Creative Writing Prompts

Creative Writing Prompts: Story Starters

 Think back to a time when you say a stranger say or do something that that caught your
attention. Write one page from the stranger's point of view about what they are doing and
why.
 Sometimes it's a single image that sparks a story. Have you ever seen something in your
mind's eye that captured your imagination? Write about it. Make sure to include a
description of all the five senses to really set the tone for your piece. Then try broadening
your view of the image. Are there people there? What are they doing? Who are they? See
where it takes you.
 A jewel-encrusted box is found in an ancient abandoned temple. Describe the box, what is
in the box, and the temple. See where it takes you.
 Take some time out of your day to people watch. This works especially well in a coffee
shop, restaurant, or some other public place where interaction is the norm. Jot down
observations about the people around you. Describe a loner, a couple, someone how works
in this public area. How do they interact? What's their body language say about them at
this point in time? How does the employee react to those around him?
 Write down your first three memories. Are your memories vivid enough to construct a
scene from? If not, could you fill in the details? Try, even if there are gaping holes in your
memory, keep going
 Recall a vivid or perhaps reoccurring dream. Write one page, making the dream as
believable as possible. Don't mention they are dreams. Allow yourself to let go and create
a drifting stream of consciousness account. Leave all your notions of punctuation, proper
paragraph structure, and logical jumps behind (which if you're anything like me shouldn't
be hard). This gives you practice for writing surreal scenes and images in a story.
 Finish this sentence: "My mother never..."
 Finish this sentence: "My father is..."
 Finish this sentence: "That's what happens when you follow your heart..."
 Finish this thought: "I didn't go to ____ looking for redemption, but somehow I found it."
 Write about a place where two rivers meet.
 Write about regret.
 Write about fear
 There is a saying in the martial arts to describe the proper mind frame needed to become a
master. Mind like water. This is a state of mind that writers must strive for as well. Write
about that feeling. Have you ever experienced it? If so how did it feel? What images does
the phrase "Mind like water" bring to...well your mind?
 Write a page about an embarrassing, or painful incident that happened to you.
 Every family has an anecdote. A short, usually funny story that is told at almost every
family gathering. In my family it's the story of the time when I was three and disappeared
from my mother's side while she was hanging clothes out on the line. Now, I remember
this even though I was only three, but I've heard the story so many times it's hard to tell
where my memory ends and the story begins. Is there a story like that in your family?
Something that has been told and retold by several members of your family? Can you
broaden the idea, make it a real story with details and dialog? You might need to fill in
gaps with your imagination, but see what happens.
 Poems, or lyrics to songs are often times great sparks for an idea. Both rely heavily on
images conveyed in words that can stir your imagination. They also usually hint at a
broader story, or portray an emotional state. Try picking up a book of poems or lyrics and
see if anything speaks to you.
 A stepparent has placed his/her ancient family portrait in the characters house. Describe
the portrait.
 Use a family portrait to start a story - how are the characters different than they appear?
What do they look like? Do they appear happy when they're not, etc?

Creative Writing Prompts: Character Development

 Your character comes upon a fork in a road and has no idea where to go. How does he feel?
Which road does he take and why? What's at the end of the road?
 Your character is being lectured by someone in a position of authority, how do they react?
 What does your character most love to do when he/she has free time? Why?
  Is there anything that makes your character feel safe? Something comforting? Describe
what it is and why it makes them feel safe?
 Describe the following things from your character's point of view. A meadow. A crowded
room. An empty room. The room where they spent their childhood. Their current house or
living area. A city. A farm.
 Being in touch with the things you are passionate about help you write deeper more
meaningful stories. Create a list of five things you love, now pick one thing and have a
character like it as well. Write one page on this love

Extra Credit

If you want to build up extra credit to be applied to your midterm tests, then you can participate in
the online discussion forum topics for each chapter in our textbook. These discussions will start
each week before the chapter is discussed, but can continue on after class discussion. If you post
before class, you should say what you think of the reading or answer a question posed in the initial
post for that topic. You might also ask a good question of your own. Substantive comments that
do not repeat what we've said in class (unless they are made prior to class) will be awarded up to
3 points extra credit on the next test. You can't earn more than 110 points out of 100 points on each
test, but I will allow you to carry over up to 10 points for the next test. (I hope that doesn't get too
confusing for you or for me!)

