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EveryWriter

A New Community of Writers

Writing Prompts

Writing Prompts are the anomaly of the writing world. When first faced with the idea of a writing prompt, many writers turn their noses up at them. The writer feels they can make it without the gimmick or doesn’t need help. Raymond Carver once wrote, “Writing is hard, and writers need help.” Prompts are kind of like that. Once the writer runs into their first snag, they look for a solution. Sometimes you need a little help, and writing prompts can help if you open yourself up to possibilities. There is also the situation where people don’t want to write or feel they can’t write, like high school students, and these writing prompts are also for them.

It’s hard to tell, though, which writing prompts will help and which prompts will fizzle. I give prompts to my writers every day. I have given and received writing prompts for 25 years in workshops, courses, and writer’s groups. I’ve found a few characteristics that a good writing prompt needs to reach down into the writer and get them writing. Here are ten things to look for when you are looking for a good prompt.

1. The prompt has the right tone and voice. You can’t have a horror prompt that sounds like a joke. You can’t have a romance prompt that lectures. The technique of the prompt is essential. You are probably on the right track if the prompt matches the tone.

2. The prompt is high interest. Boring prompts are the worst. You can tell when the instructor, prof. Or the workshop leader just didn’t put any time into the prompt—Frost’s “No tears in the writer…” quote. If a prompt doesn’t move you or get you excited to write, it will not inspire anyone else to write.

3. Cliché prompts, much like needing to be high interest, a prompt needs to be original. If you make a prompt the exact old same, I think it makes it harder to create. For instance, write a prompt about being a rebel. I was given this prompt in a workshop one time. I can’t take watching a tv show I don’t like; there is no way I will be able to hold my interest through writing a boring story cliché story. It’s just not going to happen.

4. Story starters can be inspiring. I’ve found that prompts that write the first paragraph or a couple of sections of a story seem to inspire me to write if they are done well. Suppose the first paragraph of writing is excellent if it has a good tone. If writing is exciting and pulls me in, I want to write like that. I think it’s like a writer. Generally, we want to be writers because of something we read. When I read something extraordinary, it makes me want to write.

5. Oddly, the more moving parts, the better. Prompts are the opposite of excellent writing in many cases. The more complicated they are, the more they get me thinking and writing. They need good descriptions to get me pointed in the right direction. It’s a little hard to explain, but examples might help:

Example 1: Write about two characters who meet and fall in love.

Example 2: Write about two characters in a hurricane who meet and fall in love as the eye of the storm passes above them.

 The first one, I’ve got nothing. I’m moving on. The second example gives me enough to want to try it. It presents me with an exciting idea.

6. An element of writing involves the best prompts I have ever written. I have written several goods (later published) short stories based on prompts. Both of those prompts had story elements involved—the best way to write a story where there is a juxtaposition between 2 characters and their situations. I wrote a story about an agoraphobia falling in love with an exhibitionist at a meteor show. I love that story. A writing prompt with a literary element explicitly stated generally inspires the writer in me. It seems like a challenge.

We may add more pointers in the future. For now, these six will get you started. We also have a wide range of writing prompts here on the site. The writing prompts below are for many different kinds of writers in different situations. Writing prompts could be fun if you left them. We will post a new one every week! We want you to have fun with these! So enjoy and keep writing!

50 Fantastic Science Fiction Writing Prompts

April 4, 2023 by admin 3 Comments

science fiction writing prompt

50 Fantastic Science Fiction Writing Prompts Here are 50 fantastic writing prompts that will get you writing sci-fi. If you use one of prompts to write a story, we’d love to read it! Send it to us.  In a future society where humans have achieved immortality, a rebel group arises seeking the right to die. […]

Daily horror writing prompts 

February 2, 2023 by admin 1 Comment

Woman holding a skull caption: Daily horror writing prompts

Every Writer loves horror writing prompts. We like being scared. Here are daily horror writing prompts that are sure to help you produce writing that will create screams in your readers. Remember, no fear from the writer, no fear from the reader

Daily writing prompts for high school 

February 2, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Daily high school writing prompts

High School students are usually just getting started in their writing. They need help but only sometimes want a creative prompts.

