The Nose Can Show

After dinner I went out to water the garden while my husband cut the grass. The scent of fresh cut grass mingled with Honeysuckle on the light breeze. When I walked into the house the savory aroma of roasted chicken lingered.

Notice that I didn't have to tell you what time of year it is or what I had for dinner. Instead, your nose told you. For today's prompt we'll exercise the olfactory sense. Practicing to include details that delight or assault the nose will make your writing come to life.

Prompt:

Write a short scene that includes the sense of smell. Choose one of the following or pick one of your own:

• skunk
• burned popcorn
• baking bread
• a baby
• cologne or perfume
• apple pie
  

What Does that Book Cover Say?

I'm in the process of trying to find artwork for my novel Beyond the Fifth Gate which is due out later this summer. It makes me stop and ponder what book covers have to say to potential readers. What makes you want to pick up a book?

This question spurs today's writing prompt. Use the photo prompt here, or choose a book off your home library shelf and write a story based on the cover. This can be even more fun if you haven't read the story yet.

Also, if you're looking for a little more inspiration, check out my Writing Prompts to Promote Creativity article for more ideas.

First Steps - Relationships

Experiencing motherhood for the first is unlike any other relationship. That's because in a very personal way, the expectant mother knows the baby before it's born. And yet, meeting that little one for the first time on the "outside" brings the relationship to a whole new beginning.

It's the same with writers and characters. We know them on the inside as they pace through our thoughts, but when we see them on the outside--on paper (or the computer screen) they take on a life of their own.

For today's prompt, keep a notebook handy. Jot down notes regarding new characters. They can be unrelated to your current projects, a possible protagonist, antagonist or secondary character. Then tomorrow, sit down and watch that character take their first steps on paper.

Who, What, Where, and Why

People watching can be fun, and it can also provide plenty of ideas for your fiction. Use this photo prompt and write a short story that answers "who, what, where and why."

Pulling From What You Know

As writers we often hear we are to write what we know. I discuss how this applies to fiction writers in my book Pumping Your Muse and for today's prompt we'll play with exercising that part of our muse.

With this photo prompt, write down every thought or memory that it generates. Then take your list and chose one or more of the things you've listed and include them in a short story.

For example, one thing it reminded me of was the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and her companions were in the field of poppies. I could apply a similar magical fate to characters in a field of flowers, though it would have to differ of course.

Have fun with this one. You may be surprised at what you discover!

10 Minute Prompt

Many of us live full lives, and for those with a writer's heart beating in their chest it can be quite a challenge to find time to write on a regular basis. Last night I was exhausted and hadn't worked on my novel in progress in a week. So I challenged myself. Just do it for 10 minutes. A little more than an hour later I reached a stopping point. Sometimes the biggest challenge is just getting started. Once you start writing, you'll often find creativity fuels your drive to write a little more.

Part of training for anything in life is learning to push past the elements you don't like. The up side of training yourself to write is that once you start you'll usually find yourself rewarded with a new spark of enthusiasm.

Today's Prompt:

Write for ten minutes when you don't feel like it. Choose a current project or pick one of the previous prompts, set the timer and start writing. .

What If?

For my readers who own my book Pumping Your Muse, you'll be familiar with "Flip Side" thinking. Exercises that delve into the realm of the impossible or improbable . Creativity blossoms when force-fed with the fertilizer of Flip Side strategies. Things like contrasts or opposites delve into the world of "What if?" Write a paragraph (or more) based on today's writing prompt photo. Focus on contrast or answering the question "What If?"

Add Texture to Your Writing

Texture is something we see and feel. Adding texture to your writing creates imagery that draws the reader into the story. Practice adding texture by writing a scene including one of the following:

*Cobblestone street
*Orange
*Worn wood floor
*Cat's tongue
*Oyster

Learning About Your Character Through Weather

Just like in real life, weather changes a scene. For example, an outdoor wedding on a bright sunny day will differ from an outdoor wedding with blustery wind and showers. If you're a fantasy writer, you might want to check out my new blog Pumping Your Muse Fantasy Writer and see my post on "Fantasy World Seasons and Weather" which is part two in a series on How to Create a Fantasy World.

You can write about a relaxing day on the open water sailing your boat, but if a storm blows in, it will be anything but relaxing. In fact, at times the weather can almost play the part of a character--the antagonist.

