7 Creative Writing Prompts To Spark Your Writing

Man I hate writer's block. We all get stuck in a writing rut from time to time. Sometimes it gets so bad for me that I can't even come up with a clever status update for Facebook—for Facebook! If my creative muscle is having difficulty piecing together a one-sentence quip, how in the world can I flex it long enough to turn out a short story or a novel or even a new blog post?

The remedy I've found that works best for me is trying a writing prompt. Writing prompts come in all shapes and sizes, but, most important, they force us to take a premise and find creative avenues to turn it into a story. They allow you to break out of funk you've been trapped in and enter an entirely different arena—likely one that you hadn't considered before.

If you're stuck on one of those ruts—or are just looking to try your hand at some writing fun—you'll love the 7 writing prompts I've shared below. That's a full week's worth of writing exercises! All are different and attempt to force you into scenarios that will make you dig deep and be as creative as you can be. You can stick with the tentative 500-word limit (so you can squeeze it in during a lunch break) or you can break out and write a longer piece. The best part: If you want, you can post it to our website and receive feedback from other Writer's Digest community members (and feel free to share feedback on others' works too).

Here are the 7 Writing Prompts to keep you creative every day for a week. Enjoy!

1. It’s time for you and Writer’s Block to part ways. Write a letter breaking up with Writer’s Block, starting out with, “Dear Writer’s Block, it’s not you, it’s me … .”
Post your story here.

2. You and your three closest friends decide to go camping. You arrive and set up camp nearly three miles away from where you left your car. Late that evening, as you sit around the campfire roasting marshmallows, one of your friends reveals a deep dark secret that turns what was to be a fun weekend into one of the scariest weekends of your life.
Post your story here.

3. Two men stop you on your way into your local post office. One flashes a badge at you. They tell you about a top secret sting operation they are about to execute and they need your help. They can’t give you any of the details, only that you are to walk into the post office, go up to the counter with the gentleman named Bert working it, and you have to say to him, “My stamps are looking a bit square these days, if you know what I mean.” Write what happens next.
Post your story here.

4. Pretend you are a recovering alcoholic who falls off the wagon while attending your high school reunion. Start your story with “I hadn’t had a drink in nearly 10 years” and end it with “If only I could remember where I left my pants.”
Post your story here.

5. You’re cleaning out your garage and, hidden away in a back corner, you find an old shoebox. The box is heavier than it should be. When you open it up, you find cash—$40,000, to be exact. Where did the cash come from, who hid it there and why?
Post your story here.

6. When you were little, you could swear there was a monster under your bed–but no one believed you. On the eve of your 30th birthday, you hear noises coming from under your bed once again. The monster is back and has an important message to deliver to you.
Post your story here.

7. You’re late for work because you overslept, but your boss hates over-sleepers. He does love entertaining stories, so create the most outlandish excuse as to why you were late.
Post your story here.

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