Skip to main content

Saving a Life

You're walking to grab lunch when you see a crowd gathered around a building. You look up and see that someone is standing on the ledge, looking to jump. You hear a police office close to you mention that the person is about to commit suicide. He also mentions the person's name: and it's someone you know! Write a scene where you attempt to stop the jumper from jumping.

You're walking to grab lunch when you see a crowd gathered around a building. You look up and see that someone is standing on the ledge, looking to jump. You hear a police office close to you mention that the person is about to commit suicide. He also mentions the person's name: and it's someone you know! Write a scene where you attempt to stop the jumper from jumping.

Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.

Want more creative writing prompts? Consider:

Z6930
Unearthing the UnderSlumberBumbleBeasts, by Zoje Stage

Unearthing the UnderSlumberBumbleBeasts

Author Zoje Stage shares her experience of finding publication for a passion project that many loved but didn't know how to market—and how the results blew her away.

From Script

The Manipulation of Stories and Specificity of Character (From Script)

In this week’s roundup from Script magazine, Alison Schapker talks about the development and adaptation process, character development, and more.

Shannon Messenger: Trust Your Story

Shannon Messenger: Trust Your Story

In this interview, author Shannon Messenger discusses writing an in-between book with her new middle-grade novel, Unraveled.

5 Tips for Creating Character Voice Readers Will Love, by Tracy Clark

5 Tips for Creating Character Voice Readers Will Love

Award-winning author Tracy Clark shares her top five tips for creating character voice that will keep readers engaged throughout your stories.

Write in Italy With Writer’s Digest!

Join Writer's Digest in Italy in 2025

Writer's Digest is heading to Italy in 2025, and we want you to join us—plus more from Writer's Digest!

A Conversation With Callan Wink on Writing and Selling Personal Essays (Killer Writers), by Clay Stafford

A Conversation With Callan Wink on Writing and Selling Personal Essays (Killer Writers)

Clay Stafford has a conversation with author Callan Wink on writing and selling personal essays, including how he approaches opening sentences, the importance of a specific focus for his personal essays, handling the submission process, and more.

November PAD Chapbook Challenge

2024 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Next Steps

Here are the final steps for the 17th annual November PAD Chapbook Challenge! Use December and the beginning of January to revise and collect your poems into a chapbook manuscript. Here are some tips and guidelines.

November PAD Chapbook Challenge

2024 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 30

For the 2024 November PAD Chapbook Challenge, poets are tasked with writing a poem a day in the month of November before assembling a chapbook manuscript in the month of December. Day 30 is to write a rest poem.

Yule Flood | Christmas Book Flood | Paul Nicolaus

Yule Book Flood for Newbies

Why Iceland’s holiday obsession with books can be a heavenly alternative to the Christmas status quo—and how to try this tradition on for size no matter where you live.