You can earn your first point just by registering and responding to the questions for Chapter 1. I'll
make those simple, since the main point will be that you have figured out how to use the forum.
The questions for subsequent chapters will be a little more challenging. Read the first topic in the
Creative Writing forum for instructions on how to register.

Review for the First Midterm Test

The first test will focus on the process of creative writing, discovering material, and exploring
technique. You should be able to describe the writing process as it has been discussed in your
textbook, handouts, and notes from class. You will be asked to define some of the following terms
in your own words. Others may be included in essay or short answer questions about the process
of writing. Since we have discussed these in terms of developing the ideas you have started in the
journal, you should be able to discuss how these techniques can help you develop your first draft
into something more complex and interesting for the reader. Study the chapters 1-8 in the textbook,
plus your lecture notes and handouts. I have posted the magazine review assignment and notes on
types of metaphor, which may be helpful in reviewing some of these terms. You may also want to
review and participate in the forum for these chapters.

abstract
allegory
analogy
automatic writing
cadavre exquis (exquisite corpse)
composite character
concrete
conflict
contrast
creative looping
dream logic
family story
familiarity
image
inspiration
journal
juxtaposition
literary magazine
lists
metaphor
negative capability
paradox
parallelism
personification
revision
scene
sensory perception
simile
summary
surrealism
symbol
synesthesia
synonym
taking license
telling
tensions

Review for the Second Test

The second midterm test will focus on poetry. You should review the chapters on Point of View
and Shaping in terms of poetry, as well as the chapter on Poetry, the handout on poetry, and the
general guidelines for criticizing poetry. You should be able to describe the following concepts in
your own words. Expect some definitions and/or identifications of poetic forms, along with some
essay questions.

Point of View

Speaker Describe how the following points of view might be used in poetry: first person,
second person, third person

Persona Describe what is meant by a persona poem and what choices a poet has when
deciding on the speaker of the poem.

Voice How does a poet establish the voice of the poem? What techniques might help
establish voice?

Perspective How can reconsidering the perspective of the poem help in revision? What
different perspectives have you used?

Shaping

Revision Explain the use of expansion and contraction in the process of revision.

Structure Describe common structures such as disequilibrium to equilibrium, parallel

structures, the journey (whether actual or psychological), the epic, and the
rhetorical argument.

Patterns Discuss the rule of threes, the use of repetition with variation.

Beginnings Discuss what makes a good beginning and where you might find it in a draft.

Middles Discuss ideas for developing the tension of a work, strategies for revision.

Ends Discuss what makes a good conclusion, define closure.

Poetry

Metric Foot Name and describe the different feet in English prosody.
 Line Length Name and describe the different metric lines, monometer through octameter and
discuss the line in a free verse poem.

Stanzas Be able to describe common stanzas like the couplet, quatrain, sestet, or octet.
Also describe how you might use stanzas to organize the structure of a poem.

Nonmetrical Be able to describe syllabic verse forms such as haiku, tanka, renga, or discuss the
use of syllables in free verse or anglo saxon (sprung rhythm).

Verse Forms Describe traditional verse forms such as the sonnet, sestina, villanelle, or ballad.

Concrete Describe the goals of a concrete poem and the way it uses language; show how it
Poetry is different from other forms of poetry.

Other Forms Describe the list poem, the question and answer poem, the letter poem, or the
prose poem. Discuss what makes these forms work as poems or how they are
structured.

Rhyme Recognize the rhyme scheme of a poem.

Discuss different kinds of rhyme such as alternating or enclosed rhyme, end
rhyme, internal ryhme, circular rhyme, off rhyme.