Today's Prompt: Learning About Your Character Through Weather

Write a short scene of 100-200 words. Then take that same scene and change the weather. Take note of how it differs and what you learn about your characters as a result.

Best Character Description Contest

Since we've been working with characters in our prompts I thought I'd pass on this contest. Take one of the characters you've developed and write a character description in 150 words or less.

Contest: Best Character Description in 150 words or less.

Deadline May 15.

Several cash prizes, with 1st place prize of $500, two second prizes of
$100, etc.

Entry fee either $10(non-member) or $5 (member) per entry.

Open to public at the John Clausen's Write For Money web site.

Details - Investigate the World Around You

One thing that bring realism to fictional writing is visual details that paint an image in the reader's imagination. The trick for the writer is to learn how to add detail without bogging down the action with long passages of description.

Today's Prompt:

For this prompt, you can use today's photo or your back yard. The goal is to stay in one place and make a list of the details you see, hear and smell. (Of course if you use this photo you will have to stick with what you see or add what you imagine you'd smell or hear). Practicing this attention to detail hones your ability to not only add realism to your writing, but to do it with practiced realism.

Creating Flawed Characters

It's easy to fall prey to creating good characters that are too good or bad characters that are too evil. In fact, to create interesting characters they must be flawed. It keeps them unpredictable. A hero who experiences fear and self doubt makes a reluctant but interesting character and one that readers can relate to. Flaws can be physical or psychological, but they must play into the plot. To give you character a flaw just to make them imperfect is superfluous.

Prompt:

Create a character with one of the following flaws and write them into a short scene highlighting their imperfection.

• Arrogant, Argumentative
• Dishonest
• Short tempered
• Need to be right all the time
• Perfectionist
• Plays the victim
• Selfish
• Stubborn and rigid
• No sense of humor

Catching that Fleeting Inspiration

Hearing what others say, or seeing what they do can inspire an image in the mind. Learning to capture those fleeting moments of inspiration can lead to the creation of treasures yet unburied in your muse. For today's prompt, I've included three quotes. Choose the one that flashes a thought, memory or image to your mind and write at least 100 words about it.

Quote 1: “Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.” - Oscar Wilde

Quote 2: “I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one.” - Mark Twain

Quote 3: “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstein

Nightmare

I had recurring nightmares as a child. They opened a window to my fears. One placed me in danger. A burning forest on one side and a pride of lions coming at me from the other. I had a choice to make. Which way to run.

When developing a character, if they are realistic, they too will have fears. Take one of your childhood nightmares and write it out. Expand it by taking yourself out of it and creating a character to take your place. What do they see, smell and feel?

Growing a Character

I've got my garden in and I can't help but marvel at how many of the little sprouts look quite similar when they first break through the soil. But over time they develop individuality that marks them as the plant they are.

Characters are much the same. When they first appear on the page, they may be similar, but over time they develop and take on characteristics that make them unique. Some fill the roll of antagonist, others the protagonist and some are only secondary characters.

For today's prompt choose one of your existing characters and write a scene that challenges him or her to be more than they are currently in your imagination. If you're stuck, here are a few challenges you can put in their path:

• Do a good deed
• Do something sneaky
• Tell a lie (the motive is up to you)
• Reveal feelings they've been hiding
• Get pulled over

Embedded Stories

One night I sat cross-legged on the floor behind my artist friend. She is so gifted, and in fact is the cover artist for both Pumping Your Muse and Windwalker. This particular night she looked at the woodgrain of a piece of wood and saw a baby bird. To help me see it, she pulled out a sketch pad and drew it. Then I could see what she saw.

When I was a child, I saw two people in the woodgrain of the door to my parents bedroom. That image made enough of an impact that I remember it 50 years later, but never thought of writing a story about those people until now.

Prompt:

Today's prompt can use this photo or you can find your own natural wood to "see" your story. Instead of drawing a picture, we'll extract a story. This one may take you to dimensions of your imagination you've never visited before. You'll have to let me know what you find.

Pass It On

I finished putting my garden in today with the help of my grandchildren. As I showed them how to dig the hole, line things up, take the plant from the starter tray, use the black gardening soil to fill in and all that, I thought about how many things we pass on from one generation to another. For today's prompt that's what I want you to do.

