Prompts

One Week of Pleasing and Angry Things
Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What if? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers prompts — The Exercise: Over the period of a week or so, write down ten things that made you angry, but don’t try to explain why. Over the same time period, do the same for ten things that pleased you. Be very specific. Statements like, “I felt good when I woke on Wednesday morning,” are too vague to carry any conviction~~ and this could have happened to anyone. “I ran into Ms. Butler, my third-grade teacher, in the Star Market, and she said hello to me by my right name” is specific and could only have happened to you. The Objective: You may not use most of what you’ve written down, but you will have practiced viewing your immediate world as a garden full of fictional seeds.
By Denise E Lindquistabout a year ago in Writers
Poppy's Prompts #13 | Results
Thank you so much to everyone who took part in and supported Poppy's Prompts #13! If you missed it, you can check it out here .
By Poppy about a year ago in Writers
Trusting Your Gut in Writing Competitions
When entering writing competitions, your gut often knows the story better than you do. That's been my experience taking part in a few competitions outside of Vocal - and it's a lesson worth sharing.
By Paul Stewartabout a year ago in Writers
One Bully I Encountered At An Early Age
Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What if? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers prompts — The Exercise: First, think about your childhood between the ages of six and twelve and try to recall someone whose memory, even now, has the power to invoke strong, often negative feelings in you. Was that person the class bully, the clown, the daredevil, the town snob, the neighborhood bore, etc? Write down details of what you remember about this person. How she looked and talked. Did you ever have any encounters with this person? Or did you just observe her from a distance?Next, if you haven't seen this person for ten years or longer, imagine what she is doing now, where she lives, etc. Be specific.If you had a long acquaintance with this person, or still know her, imagine where she will be ten years from now.The Objective: To understand how our past is material for our imaginations and how writing well can be the best revenge.
By Denise E Lindquistabout a year ago in Writers
Dialogue Tags: Said Is Not Dead
“Good dialogue is invisible; bad dialogue waves its arms and screams.” Let’s talk about one of the most hotly debated topics in writing communities, especially if you hang around TikTok or writers’ forums: dialogue tags. You’ve seen it, right? The endless discourse about whether we’re allowed to use anything other than said. Spoiler: you are. But also… you don’t have to.
By Georgiaabout a year ago in Writers
How to Write Believable Villains in Fantasy
“Villains are just heroes of another story — with sharper knives and messier coping mechanisms.” Let’s face it: a boring villain is a fast track to a forgettable fantasy. You can have lush worldbuilding, lyrical prose, and swoony romantic tension — but if your villain is nothing more than a cardboard cutout cackling in a dark tower, your story loses its punch.
By Georgiaabout a year ago in Writers
The Parking Lot
I never even wanted it, ya know? You knew. I wanted space. I wanted quiet. But you snuck in I let you. I wanted space but somehow
By Amie Beaabout a year ago in Writers
What Writers Can Learn from “Charmed”
What could a show about three sister witches using their magic to fight evil teach me about writing? As a professional writer who leisurely re-watches Charmed, I've noticed that the show employs interesting and inspiring writing techniques.
By Michala about a year ago in Writers
Putting Your Heart On The Page
Author's Note: May trigger memories for others of previous childhood abuse. Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What if? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers prompts — The Exercise:Make a notebook entry on an early childhood event that made you cry or terrified you, or that made you weak with shame or triumpant with revenge. Then write a story about that event. Take us back to those traumatic times, relive them for us through your story in such a way so as to make your experience ours.The Objective:To learn to identify events in your life that are still capable of making you laugh and cry. If you can capture these emotions and put them on paper, chances are you will also make readers laugh and cry as well.
By Denise E Lindquistabout a year ago in Writers
Creating Magic Systems:
“Magic, like any good lie, needs a little logic to make it believable.” Magic is the heartbeat of fantasy. It’s the sparkle in the air, the impossible made real. But as any fantasy writer will tell you, magic isn’t just about flashy spells and enchanted swords. It’s about rules. Or the lack of them. Or… something in between.
By Georgiaabout a year ago in Writers
Dear London
I don't like to admit it but I'm past my festival going age, I think. Too many smells, too little comfort. However, I do still like to watch Glastonbury on the TV from the comfort of my sofa and I was intrigued by a feature that I saw called "Letters Live" where celebrities read out letters by famous people and others to an audience.
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in Writers
AI overview of The Silence of Everything. AI-Generated.
The Silence of Everything is a collection that delves into the unspoken layers of human emotion. It captures moments of solitude, whispers of longing, and the quiet reflections we often hide from the world. Each poem is a mirror—sometimes gentle, sometimes sharp—reflecting the complexities of life, love, and loss. The book invites readers to pause and feel, to notice the small, almost invisible moments that leave the deepest impressions on our hearts. It’s about the weight of silence, the power of introspection, and the subtle beauty that exists in stillness. Every line encourages contemplation, reminding us that even in the quietest spaces, emotions can speak volumes. Through The Silence of Everything, readers are guided on an emotional journey where words become experiences, and each pause holds meaning. It’s a book for those who seek depth, for those who find beauty in reflection, and for anyone willing to listen to what is often left unsaid.
By Malaika Nawazabout a year ago in Writers