Daily Writing Prompts every writer should try

February 2, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Daily writing prompts are essential to the creative writer. They can serve several purposes. 

They can help you if you have writer’s block
Writing prompts can introduce you to new structures and conventions
They keep your Writing flow fresh

50 Poetry Prompts Every Writer Should Try

January 12, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

So here are 50 poetry prompts that inspire you to write. Many of these were taken from famous poems. Suppose you can guess which ones.

10 Horrifying Horror Story Prompts

January 12, 2023 by admin 148 Comments

A scary picture of a girl reaching out

Here are 10 horror story prompts that should give you the chills, and get you writing something scary. Warning if these don’t scare you, you are most-likely a zombie, vampire, werewolf or ghost.

Weekly Writing Prompt: Halloween is Over

November 3, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

You saw all your friends killed on Halloween night. He then tried to kill you, but a psychologist stopped him. After a bit of shock, you took a ride to the local hospital.

Daily Writing Prompts

April 20, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Welcome to our daily writing prompts page. These were started in our writers group over at Discord, and Kimberlee @Urania_theMuse, one of our members, took over the responsibilities and has been doing a great job. We will be adding new prompts each day. Please follow Kimberlee on Twitter and leave a comment below. If you […]

Writing Prompt: Space Runner

December 17, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

You are running drugs from Alpha Centauri A to Alpha Centauri B. If the alliance catches you, they will kill you. Your ship is a 40 year old freighter with minimal weapons. You are trying to get through a blockade when you pick up an organism that attaches itself to the outside of your ship. You are also being chased through the solar system by a warship.

Writing Prompt: Werewolf on a Cruise Ship

July 25, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

You were bitten by a werewolf a year ago. You have just gotten used to having to lock yourself up every full moon. You are on vacation with your family. Your cruise ship has gone from Nassau to Coco Kay, but on its way to Key West you have had engine trouble. Everything on the ship in fine, but unthinkable the cruise will last 3 extra days

Writing Prompt: You Meet a Dragon

May 28, 2019 by admin 3 Comments

You are on vacation, driving across country. You are a couple days into the journey when you stop in the small desert town of Ever Springs. The town was named after a magic spring that no longer flows through downtown.

Creative Writing Prompt: Writing Prompts that end the world: Name that Virus

April 16, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

A virus that makes people zombies is sweeping through the 3rd world. Describe the characteristics of the virus.

Free Writing, and How it Helps You Write Better

April 10, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Free Writing, and How it Helps You Write Better

 Stories only happen to people who can tell them. – Lou Willett Stanek Being a writer (a blogger, a copywriter, an academic writer, a poet – choose the right variant), you’ve heard about the phenomenon of free writing probably, even if you never used it yourself. Chances are, however, that you practice free writing quite […]

Writing Prompt: Vampire’s Someone to Love

September 11, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

Vampires Someone to love

You are vampire, female or male, and while you need food, you have found that you need love more. At this point in your 500 years you have only been in love once.

Horror Prompt: Hammer it home to this end

September 11, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

Hammer this Home to the End

You come home from a night with friends. You are alone, and you go into your apartment. You are do not have a family. You hear something in the other room, and you go to investigate. When you walk into your bedroom someone

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We apologize for the long wait on our print magazine. We’ve had numerous issues with publishing and our site over the last few month. We are canceling our Halloween issue this year, sadly. Our science fiction June issue is still in the works.

Get ready to unleash your inner horror maestro in the spine-tingling 2023 Eat Your Soul 50 Word Halloween Contest!  Share your most blood-curdling, hair-raising 50-word horror stories below, and brace yourself for the terror-fueled showdown of the year. 

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Writing Prompt

science fiction writing prompt

50 Fantastic Science Fiction Writing Prompts Here are 50 fantastic writing prompts that will get you writing sci-fi. If you use one of prompts to write a story, we’d love to read it! Send it to us.  In a future society where humans have achieved immortality, a rebel group arises seeking the right to die. […]

Contests

Winners of our Q2 2023 Contests!