Prompt:

Write a scene where one character passes knowledge onto another. This doesn't necessarily have to be accurate or true information--it could be passing on a bad habit, hearsay or something illegal. Or it can be passing on a family tradition or heritage. That's up to you. Your part is to pass it on.

Tapping Into Childhood

I grew up in a family who enjoyed Science Fiction and Fantasy. I looked forward to television shows Twilight Zone, Outlimits, Flash Gordon and later Star Trek. For today's prompt, I want you to tap into a childhood interest. If you watched shows like this or other genres, what drew you to them? Make a short list. What did you find interesting? For example, on Flash Gordon the Clay People fascinated me. Most young girls might have been enthralled with Princess Aura or even Flash--but those Clay People stimulated the imagination as they magically emerged from cave walls. Were they a quiet nemesis or possible friend? Good or evil?

Today's photo was taken and provided by Peter Hellebrand.

Prompt:

Take the time to reflect on what captured your imagination as a child. Jot it down and think about it. As you do, keep a list of ideas generated. These ideas will be sparked from deep within your muse sparked by things you find interesting and magical.

* * *

While your visiting my blog, you might as well check out the latest interview with Author and Freelance Writer Donna Sundblad at Webmaster Journal.

Birth of a Character

Interesting characters add depth and complexity to your writing. This prompt involves paying attention to the world around you. Go to the mall, a park, or the grocery store and take time to people watch. Choose someone you think interesting and ask yourself why you think they are interesting. What makes them stand out from others? Then write a short character description along with a bio. Doing this on a regular basis will provide you with a storehouse of characters to choose from.

Show Up Naked

Today I'm doing something a little different. I came across this class and it caught my interest and my imagination and inspired today's prompt. Because of that, I'm including information for the class below.

Prompt

Take an existing scene and undress your character. I'm not suggesting you write erotica. I only want you to enhance your characters senses. If they enter stage right naked, how does that change their experience? What senses are heightened? How are they perceived by others? What do they feel and why? This exercise is designed to help you learn more about your character to be used later in your story.

Show Up Naked Class: Writing from the Man's POV

******PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED AND ENCOURAGED!!********

WritersOnlineClasses.com is proud to present its $30,four-week online class for the month of May, 2008:

INSTRUCTOR: Chris Redding
4-week class: $30
May 1-31, 2008
Registration ends 30 April, 2008


CLASS DESCRIPTION: Show Up Naked: Writing from the Man's POV.

This class is a fun, but informative trip through a man's mind. Scary thought, I know, but when you finish this course you will know more about that man in your
life and, more importantly, you'll write believable male characters.

INSTRUCTOR BIO: Except for her writing life, Chris Redding is surrounded by men. In her house with her husband and two boys. At both of her part time jobs: a rescue squad and the Emergency Medical Services department of her local hospital, both male dominated fields. And she's studied them all intently. She lives in New Jersey. Corpse Whisperer came out in October of 2007. Incendiary is due out later this year and Along Comes Pauly, a romantic comedy will be out in 2010.

Photo Prompt - Ice

I saw this photo and it's perfect for a photo prompt as it opens a window into a whole new world. Take your muse into this world and write at least 200 words. Include at least two senses.

Gardening of the Soul

It's springtime and new life burst forth promising new starts. As I planted flowers this year I thought of how I fertilize, water and keep things weed free. It takes work. It's the same with people. Write a scene that depicts a character struggling with things "planted" in her soul early in life. Here are a few ideas:

*In the therapist office
*Rocky marriage situation
*Stressed out parent
*At the beach and afraid to go in the water
*Or pick one of your own

Don't tell the struggle--show it. How does your character feel? What are they thinking? Is their fear or underlying turmoil real or perceived? What triggers it?

Everyday Heroes

Heroes emerge within everyday scenarios. It can be a person or even an animal. What you define as a hero is up to you. Write a short story about an everyday hero in your life. As a bonus, check out Anthology News and Reviews for a market for this story.

Unsolved Mysteries

Unsolved mysteries tug at the imagination of many. Today, I want you to take an unsolved mystery and write a speculative fiction piece that solves it. If you don't have a mystery in mind, choose one of the following topics:

• Shroud of Turin
• Mary Celeste
• The taos hum
• Black Dahlia
• Comte de Saint Germain
• Voynich manuscript
• Jack the Ripper
• Bermuda Triangle
• The Zodiac Killer
• The Babushka Lady

This prompt will lead you down paths previously unexplored in your imagination and may reap a surprisingly creative outcome as your muse puts on its investigator hat.