Poetry Define what poetry is and how it differs from prose. Discuss the difference
between free verse and traditional verse forms.

Review for the Third Test

The Third midterm test will focus on fiction. You should review the chapters on Shaping, Point of View,
and The Story, as well as lecture notes, the article on "Coincidence in Fiction" and the general guidelines
for criticizing fiction. You should be able to describe the following concepts in your own words. Expect
some definitions and/or identifications of terms, along with some essay questions.

Short Story

Point of View What choices does an author have when deciding the point of view for a short story.
How do these choices affect the story? Be able to describe point of view using the
following terms: first person, fly on the wall, immediate, limited, omniscience,
perspective, reflective, removed, second person, tense, third person, voice, witness.

Character What makes believable characters? Discuss motivation, description, and setting.
What steps can you take to imagine believable characters?
Where can you include that information in your story?
How many characters will a short story usually have?

Dialogue What is the difference between dialogue in a story and in real life?
Describe the difference between text and subtext in dialogue; where can subtext come
in?
Describe the technical conventions of writing dialogue.

Scene Describe the elements and structure of a scene; what needs to happen for a scene to be
successful?
What are elements are used to construct a scene? What gives it energy?
What should a scene accomplish in a story? When shouldn't you use a scene?
What is a half-scene and when might you use it instead of a full scene?

Narration Define narration and discuss when it is more appropriate than scene.
Discuss the narrator as a character, whether first person or the authorial voice.
 What is the role of memory or of the narrator's interest in determining the structure of
the story?

Time Discuss how the short story writer can manage time with narrative breaks, flashbacks
Management and other techniques. Also consider the dangers of managing time in a story? When
might time management become confusing? What patterns might help you manage
time?

Pacing Discuss how the arrangement of scene and narration in a story can affect its structure
and pacing.

"Coincidence in What is the value and danger of using conincidence in fiction? What are rhyming
Fiction" actions? What is the difference between an internal and an external story? What makes
actions in a story seem justified or real?

Review for the Final Exam

Your final will consist of three sections: essay questions about the craft of writing that ask you
about information that has been covered in the textbook, handouts, and lecture; a critique of all or
part of a piece of student writing similar to what you have done in preparation for writing
workshops; and a creative section where you complete an exercise similar to ones we have done
in class.

In reviewing for the essay questions, go back over the chapters, handouts, and notes on point of
view, shaping, poetry, and fiction. Expect questions on the form and structure of the genres we
have studied. You may be asked to identify or explain in detail specific forms or structural elements
as part of the question. Consider point of view, elements of a scene, traditional forms of poetry,
meter, rhyme scheme, and other formal elements in the reviews for the midterm tests. You may
also be asked to describe the difference between poetry and prose or where the lines between the
genres blur.

In reviewing for the section of critique, go back over the chapters on revision as well as form,
looking for suggestions for improving a draft. Consider questions of balance, pacing, contrast,
tension, and cohesiveness when making your comments. Review the general guidelines for
criticizing poetry and fiction for suggestions on specific formal elements of each genre. You may
be asked to determine whether the given work should be developed as a poem or a story.

You shouldn't have to do a lot to review for the creative section of the exam. Rely on your
experience with these kinds of exercises, and use the strategies you developed for critique to
develop your own exercise. The end product does not need to be a final draft, but should be a good
beginning draft that shows careful consideration of the subject matter and a familiarity with the
form or forms you choose.

In addition to the three sections of the final, there will be an extra section of definitions which will
be optional for those who need extra credit towards their midterm tests. Anyone may answer these
questions. The points you earn will be added to your midterm test scores prior to averaging those
scores. Each definition will be worth 5 points, as they were on the midterms. You not be allowed
to earn more than 100% on the midterm exams, so the number of definitions you answer should
be limited by the total number of missed points on midterms. To review for these definitions, study
the terms listed on the midterm review sheets (above).

1.