Here are the winners of our Q2 2023 contests! Congratulations to all of you. We have picked places 1,2,3, and some other entries. We’ve marked our top 3 winners, but anyone listed here will be in our upcoming print magazine.

 2023 50-Word Science Fiction Story Contest

Join our 2023 50-Word Science Fiction Story Get in Our Issues Contest!

2023 50 Word Horror Story We Miss Halloween Contest

  Welcome to our 2023 50 Word Horror Story We Miss Halloween Contest. Everyone wishes they had 2 Halloweens, but no one will listen. Being that I’m missing Halloween, I need horror stories and lots of them. So post your 50-word horror stories in the comments below. The winner gets free promos on our site, […]

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Playground

Winners of our Q2 2023 Contests!

July 3, 2023 By admin 6 Comments

Here are the winners of our Q2 2023 contests! Congratulations to all of you. We have picked places 1,2,3, and some other entries. We’ve marked our top 3 winners, but anyone listed here will be in our upcoming print magazine.

 2023 50-Word Science Fiction Story Contest

March 17, 2023 By admin 31 Comments

Join our 2023 50-Word Science Fiction Story Get in Our Issues Contest!

2023 50 Word Horror Story We Miss Halloween Contest

January 15, 2023 By admin 36 Comments

  Welcome to our 2023 50 Word Horror Story We Miss Halloween Contest. Everyone wishes they had 2 Halloweens, but no one will listen. Being that I’m missing Halloween, I need horror stories and lots of them. So post your 50-word horror stories in the comments below. The winner gets free promos on our site, […]

Betcha’ Can’t Haiku 2023 Contest

January 14, 2023 By admin 137 Comments

Welcome to our Betcha’ Can’t Haiku 2023 Contest. We are looking for the best Haiku we have ever read! It can be on any topic or written in any style. We want to read your haikus. We are double-dog daring you to write a haiku, even write 5 haiku and leave them in the comments […]

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2023 Souls of Darkness 50 Word Halloween Story Contest!

September 13, 2023 By admin 8 Comments

Get ready to unleash your inner horror maestro in the spine-tingling 2023 Eat Your Soul 50 Word Halloween Contest!  Share your most blood-curdling, hair-raising 50-word horror stories below, and brace yourself for the terror-fueled showdown of the year. 

Winners of our Q2 2023 Contests!

July 3, 2023 By admin 6 Comments

Here are the winners of our Q2 2023 contests! Congratulations to all of you. We have picked places 1,2,3, and some other entries. We’ve marked our top 3 winners, but anyone listed here will be in our upcoming print magazine.

Top 11 Science Fiction Short Stories Everyone Should Read

April 27, 2023 By admin 2 Comments

Below are the top 11 science fiction short stories everyone should read, but here are a few things to remember about this list before I get hate mail. First,

Top 10 Science Fiction Movies (by Script)

Top 10 Science Fiction Movies (by Script)

April 16, 2023 By admin 2 Comments

So here is my list of the Top 10 Science Fiction Movies by Script. There are a lot of amazing Science Fiction movies out there.

Should You Self-publish Your Book

Should I Self Publish My Book?

April 8, 2023 By admin 3 Comments

Should I Self Publish My Book? If you are thinking about self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, we have another article

Nine Ways to Cure Writer’s Book for Novelist

Nine Ways to Cure Writer’s Book for Novelists

April 7, 2023 By admin 3 Comments

when I’m facing a severe spell of writer’s block. Here are Nine Ways to Cure Writer’s Book for Novelists

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How to Publish a Book: A complete guide

April 7, 2023 By admin 9 Comments

How to Publish a book: In today’s world, choice is everything. If a publisher’s door closes, a publishing window will open, but there are vast differences in publishing options in the 21st century.

10 Words Editors Hate

10 Words Editors Hate: Do not use!

April 7, 2023 By admin 14 Comments

Yes some overused loaded words turn editors off, and I think these are 10 Words Editors Hate. We are talking about literary writing here. Generally,

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