Symptoms

At this time of year colds and flu spread through family, classrooms, and workplaces faster than a sneeze disappointed. Little telltale signs warn you that you've caught the bug. Write a scene SHOWING your character is getting sick. Learning to incorporate sensory details provides clues for readers to make their own determinations, plus they can relate to what's going on.

Shattered: Life After A Child's Death Stories

Shattered: Life After A Child's Death Stories of inspiration, strength and determination surrounding the challenging loss of a child. Pay for this project is $50-$200. Piece length 800-1400 words. Submissions, queries and questions can be directed to submissions. shattered@ gmail.com.

Drifting Seeds

It's spring and the dandelions are sprouting in my yard. As a child I thought them beautiful and fun, and as an adult learned they were a weed to be exterminated. Now the child in me still thinks them beautiful. Their tiny seeds carried by feathery parachutes...that's what this prompt is about today.

Write a scene following a dandelion seed. Feel the weightlessness and see the world from the seed's POV.

FREEZE FRAME

Here's a prompt for a writing contest I thought I'd share with my readers.

FREEZE FRAME

Describe a single moment in time just after something has happened so clearly that the reader can understand what happened without having "seen" it happen. Think of a photograph, as opposed to a movie. Try to imply an entire story with beginning, middle, and end in one frozen moment. Remember not to leave that moment in time! Don't tell the reader anything that the reader could not perceive if the reader were in the scene you're describing.

One entry per author. The mini-story should be between 50 and 100 words long. Hyphenated words count as separate words: "jack-o-lantern" counts as three words.

Deadline: 11:59 PM Eastern time, Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Prizes: $15 for 1st, $10 for 2nd, $5 for 3rd, publication but no money for honorable mentions.

Send entries to Entries@OnThePremis es.com and put MINI-CONTEST in the subject heading, please. As with our regular contests, put your contact information in the body of your e-mail and
attach your mini-contest entry as a .doc, .rtf, or .txt file. (No .wps files! We can't read them.)

Edit Your Writing Prompt

As much as we enjoy the creative process, it's not always fun. Editing our writing is work that makes it better. Today's prompt requires a scene you've already created. Find one you like. Now read through it and as you do circle passive verbs. including thee words that redirect your action:

• could
• noticed
• can
• will
• heard

For example, if you say a character heard a noise, instead of TELLING they heard it, let the reader hear what the character hears.

Also identify vague words. These words water down the imagery in your writing. They include words like:

• some
• all
• most
• many
• more
• enough
• several
• fewest
• fewer
• few
• very
• really
• good
• a lot
• still.

Once you identify these words, rewrite the piece. And what the heck, why not look for a market and submit it!

Come to Order

Create a scene including the following:

• police officer
• court room
• crutches

Be sure to include at least two senses.

Not What It Appears

Today's prompt will be fun. It's two steps. First, write a description of an item. Include at least two of the senses. When you have your item developed, I want you to place it in a scene and through the actions of a character show that the item is not what it appears to be.

This can be as simple as describing the golden crust of an apple pie sprinkled with sugar and the scent of cinnamon filling the air. Then when your character sits down to eat it, it's so sour that the glans in his cheeks rebel.

If you can't think of something, here are a few muse pumpers to crank up the imagination:

• car
• boy
• new school or job
• student

Describe any one of these and then introduce them to your character. Have fun! This helps develop the ability to lead your readers one way to surprise them with a twist at the end.

First Sentence Prompt

Leonard blotted his forehead, glanced right, left and gripped the handle of his briefcase tighter.

Visions of Spring

Here in Georgia spring is busting into bloom. White, pink, and purple blossoms paint the landscape with fresh new color. Daffodils push toward the sun to share the glory of their sunny yellow heads with passersby. Bradford Pear and Dogwoods white with a heavy coat of flowers remind me of new fallen snow.

The changing of seasons can often spark ideas and reflections worth writing about. For many, spring is a favorite season because it represents new starts and new life. Instead of telling what you like about spring, show it. Capture the visuals on paper in 500 words or less.

Writing Markets and Pithy Endings

As I researched writing markets for my Anthology News and Reviews blog, I've recently come across two markets requiring a "pithy ending". When I shared this news with my local writer's guild it raised questions. What does pithy really mean? The definition makes it clear: "brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible: a pithy observation." (Dictionary.com)

Today's writing exercise challenge is to write a short essay of 500 words or less and to close with a pithy ending.

