Writing Prompts: Ten Prompts to Get You Started Writing

The key to getting started writing is, as the old Nike ads stated, to just do it. But sometimes finding the right material to get started can be a daunting task, especially for the novice writer. Where do I get started? What do I write about? she asks herself. Writing exercises are a great way to jog the imagination and to create a notebook of possible ideas for longer pieces. Writing exercises are easier to tackle, don't require more time than is necessary, and can be done in the space of twenty to thirty minutes, depending on the amount of time you want to devote to them. They can be done at any time of the day as long as you commit to your writing schedule. All that's needed is a good prompt to get you started. I've compiled a list of writing prompts I've used over the years that have been very helpful in getting me started writing. Some of these prompts even inspired longer pieces that I've written. Use any of these prompts when you sit down to write an exercise:

1. Get a box and fill it with items that is lying around the house. These can include thimbles, figurines, buttons, a bottle of perfume, a lemon or lime, an avocado pit, a photograph, pen, feather duster, a leaf, a twig from a tree or plant, a piece of fabric, thread, a pot of lip balm, a vial of lipstick, or any other object you can find. Close the lid of the box and put it away for the next time you do a writing exercise. This will allow some distance and create an element of surprise. When it is time for your next writing exercise, pull out the box, stick your hand inside, and grasp the first thing your fingers touch. Pull the object out of the box. Look at it. Examine it. Treat it as though you had never laid eyes on it before, as though you were an alien come down from outer space and had no experience with the object before. Start writing. Describe the object. What does it look like? How do your fingers feel when it touches the object? What does it smell like? What does the odor bring to mind? Write every sensual detail the object brings out in you? Write for twenty minutes. Let your imagination go wild. Where do these sensual details lead you?