Writing Prompts for the Curious Creative

Recently, I’ve been incorporating songs into my novel writing, and it's made me realize how much of my creativity comes from my engagement with various forms of art. I've written poems for advertisements, discovered short story inspiration from a well-designed garden, and reshaped characters based on how I perceived they would react to a very fussy dessert.

Creativity can blossom when exposed surprising input, but you may need to actively seek it out. Below are five fresh (and hopefully new to you!) ideas to awaken up your senses and inspire your creativity. Use them as inspiration for something new or to add depth to a work in progress. I hope you find them to be a valuable resource.

1. At the grocery store buy a piece of fruit. It can be something new or something you already love. Artists often use fruit to paint still-lifes. The fruit might represent the inevitable decay we are all approaching—or maybe fruit is just colorful and has interesting shapes.

Before you cut into it or take a bite, explore the texture of its skin and inhale its aroma. What can you observe from its current state? Envision the hidden qualities. How will it transform once you cut it open or pierce the skin? Will the fragrance become stronger? Will it change in other ways? How will the texture differ? How much juice awaits you on the inside? Do you antipate these changes with disgust or joy? What would make you change your mind and feel the other way?

Imagine what the fruit will be like tomorrow. Has it been eaten? Has it ripen further? You can revisit the questions posed in the preceding paragraph. Jump forward a week in your mind and repeat them again.

Think about who would have picked up the fruit in the store if you had left it. Would it have sat on the shelf for awhile or was someone behind you eyeing that very orange or banana? How would their life have changed if they had grabbed it? Did they opt for a different one instead, or was that the only piece that looked perfect to them?

Imagine a pest is evolving to take out this very fruit. This is the last year it will appear on grocery shelves in any form. What ripple effects would this create in the world? Would it have a significant impact? Would we suddenly have a new species that doesn't quiet match the way we imagine this fruit smells–like the chemical smell for banana which is based off an outdated iteration?

The aim here is to broaden your perspective on the mundane. We overlook many of the things that surround us every day. It helps to have something we can physically touch and taste. Flexing our senses and our imagination helps to unlock unused reservoirs of our creativity. It's a good warm up.

2. Visit, either in person or online, an art museum. Find the reddest (or other color that intrigues you) painting that features people. Envision a figure standing a foot to the left of the person in the frame, just just out of view due to the way the painting was cropped.

What does this person look like? Why were they there? Did they also pose, expecting to be in the final product? or were they only there as support? Did they have a relationship with the subject or the artist? What happened at the end of each session for the artist?

Creating narratives for hidden people brings me back to my childhood, where I always suspected someone was lurking behind chairs or behind the shower curtain. We never see the full scene in a painting or in Instagram photos. Opening up a world is fertile ground for crafting a story.

3. Think of your favorite movie. The one you've memorized completely. In the same vein as #2, imagine the next door neighbor of the protagonist. Imagine their life is disturbed three times during the movie by the plot. Write the story of how these days unfold.

Stories built from nearby interesting actions can sometimes be more interesting than the action. Most of us live these lives. Thinking of the major points still needed to create a fulfilling story can stretch your idea of what makes a good tale.

4. Find a DIY YouTube video for something you would never considering making or DIY. Who do you imagine is watching to learn how to do this thing? Do they find this video helpful? Why or why not? What do they hear that keeps taking them away from the video and pausing it. Are they under a tight deadline to complete their project or is this a way of escaping. Will they ever complete this project?

This exercise helps you to develop the inner life of a character–specifically one who already needs help rather than the Mary Sue we often create when first thinking up a story.

5. Listen to a song outside your comfort zone. Find four words from the song that stand out as emphasizing what you feel is the main emotion of the song. Your character loves/hates this song. Why? They find that the four words keep showing up in their day, when they are feeling exactly like/exactly the opposite. What does your character do? Does the synchronicity change their feelings or behavior? Do they find it funny or offputting? They must cross the street to get to the restaurant they have agreed to meet an old friend at. When they get across the street, what will they say about their day?

This is one of my favorites and I use it a lot–not to write actual stories, but to think about the characters I'm spending my time with. There's something about crossing a street with something on your mind that really either solidifies or makes you forget everything that has been occupying your mind to this point. It helps you to know if your character stews or sees significance in coincidence.

These are just silly little mind games to play, but they can yield some interesting results.

Happy writing!