Dragon Photo Prompt

As a fantasy author I couldn't pass this photo by koma Bboy (found at stock.xchng). I don't want to say too much and influence your writing, but this photo did raise some questions for me.

Is the dragon crying out?
Is it alone?
Seeing the full moon--does this affect the dragon in some way?
Is the dragon flying across the sea?
And lastly, why the flame? Is this some kind of signal to shore?

Have fun with this one, I know I will.

Story of a Tree

Do you ever think of how old the trees you walk by are? They form a ring for each year. Can you imaging the stories they could tell?

Write three short scenes, each including the same tree at different stages of its life. Tell the story from the tree's POV.

Broken Lives

Create a broken character. This can include one or more of the following:

Broken dreams
Broken body
Broken spirit
Broken relationships (broken home)

Don't start by telling about this broken character, but let the scene unfold as you introduce your broken character to a new world.

Taming the Weakness

One thing about characters is that they are neither all good nor all bad. Even the most evil character will show some foible that makes the reader care in a small way, but not for long. I call the exercise, "Taming the Animal" because all protagonists will have some weakness they need to tame--and so will your antagonist. If those weaknesses are left untamed, they often lead to the demise of that character.

For this exercise, take one of your favorite stories and identify the character's weaknesses. Then write a scene where that weakness is no longer tamed and bring the scene to a new conclusion.

First Kiss

Learning to write sexually sensual scenes can challenge writers who choose to keep their writing appropriate for all ages. Today's prompt is to write a scene including a first kiss. Write it from the POV of one of the characters involved in the kiss.

A Day in the Life

As a kid, I remember watching a Twilight Zone episode where a young girl hears her dog barking and finds that he has found a portal in her bedroom wall that leads to another dimension. She follows after her pet, and adults realize not only that the girl and her dog are in this other dimension but the portal is closing as the wall gradually is turning solid and closing the way of return.

We've also read stories of kidnapping, identity theft, and all kinds of situations where suddenly reality has changed for those involved. Today's writer's prompt involves change. This one is just for fun, though you never know where it will lead.

Write about a day in your life as if someone else was walking in your shoes. For example, if you have an elderly mother and she suddenly had the opportunity to live your life for a day, what would it be like?

Or a young child...taking over the role as parent.

The POV can make this one fun!

Today's photo was taken by photographer Dan Colcer.

Photo Writing Prompt

This photo writing prompt should be fun for fantasy writers. I'd love to hear what you come up with. If you're looking for markets for your stories be sure to check our Anthology News and Reviews and check out the Tickle My Fantasy Anthology guidelines.

Foreboding Scent

Use the sense of smell to create a foreboding scene. Here are some ideas to get you started:

*Gasoline
*Skunk
*Dog feces
*Gun Powder
*Perfume
*Smoke
*Dirty ashtray
*Coffee

If you really want to challenge yourself, try using two of these scents in the same story.

Amnesia

Place a character in a situation where they awaken and don't know where or who they are. Place clues in their path to help them learn what they've forgotten. One item is a key...other than that it's your world. Have fun finding your way.

First Sentence

Start a short story or scene with the following sentence:

Dark clouds swirled overhead and wind bit into my damp flesh as I glimpsed the outline of tall buildings on the horizon.

Photo Prompt

Today I offer this photo prompt. Who's that man waving to? Where is he coming from? Where's he going?

Three Words Prompt

Use these three words in a short story:

• rang
• stitches
• tire

First Sentence

Write a scene or short story starting with this sentence:

Leslie crushed the cigarette in the ashtray with new determination.

Cooking with Stress

Often when we tell a story that's funny, if you think back, the original circumstances were not funny at all. Today's exercise is to come up with a situation like that. Create a scene that involves cooking. Guest(s ) are invited for dinner. Start it out slow and controlled. Your character knows what they're doing. Then add one of the following elements:

*The power goes out
*They don't have one of the necessary ingredients
*They burn their hand moving the pan from the stove and spill the contents all over the floor
*Phone rings and guests will be arriving an hour early
*The dishwasher overflows
*Add your own element of conflict and tension

Have fun with this one. Make yourself laugh.

