Scheduled holidays provide us with a rare opportunity for extended periods of uninterrupted writing time. With this in mind, here are 12 prompts you could use to inspire 12 days of writing over the winter holiday. But first, a spoiler alert! If you take creative writing classes with us at the Centauri Arts Academy, you will be receiving your own, gift-wrapped writing prompts similar to the ones below, so we’d advise you not to read on! For everyone else, ask a friend to print out these prompts for you, and to fold and place each one in an envelope. Every time you find yourself with 15+ minutes in which to write, select a prompt at random, settle yourself in your favourite writing chair, open your laptop – or preferred notebook – and begin! Remember that even if you run out of ideas, try to write for the entire period. Rant about the fact that you have run out of ideas! Sometimes, all it takes is the space and the focus, so a few minutes in, you could find yourself inspired by one of the best ideas you have ever had. And if not… you’ve still had the discipline to write, and there’s always tomorrow.
You put your hand in your pocket and pull out something unexpected. You didn’t put it there. What is the object? Or is it a letter? Begin writing from there…
The family pet disappears. It’s gone for a week, then returns unexpectedly. But something is different about this animal. It has changed. Where has it been? What has happened? Write from there…
Imagine overhearing a conversation that could have life-changing possibilities for someone. Where are you? Who is talking? What do they say? What do you do next? Write from there.
Look around you. The space you are standing in will be something entirely different a thousand years from now. Imagine you could travel through time, and stand on the same spot in the very distant future. What would you see and hear? Are you in a wilderness or does a very different building stand on this spot? What has happened to the planet, and to our species? Could you have a part to play in this world’s continued existence? Describe what you see, then make something happen…
Roll two six-sided dice. Whatever number comes up, write down a word with that number of letters. Repeat six times. Now write a scene in which all those words are used. Make them as important to the story as you can.
Write an argument between two people. One accuses the other of doing something unforgiveable. The other denies it. Write for five minutes before deciding who is telling the truth. How does the truth come to light?
Imagine finding a journal on the street. Would you read it, or try to find the owner? Write from this moment…
It’s your birthday. You unwrap a gift. Inside the wrapping paper is something you really, really do not want. Write from here. Decide whether the unwanted item will lead to something funny – or will be the root of drama…
There’s someone new in your workplace. He or she is a bit of a mystery. Where did they come from and who are they? They invite several of their new colleagues to spend the weekend up at their cottage – you all accept. What happens when you arrive?
You are on holiday somewhere exotic. On the beach, washed in by the tide, you find a metal box. You open it up and find it is stuffed with money. There is something else in the box, as well. You take it back to your room to examine it. But you were not alone on the beach. Someone was watching…
Imagine you woke up one day to find yourself 8 years old again. Begin to write from the moment your eyes open.
Write about someone who closes a door firmly, and walks away. Tell us what happens to this person, and gradually weave the past into your story…
Happy Writing!
Julie Hartley
