Writing Prompts

“Each time I write, each time the authentic words break through, I am changed. The older order that I was collapses and dies. I lose control. I do not know exactly what words will appear on the page. I follow language. I follow the sound of the words, and I am surprised and transformed by […]

“I have forced myself to begin writing when I’ve been utterly exhausted, when I’ve felt my soul as thin as a playing card . . . and somehow the activity of writing changes everything.” —Joyce Carol Oates How do you change when you are writing?

“Grief is the rope burns left behind when what we have held to most dearly is pulled out of reach, beyond our grasp.” —Stephen Levine Describe your grief in as much vivid detail as you can.

“Everything is gestation and then birthing. To let each impression and each embryo of a feeling come to completion, entirely in itself, in the dark, in the unsayable, the unconscious, beyond the reach of one’s own understanding, and with deep humility and patience to wait for the hour when a new clarity is born: this

“Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself.” —Charlie Chaplin Tell me about a time you were willing to make a fool of yourself—to take a risk where you knew you could fall flat on your face. Tell us the story of the risk and what happened after.

“Time can do all sorts of things. It’s almost like a magician. It can turn autumn into spring and babies into children, seeds into flowers and tadpoles into frogs, caterpillars into cocoons, and cocoons into butterflies. And life into death. There’s nothing that time can’t do. Except run backwards. That’s its trouble really, it can

“If I tell you my character has grey hair, you will not see her. If I tell you she has a tiny scar at the upper left corner of her lip from which protrudes one grey whisker—you will make up the rest of her face with absolute clarity. If I tell you my character is

“The measure of a man is what he does with power.” ― Plato Try to remember the first time you understood the concept of power. Who had it? How was it used? How did it make you feel? Think about the power you have now. How do you use it? Deny it? Avoid it? How do

“The fun choice is often the best choice.” —Nina Wise Tell me about a time this was true in your life.

“The world of imagination in which the writer must live is constantly being invaded by the enemy, the mundane world.” —Margaret Walker Make a quick list of everything that gets in the way of your writing. Then pull out a clean sheet of paper and begin again, with the words, “In order to write, I

“When you become addicted to what frees you instead of to what keeps you unhappy, your life changes.” — Nina Wise Can you make a case for a positive addiction, as Nina does? Have you ever replaced one addiction for another? If so, tell us about it.

“Words heard by chance have been known to change lives.” —Phil Cousineau, The Art of Pilgrimage Tell me about a time you experienced this—when something you overheard—changed your life. Or when someone overhearing you did the same.

“To forget one’s ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root.” —Chinese proverb Tell me what you know or imagine about your ancestors.

“When I write, I always have a question or several questions that I don’t have an answer to.” —Sandra Cisneros Tell me about a question you are trying to answer through your writing. Then explore that question with words.

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” —Elbert Hubbard Tell me about a time fear of making a mistake kept you from moving forward in your life.