Prompts to Set Your Writing on Fire

Inspiration can strike at the strangest times. We may be holed up for quarantine when a lighthearted mystery springs to mind. Or maybe lockdown finds us drowning in dark stories that wind nowhere we really want to go. Once, when I spotted a huge bull wandering through the meadow behind my house, my mind spawned all kinds of ideas about dragons and lumbering beasts.

But sometimes...and we've all been there...we feel just as empty as the blank page we are staring at. This is a perfect time for writing prompts. Here's a few to fire up your neurons and help you hatch some exciting new tales. Try them yourself or share them with your favorite middle grader!

Poetry Prompt 

Choose a poem. It can be an old favorite or something new, a poem that stirs your emotions or evokes strong images. Read it through. Then close your eyes and note what feelings and images arise. Finally, write, capitalizing on what you felt following reading the poem. You'll be surprised at the ideas that emerge.

Here's some intriguing poems to start you off. The Tyger by William Blake, Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, Twistable, Turnable Man by Shel Silverstein, Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll or The Daffodils by William Wordsworth.

Visual Inspiration

This is a fun way to stir up your creative writing. Browse through magazines, personal photos, or online images. Some great places to find intriguing photos and art are pixabay.com, deviantart.com, and flickr.com. 

Once you've chosen an image, use your imagination to place yourself or one of your characters there. What would you see if you looked around beyond the frame? What might you hear or smell? What could have brought you or your character to this situation? How do they feel about being there? Happy, angry, purposeful, afraid, or some other emotion? What is your character about to do?

Musical Muse

Music drives inspiration in so many ways. I like to listen to music to set the tone of a scene I'm preparing to write. Something heart-pounding like Eye of the Tiger by Survivor is a great primer for writing a scene where my characters discover their own motivation and get fired up for success. 

The Pirates of the Caribbean Theme Song generates fighting or swashbuckling images. You might like The Mother by Brandi Carlile to stir up heart-aching feelings of love for family. Try Bang! by AJR for a fun surprise and see where your muse takes you.

Try these prompts when you're feeling a little brain freeze. They're also useful as a quick warm up to get your juices going for other writing you have planned. Enjoy!

25 Writing Prompts for Middle Grade Readers

It can be tough persuading young people to write. Most would rather play video games, surf social media (even if they’re “officially” too young), watch netflix, or snap selfies. Yet writing is an essential skill that translates into increased knowledge and understanding of the world, better, more secure jobs, and higher income. When people write, they also improve their ability to think, to articulate their beliefs, needs, and goals. 

But simply telling middle grade kids how important writing is won’t get them writing. You’ll need a bit more persistence (require them to write 😏), motivation (bribes…ahem, rewards…are always welcome), and inspiration (writing prompts!). Here's a few themed prompts to stir up those creative juices. Use them for flash fiction, stories, poetry, or even journal entries.

Fall 

• When the leaves start changing colors, so do you.
• Why does your family pick pumpkins at midnight, under a full moon?
• Only one person showed up to your Halloween party, and it's a ghost.
• Your parents make you wear a weird Halloween costume.
• When you make Halloween cookies, they come to life - are they friends or foes?
• Your school field trip to an apple orchard takes an unexpected turn.
• What happens when your school lunch tries to eat you?
• Write ten things you are grateful for and ten ways you could make life better. 

 Travel Tales

• Your family moves to a foreign country where you don't speak the language.
• You take a trip to Disneyland and end up in a movie.
• Your train trip is hijacked by circus performers.
• You swim in the ocean for the first time and find . . . 
• You take a hot air balloon ride with 3 strangers.
• What happens when you go ziplining in the jungle?
• When you go down a covered slide, you come out somewhere you've never been before.
• You learn to fly a rescue helicopter and save....who?

Animal Antics 

• A dragon moves into your bedroom.
• You bring a mouse to school in your backpack.
• Your neighbor gets a pet monkey.
• Lizards invade your classroom.
• A frog offers you three wishes.
• Your pet goldfish teaches you how to breathe underwater.
• Your neighbor's cows end up in your back yard.
• You bring a pig to school for pet day.
• A stray dog has puppies in the crawlspace under your house, but you're not allowed to have pets.

