Creative Writing Prompt #10
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
Instead of an original prompt, this week’s prompt comes from literary journal The First Line.
Waiting for change always seems to take longer than you would expect.
Be sure to visit The First Line site to learn more about their submission process. Submissions (opening with the above first line, of course) are accepted until November 1, 2009.
Thank you to all who entered the ORW 100-words contest. The winner will be announced soon!
Creative Writing Prompt #9
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
First line of a scene: She heard the thunk of the lock.
There is still time to enter the Open Road Writing 100-Words Contest! Submit your entry by Sunday, September 20th for a chance to win a free manuscript review (up to 20 pages).
Creative Writing Prompt #8
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
What is your character’s favorite way to travel? Write a scene in third person p.o.v. in which your character is taking a journey via a favorite mode (car, plane, train, horseback, etc.) that s/he has anticipated with delight . Unfortunately, a fellow traveler is intruding on the pleasures of the journey for your character. What happens?
There is still time to enter the Open Road Writing 100-Words Contest! Submit your entry by Sunday, September 20th for a chance to win a free manuscript review (up to 20 pages).
Creative Writing Prompt #7
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
Consider setting this week. Write a scene with only two characters, third-person point of view. Your characters are visiting the house in which one of them grew up. Go overboard with description. Use all senses: what does the air smell like? What sounds do the characters hear? How do things feel? Does the tap water have a particular taste? Re-write the same scene from the first-person point of view of each character. How does the description differ between the character who lived there and the one who did not? What details does each notice? What details are not noticed by each character?
Creative Writing Prompt #6
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
Have some fun with second person point-of-view. Take a character you’ve already written, or create a new one, and write a scene in the second person. Need some parameters? There is something in the character’s pocket s/he feels obliged to share but compelled to hide.
Creative Writing Prompt #5
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
Your character is cleaning his/her clothing closet. Why? What is in it? What will be tossed, donated, kept? What item(s) should be tossed but will be kept instead? Why?
Creative Writing Prompt #4
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
What happens when your character learns a new skill? Write a scene in third-person point of view with your character and his/her instructor for the new skill. Want to learn more about your character? Re-write the scene in first-person point of view.
Creative Writing Prompt #3
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
Prompt #3
Write a scene in first-person point of view in which the narrator is going to celebrate his/her best friend’s birthday at a hotel bar (I like to imagine the Driskill in Austin, but use whatever hotel bar you love). The narrator has never been to the bar before and has dressed inappropriately. The best friend cannot hide his/her dislike of the narrator’s gift. Make the most of the point of view, and be sure to keep the reader at the edge of the narrator’s understanding of the situations at hand.
Creative Writing Prompt #2
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
Prompt #2
Write a scene with three characters in the first-person point of view. Two of the characters should confront the third about an action they believe s/he has taken that has caused some kind of damage. The third character is innocent of the action. Write the scene first using the third character as the narrator, then re-write it with one of the accusers as the narrator. How does the scene change?
Feeling ambitious? Write the same scene in third-person point of view. How does that change the scene?
Creative Writing Prompt #1
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
Prompt #1
Write a scene in third person point of view with two characters. One character has deceived the other about something important and is deciding whether to confess it. Pay particular attention to showing the emotions through the characters’ actions.
I study and practice the craft of writing for multiple audiences and purposes. Through my experience in public relations, grant writing, and academia, I have acquired the ability to create text that garners results. I hold a MA in English literature and a MFA in Creative Writing. Having taught nearly 900 students in classes ranging from business writing to creative writing, I believe in writer-centered instruction as the most effective way to empower my clients. 
