For those who have been keeping a journal for any amount of time, deciding what to write about can be a challenge. Even if you are used to doing daily journaling practices such as Julia Cameron’s Artist’s Way, you can sometimes feel as if your creative well as run dry.
If you are still stuck not knowing what to write about, there are scores of websites and groups all over the internet that offer a wide variety of prompts. Late last year, we posted some ideas for writing prompts, here are a few more ideas and links to give you an idea of what’s out there and what’s possible.
The Fake Red Head
The Fake Red Head Writes blog posts some of the most popular if not unusual prompts on the Internet. Many of these are written as snippets of dialogue that can be a great way to get a story started off. If you don’t want to subscribe to the blog, many of the offered on this blog are reposted on other sites such as on Pinterest.
Writermag.com
The Writer magazine has long been a respected publication geared toward writers of all types. You can sign up for new prompts to be delivered directly to your email or you can check them out on their website.
Writer’s Digest
This magazine and publisher which puts out Writer’s Market each year also produces a large range of books geared toward writers from beginners to seasoned experts. Writer’s Digest also has a wide range of prompts that they make available to writers to help get the creative juices flowing.
Writer’s Muses
The Writer’s Muses writing prompt community began its life at Livejournal and has since moved to its new home on Dreamwidth. Writer’s Muses was created as an answer from writers who wanted a wide variety of prompts to choose from each week. Writers are encouraged to post from the point of view of their character.
Writing Prompt Books
If you would rather read off line, here are some titles of writing prompts that are available.
1. “The Writer’s Book of Matches: 1001 Prompts to Ignite your Fiction”, by the Staff of Fresh Boiled Peanuts, 2007, Writer’s Digest Books – This book has tons of unusual prompts that can help you dig deep into your daily writing practice.
2. “The Daily Writer: 366 Meditations to Cultivate a Productive and Meaningful Writing Life” by Fred White, 2008, Writer’s Digest Books – Turn to the current day and get a writing prompt. This book acts as a kind of perpetual calendar and you can start anywhere in the year to make writing and journaling a part of your daily life.
3. “A Writer’s Book o Days: A Spirited Companion & Lively Muse for the Writing Life” by Judy Reeves, 1999 New World Library – This book is a real gem! Similar to The Daily Writer, Judy Reeves also gives some very good writing advice. Her holistic approach to integrating creative process with the prompts is perfect writing in your journal each day.
After you check out some of these sites and some of the books suggested above, you will gain a sense of what it is like to answer prompts and feel your writing muscle start to build. You’ll find fellow writers along the way to collaborate with and potentially roleplay with. The door is always open for coming up with your own prompts, too.