A Plane POV

POV can get a bit confusing at times. The best way to remember how it works for me is to imagine yourself inside the character's head. You see what they see, feel what they feel and know what they think. For today's exercise, imagine yourself on a plane sitting in the window seat. What do you see? What do the clouds look like? What does the landscape look like?

Now, put your character on the ground beneath the plane. Now what do the clouds look like? The landscape?

In both cases, how do they feel?

Time Change

Since today is the day we move the clocks ahead, I thought it would be great to write about a character who forgot to change their clocks. For this change, when the clocks move ahead, if you forget, you'll be an hour late for your next appointment. What happens to your character when they forget to reset their clocks?

If you can't think of a story, try one of these characters to get you warmed up:

*Church pianist
*Sports announcer
*Bus driver

Wind, Rain, Sleet or Snow

Weather changes things in real life and will do the same in the lives of your characters when writing fiction. It can even be used to foreshadow upcoming events or create a question in the reader's mind related to other details they already know. In chapter one of my creative writing manual Pumping Your Muse, I challenge writers to describe the sky in one sentence everyday for a whole week. Learning to show the sky in brief snippets makes the scene real, offers information naturally and can even be used to foreshadow events. Consider this example from exercise 1B: Attention to Detail: The Sky and the One Sentence Rule.

"Silent thunderheads gathered like an army above the eastern horizon."

The clouds create an ominous foreshadowing of things to come. Needless to say, the sky provides readers with information and should generate further interest. Will rain spoil the picnic? Should the young mother with the kids in the car be driving in this weather? Will the lover be late and miss his chance to tell her he really loves her and does want to marry her?

Create a scene where the weather plays the role of a character. For example pit your character against the weather. Give them a goal and let's see who wins.

A Feel Like...

Feelings dictate actions. Introducing your character's feelings engages the reader. Why do they feel like that? How do they act on those feelings?

Start a story with one of the following:

• I feel like someone is watching me.
• I feel like ending it all right here, right now.
• I feel this might be the break I've been waiting for.
• I feel...(choose your own).

Actions Speak Louder than Words

You've seen the commercial. It says, "Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now," or something close to that. It shows people in the middle of something that must leave because they "gotta go." But it doesn't say what they need to do...viewers know. They have to find a bathroom.

Create a scene that shows action that leads the reader to a conclusion. Here are a few ideas or use one of your own:

• A character that has to sneeze
• A bloated, gassy character that needs to...well pass gas.
• A character with an itch

What Am I Doing?

Have you ever walked into a room and then wonder what it is that you came in there for? Write a scene with a befuddled character that comes through in the end.

Challenge yourself to include all the senses. What does your character smell, hear...feel?

Animal Tales

I'm an animal lover and have had all kinds of pets over my lifetime--and I've rescued wild animals like small birds and raccoons until they could be released. Each animal that touches a human life leaves behind a story to tell. Write a story about an animal that left its mark on your life.

And if you're looking for markets, check out Anthology News and Reviews. I recently posted a market for cat lovers, dog lovers and horse lovers.

This Week's Photo Writing Prompt

Life circumstances change the path of destiny. Here's a photo to challenge your muse to write such a scene for one of your characters.

Editing Your Work

Choose a scene you're working on or one you wrote awhile back that has merit. Look for passive language. World like:

*There was (were, had been)
*Would
*Could
*He (she) noticed
*He (she) saw
*He (she) heard
*He (she) realized
*Was
*Had been
*That (read the sentence and see if it makes sense without the word "that"
*went (be more specific--show how your character went. Did they run, shuffle--create an image

Rewrite the scene replacing your passive language and you'll be surprised at how it comes to life.

Favorite Childhood Game

Think back to when you were young...say somewhere between the age of 5-15. That gives you plenty of room to pick a favorite game. Something you played with others.

For today's prompt, write about that game. No, not a dry this is how you play explanation. Instead write a scene showing the game being played. This exercise will help you develop the art of showing rather than telling as your write about something you know.

Story Starter

Start a story using the following:

Wind rushed down the mountain into the valley where families huddled against the unnatural storm...

The Panic Button

No this isn't about the button in the bank that tellers press when a bank heist is underway. What we'll write about today is hitting the send button and then regretting it. There's all sorts of possibilities...sending an angry email, submitting an application, or in the life of a writer a query, or...well you get the idea. Write a scene centered around clicking send by accident or on purpose and then regretting. What happens next?

