Writer's block? Try these 5 creative writing prompts

Prompt #1: Pick a song. Pick a book.

Jan 27, 2023

Dear hopeful reader,

I must confess: I had writer’s block that lasted for months or years at some points in my life. It freaked me out at first. I thought my creative mojo was gone forever. Then as it suddenly appeared, the writer’s block vanished.

It happens to any creative, more than once. It took me a while to accept it. But then I started to embrace it and tell myself, “I’ll write when the time is right.” The right time always came.

I would engage in creative activities that would at least keep my imagination going. I would watch a thought-provoking film, read a moving poetry chapbook, play a unique video game, anything adjacent to creativity. It helped. What helps you?

Sometimes a prompt can do wonders as well. I came up with five that may seem non-standard. But they’re fun. Try them out for yourself, and let me know of your results in the comments!

Prompt #1:

Pick a song. Pick a book. The first line of the lyrics and the last sentence of the book are your theme.

Prompt #2:

Look up at the sky. Focus on a specific cloud. What does it look like? Take note of all the transformations it goes through, or what your eye perceives. If it’s a lion turned to elephant turned to mouse, write about that.

Prompt #3:

Imagine you're in a coffee shop. Imagine what the people around you are saying. Imagine what they're not saying when they're saying it. Write that.

Prompt #4:

Watch a film with a cliffhanger at the end that never got a sequel. Or a TV show that never got renewed. Make the sequel/new season yourself.

Prompt #5:

You’re your favorite flower. You live in a rural area. And you want to experience big-city life. Where would you go, little flower? Write about your floral adventures in a megalopolis.

I hope any of these prompts helped to get your creative juices flowing. I would love to read your wondrous work sometime. Do share your results in the comments below.

Yours hopefully,

Nadia