For the last two months I've been so busy with holiday and general life stuff that I haven't been writing. When I go for long periods without writing, I then lose my mojo and find it very difficult to think of new story ideas.
I was wondering if anyone has any good recommendations for sites that feature writing prompts. I did a google search but what came up was kind of lame and didn't spark any ideas. I'm particularly fond of horror and fantasy but right now I'd take a prompt on just about any genre, as long as it gets me typing again.
Also, if anyone has a good idea for a story that they think suits my writing style or what not, feel free to post that too.
I think on both wordpress and tumblr I've seen blogs which issue prompts, either as a regular feature or just an occasional thing. I don't recall the names, but if you search within either site (instead of a broad engine such as google) you might come up with something there.
PS --- Am I really going to have to do a word-verification every time I make a comment?
Here's an unusual one I really like because it seems to draw out what's on your mind anyway. It's adapted from an exercise in the Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Flash Fiction. Google "ink blot" and print out one that appeals to you, or else make your own ink blottish design from glopping some paint on paper and folding it over or something like that. Then look at it and write 20 words you get from it. Then write a story using at least 10 of those words.
There is a book called The 3 AM Epiphany: Uncommon Writing Exercises that Transform Your Writing. It has great writing prompts and exercises. It really helps if you stick with it....like everything else.
There are Facebook pages specifically dedicated to writing prompts. There are actually tons of resources for prompts, it's just a matter of a simple Google search.
Thanks, everybody! Your feedback is helpful :-). I'll have to look into all the ideas you gave me.
Natalie Goldberg has a book called Writing Down the Bones. also http://www.keepwriting.net/prompts.htm
my favorite one has probably been: What has brought you to your knees? What do you love with your whole heart? I guarentee ten minutes into this and you'll start sobbing. :P
Although I've never used it myself, I think Post Secret would be an excellent prompt resource.
Every Friday Chuck Wendig does a flash fiction challenge. The prompts are usually simple like write a story based off this one setence or pick three different genres and mash them together for a story. It helps to get the wheels turning sometimes.
Ooh thanks! I'm going to have to try all of those ideas!
I was looking for the specific essay that contains this idea, but I couldn't find it so eff it. In one of Craig Clevenger's LR essays--I forget which--he's talking about sentence structure (subject+predicate=a sentence) and suggested an interesting prompt idea. Take any subject and any verb and put them together in Cave Man talk (I think it must have been his Cave Men, Sharks, and Doors of Perception one), and it can become a prompt. You just have to elevate the cave man subject+verb to an idea sort of level.
Car disappears.
Man cries.
Sky changes.
Cat wins.
Shoes talk.
You can be crazy with it or nice and simple, and just use it to cast your mind in directions.
Related, and I didn't want to start a thread just for this:
I found a publisher looking for work to include in an anthology of linked stories. I've never heard of them, and their website looks a little raw, but it's a cool idea. (At any rate, they are serious enough about it to have a space at ComicCon.) They've set up twelve specific plot points and want authors to submit stories in which those events take place. The first and last slots are already commissioned and will be designed to work with details from the accepted ten, altogether forming a cohesive continuity. A good idea and an interesting spin on prompt-based writing. Pays $100 plus copies & royalty share.
More details are here: http://www.realmwalkerpublishinggroup.com/the-legacy-anthology
Anyone heard of other anthologies that work this way?
I like /r/WritingPrompts
^^^ What? Spam?...
No need to respond to spam. It just makes you look crazy when I end up deleting it.