Recipe Disaster

Write a story--fiction or nonfiction--about trying a new recipe. This prompt is inspired by the Thanksgiving my husband decided we would try popcorn stuffing in the bird. The popcorn was supposed to pop as the turkey cooked. Guess what? It didn't.

This Week's Photo

Here's this week's photo. I won't say too much because I don't want to influence your story or scene. However, here are a couple of questions to get you started:

1. What did you notice first about this photo? What did you find the most interesting? It makes a great place to start your story.

2. What did you first think when you saw this photo? Something like who the heck would live there? Or I remember... Bring the answers to your thoughts into your writing.

Creating Characters with Flaws

In real life, people are flawed. To create realistic characters they too need have flaws. These can be physical, emotional, verbal, sexual...

Create a scene introducing a character that shows their flaw or flaws. If you can't think of one consider the following:

*A young teen with crooked teeth
*A recently divorced person
*A child with a speech impediment
*A man who has learned he is impotent

For more on Well Rounded Characters check out my recent article at Inspired Author.

Animal Talk

Write a scene from an animal's POV. This will not only be fun but also opens your eyes to details you might not otherwise consider. The POV can belong to a family pet, a domestic animal or a critter in the wild. Heck, it can even be that raccoon that rummages through your trash each night.

Frazzled

Create a frazzled character--but don't use the word frazzled. Show it. Here are a few ideas to get your started:

• Ready to leave for job interview and can't find car keys.
• Lost the ring their spouse or friend gave to them and it's almost time for dinner with them.
• Shopping for a birthday gift for the person who has everything.
• Flying in business class with a chronically crying baby.
  

From the News

Take a story from the news and use it as a springboard. Rewrite it using your own characters. Add details, change the ending--whatever you want--but make it yours.

First Sentence

Write a scene or short story starting with this sentence:

In the valley of rocks beyond the river a dim light...

Conflict

Conflict comes in different packages. There's inner conflict and outer conflict...things you can do something about and things you cant. Create a scene where your character experiences inner conflict that can be resolved if they take action.

Snack Food

Describe your favorite snack food. Try to include at least three of these senses:

• Hearing
• Smell
• Taste
• Sight
• Feel

Write This Story

You know the cliche. A picture is worth a 1,000 words. Your challenge today is to write a 1,000 words based on this photo.

Reunion

Write a Scene where two characters who haven't seen each other for 20-40 years meet up. Here are a few possible scenarios or use one of your own:

• Adopted child meets biological parent
• High school reunion
• First loves meet after years of marriage (it's up to you whether or not they are still married)
• Military buddies

Messy House

Write a scene involving a messy house. Have fun with it. Try your hand at humor. What does your character do when unexpected guests pull into the driveway and dirty dishes are piled in the sink and the house is cluttered with other stuff. Is the driveway long enough to give her time to do anything? If not how does she handle it?

Or have your character hunting for something they need within the mountains of mess. Like car keys for example. Let the house become a character as the two battle it out for possession of the car keys or whatever article you have your character searching for.

Paper Dolls

As a child I played with paper dolls made of lightweight cardboard and had great fun changing their outfits which were held on with little paper tabs.

For today's exercise post a character. For example. Feet spread a shoulder's width apart and hands on hips. Then take that same pose and dress the character in different clothing letting the way the character is dressed introduce the character.

Samples:

#1:
She stood with her hands on her hips. The apron at her waist smeared with splatters of grease and what looked like chocolate. The spoon clutched in her hand dripped a dollop of goo on the floor. Her feet stood firmly planted as she stared down at my muddy shoes.

#2
A sneer pulled at the corner of her red lips. Her knuckles rested on her hips drawing my eyes to her bare midriff, short skirt and those long legs hugged in thigh-high boots. Her feet spread about a foot apart I knew if I ran it would take a moment to get moving.

#3
Her bottom lip jutted in a pout and started to quiver. She propped her hands on her hips and said, "It's not my fault. He made me do it." She stomped on foot to emphasize her point, crossed her arms and stood with her feet a shoulder's width apart. Her eyes dared her older brother to contradict her.

First Thoughts

Before you go to bed tonight place a pad of paper next to the bed. When you wake, write down your first thoughts. No matter what they are. This can include:

Dreams
Things you need to do
Things bothering you
Memories from the previous day
Whatever you think...write.