Daily Writing Prompts

Daily Writing Prompts To Keep Writers Motivated

If your passion is writing, you will want to write as much as possible. However, like any job, there will be times when your energy levels are low and writing becomes difficult or you are blocked. I have used daily writing prompts in the past when my creativity has lagged. So, to keep writers motivated, here are twelve prompts that may help.

Writer's Block can happen at any time, so here is a list of daily writing prompts to help you out of your writing slump. I've also added some suggestions of where the story could go and genres that will work for each prompt. I do hope these will be helpful to keep writers motivated and keep writing.

A dedicated writing space can help with writer's block. And daily writing prompts can too.

Here are twelve writing prompts to get you motivated. Use them to write a blog post, add to social media, or write your next novel.

1. Opening line: It was a day when seeing my mother was not the worst thing that happened that day.

What is the MC's issue with his/her mother? What is the worst thing that happens on that day? The suggested genre may be a contemporary fiction novel or short story about a mother who returns after twenty years with the main character not knowing how to deal with it.

2. The internet explodes. Write about what happens.

This could be a science fiction/fantasy or dystopian novel set in the near future. The story may explore how humans will deal with such an occurrence and how it is fixed, if at all.

3. Use certain words to develop a story – raining, slip, event, outdoor.

This type of writing prompt is often seen on social media, along with 'write a 6-word story for this photo above'. The usual word count is 500 words with the genre being whatever the words fit into. The words suggested could fit into a story about sport or another outdoor activity where something dire happens. Or, it could be a romance with a backdrop of sport.

4. Write a story about a normal day. And the murder that happened.

The setting for this could be a sleepy coastal town or a small country town as a crime or mystery drama. Daily life is nondescript, but a murder of the local publican sparks life into the town. The media and ex-residents double the town's population and they all want to know who the suspect is (or are).

5. Write a humourous line, then flip it - make it sad, satirical or cruel. Turn it into a story.

I must admit, this is one I haven't seen before. As I write drama fiction, I would find this a challenge, but I will try it one day. Once you have flipped the line, see if you can write a short story from the result. This story may make a good horror story.

6. Write about an inheritance given to the wrong person.

Death can bring out the worst in people, especially if a family member is estranged. This family saga could be interesting as you weave a story of lies, jealousy and sibling rivalry into the story.

7. Your main character wakes up with a tattoo, but no memory of having it done. And it’s in a language they don’t speak.

This prompt could work in a few different genres - travel or time travel, science fiction/fantasy or contemporary fiction. Have your MC wake up in an Asian country with no recollection of having travelled, or why they have a tattoo on their upper left arm. MC can be a wimp who would never have considered getting a tattoo.

8. Write a fantasy about - A letter arrives, written in shimmering ink on dragonhide parchment, addressed to your protagonist in a language only they can read. It's dated 100 years in the future and warns: "Do not trust the one who teaches you magic."

This prompt is intriguing for me as I have written science fantasy. I would give this a dystopian bent with the MC knowing who the writer of the letter is, but they are living now. How can they be alive in 100 years?

9. Write a story where a seemingly minor lie spirals into an uncontrollable situation.

Having written a couple of stories where secrets and lies ruin lives, I like this prompt. My debut novel, The Decision They Made, is about a secret held for forty years and how two sisters are torn apart. This story is historical fiction. The genre for this type of story is varied - contemporary, historical, crime, or a murder mystery. Take your pick.

10. Begin with the line: "The lights flickered once, then everything went black."

I can see this story as a cli-fi (climate fiction) or dystopian. It could also work as a mystery. My pick would be a cli-fi story with the MC, who is a scientist, living in a remote location and discovers how to reduce the effects of climate change in an unusual way. Research is needed to work out how scientists are tackling climate change.

11. A character finds a photo of themselves in a stranger’s house, but they’ve never met. Why is this character in this house?

This could be about a journalist sniffing around a cold case that happened years ago. He/she ends up in a brand new house on a hill and sees the photo. What does this new house have in common with the cold case? This house didn't exist thirty years ago. And the photo is an uncanny likeness to the MC.

12. Write a story set during a severe storm, where someone and a valuable object go missing.

Again, this could fit in the cli-fi genre. Or maybe a 007-type story where the valuable object could be something that can destroy the world, or make the creator very powerful. Maybe start with a dinner setting of a group of misfits. Did the missing person take the object? Or are there other factors at play?

Twelve writing prompts to pique your interest and banish writer's block. Daily writing prompts will keep you motivated to keep writing. When you do these writing prompts regularly, they will take you out of your writing slump and help improve your writing.

Happy writing

Maria P Frino