and a month-long break from sharing writing prompts and my personal writing with you, I’m now rested and ready to start again.

This said, let’s get right to it! Here are this week’s seven writing prompts.

Sunday, May 2nd

Think of how technology has evolved over time. We used to have to carry around Walkman’s; everything had wires; we had to rewind our VCR tapes in order to watch movies. Although a few old souls still use these devices – and these are just a few examples – today’s technology definitely has its advantages.

For this prompt, choose something that is no longer used: it can be clothing, tech, anything. Then, write a story where your chosen element is being widely used in today’s world, among all the evolved things. Does it stand out in some way? Does it cause controversy?

Monday, May 3rd

Everybody has lost someone. “Lost,” however, can mean many things. Possibly you’ve “lost” a friend because they moved away. Maybe you “lost” someone after they broke up with you. And maybe, as this word is most commonly used for, you lost someone because they passed away. No matter who or how you lost this person, write them a letter, one that will never get sent out. Tell them everything you wish you could have told them while they were still alive, what you’ve been up to, and if you still miss them or if you’ve moved on. Be honest, open up about your feelings, and most importantly, don’t hold back!

Tuesday, May 4th

May the Force be with you on Tuesday, May the fourth! Happy Star Wars Day to all the fans out there. Today, this prompt is for all you fanatics. I’m sure that at one point you’ve all wondered how the story would turn out if something had happened differently. Let yourself be inspired by your wonders and write up a Star Wars Fanfic scene.

Wednesday, May 5th

The results of today’s prompt will vary greatly from person to person, because it all depends on what kind of content each person has on their phone. For this exercise, open your photo album on your phone, and choose one of the pictures or screenshots you took. It could be a picture of a dog, a place, a person, a screenshot of a product you want to buy or of a tinder profile. No matter which image you choose, write a story about it. You can make it a fiction piece or write its true story. Just be creative about it!

Thursday, May 6th

For this week’s Tough Thursday challenge, I thought I would let you write about any tough subject of your choice. Most of us, if not all of us, have gone through difficult times in our lives. For some it might be battling an illness, others might have been bullied, and others might have witnessed a death. No matter what trauma or dark times you’ve been through, if you feel comfortable, write about it. Share your experience, and shine a light on it.

Before moving on to the next prompt, I must take a moment to mention Content Flags. These are warnings that come before the story begins and consist of keywords that describe the themes or even just briefly mention the subjects of the narrative. Content Flags are usually only mentioned if they relate to anything that can be uncomfortable for the readers. This can include vulgar or offensive language, sex scenes, bodily fluids, death, and so much more. This said, if ever your story includes themes like these, I strongly recommend you include Content Flags at the beginning of your narrative. The last thing you want is to lose readers because you didn’t warn them about content that could make them uneasy.

Friday, May 7th

Because everything outside of my house is finally starting to wake up and show some colour, I thought I’d give you a simple setting challenge: write a scene that is set in a garden. It can be a tea party, a conversation between two worker bees, or even just a train of thought story as someone maintains their flower beds. No matter what you choose, incorporate and give importance to the little details of the setting, something only the characters would notice.

Saturday, May 8th

As for the last prompt of the week, the Skills Challenge, I challenge you to combine two genres. Ideally, choose at least one genre that you are not comfortable with, or one that you’re not even sure what it consists of. Look it up, take notes, and try writing it into the genre you most often write in.

All this said, it’s good to be back!

I’d love to hear what you thought of these prompts, and I invite you to comment on either my Instagram (@n.m.blom) or my Facebook page (Noémi Blom – Writer).

Not inspired? Check out previous prompts here.

See you next week!