New and Unusual

Try a new food and write about the experience. It doesn't have to be anything as exotic as snails, but go ahead ... be adventurous and write about it. Challenge yourself to include the senses of:

• Sight
• Taste
• Smell
• and the big challenge ... include the sense of hearing.

Eating Habits

When you don't know what to write, a prompt can get your started. Today's writing prompt takes essay form, but it can be used to give one of your character's a quirk. And no excuses! This is a prompt everyone can write.

Pumping Your Muse Prompt - Eating Habits

Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, you can write an essay. Today's prompt deals with eating patterns. Are you someone who mixes food on their plate or one who doesn't want anything to touch? Do you eat one thing at a time, or a little bit of everything throughout the meal? Do you rinse your plate before adding something taking a helping of something different? Do you eat your favorite food first, last or with everything else? Do you eat every crumb or throw food away when you're satisfied? Do you eat big helpings or small amounts and many snacks?

As you write this from a personal perspective, it gives the passions behind why you do what you do. Take that passion and give a fictional character eating habits. This is the type of detail that offers realistic quirks that make our characters identifiable.

Write one to three paragraphs about your eating habits--not just what you do, but why you do it. I challenge you to include either the sense of smell or hearing These are the types of details used to give a fictional characters a quirk that makes them stand out amid a sea of characters.

The Feeling of Sentence Structure

At times writers use shorter sentences to build tension, and other times longer languid prose provide a relaxed look around at details. Today's prompt is going to use both.

Pumping Your Muse Prompt

Chose one of the following actions and write a short paragraph that shows tension while the action takes place and write a second paragraph using the same action but portraying it in a languid almost distracted way.

• answering the phone
• car approaching
• making dinner

This prompt practices the use of sentence structure to add to the "feel" of your story.

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Written within the allegorical tradition of classics like Pilgrim's Progress, The Inheritance offers a literal but symbolic story for today's fantasy enthusiasts. You'll laugh, experience dangers and snares and witness a budding romance. This cleverly devised tale doesn't tell you what to think, but stimulates thought as to why you believe what you believe in your own quest for the Eternal City. The Inheritance is an ideal discussion starter for youth groups, homeschoolers, and families who enjoy meaningful discussions.

Face of a Stranger

Today's is a photo prompt I call "Face of a Stranger," but by the time you're done, she won't be a stranger anymore.

Pumping Your Muse Prompt

For today's writing prompt, place this woman pictured in one of the following scenarios:

• Sitting on a park bench watching two lovers walk by hand in hand
• Riding the bus, clutching a bag of groceries.
• Watching children ice skate on a frozen pond.

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For more writing prompts, jump start your imagination with Donna's unique book for writers. Pumping Your Muse gets you writing andt helps you learn how to develop and improve your scenes.

Seeing the Future

In a bit of back-and-forth conversation with one of my online friends, the mention of seeing into the future came up. I thought it would make the perfect element of change for this writing prompt. Have fun!

Pumping Your Muse Prompt

For this prompt, choose an existing scene you've written. If you don't have one, borrow one from a story you've read. We're going to add one new element that will change everything. You're viewpoint character has somehow seen into the future. Perhaps in a dream, or a vision reflected on the water's surface. How he or she sees into the future is up to you, what I want see is the difference it makes in the scene. Now they know something that hasn't happened yet. How does it change their actions? And does it change the outcome or is the future set in stone?

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For more writing prompts, jump start your imagination with Pumping Your Muse. It gets you writing andt helps you learn how to develop and improve your scenes.

Three Words Prompt

Pumping Your Muse Prompt

Today's prompt challenges you to use these three words in a scene or short story.

*goatee

*cell phone

*headlights

This prompt is a great opportunity to learn how to show a snapshot in time. What do the headlights show in an instant? Use it to pull readers into the scene.

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For more writing prompts, check out Pumping Your Muse. This book not only jump starts your imagination and gets you writing, it helps you learn how to develop and improve your scenes.

First Sentence Story Starter

Today's prompt features an elderly couple, in my mind. I hope you enjoy this one.

Pumping Your Muse Prompt

Use the following sentence to start a short story.

Gertie cradled Herbert's hand in hers and stared the the age spots on the back of her hand.