Day 11 Writing Prompts for the Weird
Today we’re going to take a little break from learning and just sort of lean into writing and its joys for a hot ten minutes, okay?
Also, I have a new book out today. You can find it here. It’s a stand-alone, but it’s prequel, IN THE WOODS is here.
THE STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT WRITING PROMPTS
I know that everyone in the entire writing universe loves writing prompts, which is why I’ve been including them during this month of daily posts.
I did not love writing prompts for a very long time. Our relationship has been maybe a little toxic. I know! Big admission there. Way to bring on the trolls. I thought they were a waste of time. A terrible thing to think about something in your writing toolkit, right?
Sigh.
I was horrible.
Anyway, the theory is that writing prompts help authors suffering from the dreaded writing block. I do not ever suffer from the dreaded writing block. I know! I’m hiding now. I’ve given you so many reasons to hate me.
Full disclosure: I don’t suffer from writer’s block because I have no internal censor, and also because I accept the fact that my first drafts will be terrible. It’s also because I come from the world of newspapers and poetry. In those worlds, you have big work ethics and are used to making no money at all. So, I refuse to have writer’s block because I am too busy realizing how freaking blessed I am to get to do this at all.
Also, I created systems so that I can keep writing without blocked.
Also, I focus on how lucky I am, which usually helps with those block moments.
I want you to be lucky, too. I want you to be a rockstar of writing, but a cool one without ego issues or substance abuse problems.
But back to writing prompts. They help people get unblocked. They help people think in a new way. They help create epiphanies on the page.
All that is so cool, right?
Here was/is my issue: I sometimes look at them, and I get … I get bored. So, I decided to jazz up some really common ones with a weird twist. I live on an island in Maine and according to my friends that makes it okay for me to be this weird. My friends are liars.
THE TEN PROMPTS OF WEIRDNESS
Pick one or five to do. Write for 5-10 minutes.
You can use this Spotify playlist I made if you’re into it, but obviously no pressure.
Outside the Window: What’s the monster outside your window doing right now? If that’s not inspiring, what’s the monster in your coffee mug doing? Oh, yeah. You know it’s there. What’s it doing?
The Bloodfeud: Write about the conflict that has torn your family apart for generations. Bonus points for the use of the undead. Extra bonus points and my eternal love if it involves a manatee.
The Shuffle: You hear a shuffling noise. Is that from outside or in?
Food: Write a poem about the last time you were served for dinner.
Hamsters in Love: Two hamsters. One love. Separate cages.
Enemies: Write about the person in real life or pretend life or undead life that you can’t stand. Make them your teacher or your parent. What would that be like?
Unicorn Time: There’s a unicorn. What’s she doing?
I Am so Done with You: Write a poem where the first line is “I am so done with you.”
The Found Poem: Find a blog. Print it out. Circle words. Make a poem out of those words.
The Cat: Write about what’s going on in this cat’s mind.
PLACE TO SUBMIT
South 85 Reading for Theme Issue: Borders-Boundaries-Lines
Deadline: March 10, 2025
South 85 lit journal is eager to read your fiction, flash, CNF, and poetry through March 10 for its spring/summer issue.
Its based in the Converse University low-res MFA program, under faculty editorship.
Theme: Borders | Boundaries | Lines.
One piece will be selected for the Editor’s Choice Award of $100. All work it accepts comes to the journal from the Submittable queue…no backroom solicitations.
‘We nominate for awards and promote our writers in social media. Send something you love to our enthusiastic team!”
Guidelines: www.south85journal.com/submissions/.
BONUS HELP
For those of you who like AI and things and weren’t into my weird prompts, here is a random writing prompt generator.
And a lovely post about the benefits of writing prompts.
Congratulations on the new book! I don’t know how you manage all the things you do but am grateful to have your work in the world. :)