And if that's not enough, here's a few resources for even more prompts!

Journal Buddies
Fun Writing Prompts for Kids
Writing Prompts for Elementary Children
Writing Prompts for Elementary and Middle School Students

Enjoy all the new stories your middle graders write!

Summer Inspiration for Writers

The lazy days of summer are now upon us, complete with ice-cold lemonade and hours spent lounging in the hammock, reading for pleasure and writerly research, of course. No deadlines, no screaming children, no pressure or stress of any kind.

Well, we can always dream. Our summers are typically packed with ball games, lake trips, family activities, reunions. Tons of fun where we meet ourselves coming and going. On top of all this, we writers work other jobs. We raise our families. We volunteer in the community. We seek out adventure. We live. Because if all we did was hide in our writing holes and dream, we'd end up small-minded with nothing real to write about. Unless of course, we're Thoreau and are exploring philosophy.

Fortunately, the hectic moments of summer provide unique and energizing writing inspiration. Here's a few focus points to help you capture those fleeting moments when genius strikes (or can be finessed into existence with just the right touch):

1. Relationships: In summer, we make extra time for friends and family. That means there's more opportunities for laughter, conflict, and exploring new ideas. Take note of the things that build connections in your relationships. What weakens them? How can laughter strengthen a relationship? When can it damage it? Are there people you interact with who tend to speak less than others? Or to dominate attention, either purposefully or by nature of their personality? Why? Are there simmering resentments that should be addressed or joys and gratitude that should be expressed? As you explore these issues, you will find your deepened understanding will enhance your relationships as well as your writing. 
   
2. Emotions: Summer is often a time when we clean house, literally and figuratively. We shake off the dust and stillness of winter, throw off our coats, and seek out a little freedom. Consider how you feel in the transition time between winter doldrums and summer liberty. How does the hot sun on your skin or the cool wind through your hair make you feel? Are you emotionally affected by increased or decreased social interaction? What about your family and friends? What changes do you note in their moods? Do you see anyone becoming "hangry" when the BBQ is taking longer than expected (darn slow charcoal!)? How can you capture similar emotions in your writing? Take a few minutes at the end of the day and write a feeling, something you've felt that day or some emotion you've witnessed. How could your characters deal with feelings that push them a bit too far?
   
3. Sensations: Summer is a wonderful time to contemplate and explore sensations. The weather has changed. We spend more time outside. What do you hear when you are out at the lake or on a morning run? Even sitting at home inside, the sounds can be different. Do you hear the drone of lawnmowers or the revving engines of motorcyclists? What about the birds chirping outside your window? Or the overpowering buzz of cicadas or songs of crickets? Depending on where you story takes place, some of these sounds may be absent or their could be other noises, like the call of children playing in the streets. Are the sounds in your stories sinister or commonplace? The tastes of summer again provide astonishing variety - the sweet tang of smoothies, the hot spices of salsa, or the flaky warmth of pastries at a bistro. Notice what stands out to you as the summer days pass, taking care to explore all five senses and incorporate them in your writing.
   
4. Physical Movement: Summer is a time of movement. We hop on the bicycle a little more often or take wandering walks through the woods, dips in the pool, or hikes to and from various picnic places and ballfields. Being active makes our bodies feel different and, usually, work a little better. Note the soreness of your muscles as you become more active. Note the scrapes and bumps that we collect over the course of the summer. How long do they take to heal? How much does a sprain or a bruise actually limit activity? What does it feel like to ice a sore joint? How does it feel when our bodies are strong and healthy? All of these insights will making your writing more realistic and compelling to readers.
   
5. Try Something New: This is some of the best advice writers can take. Try something new. Step out of your comfort zone and pick up a dance class. Or go parasailing. Or try walking across a fallen log. Opportunities to experience something new are all around us, if we are looking, and if we choose to be brave. They don't have to cost money or take a ton of time. It could be something as simple as cooking a new meal. Notice how you feel when trying new things. Nervous? Frustrated? Excited? How could this new experience fit into your current work-in-progress? If it doesn't, write a vignette or even a summary of what you did, how you felt, and what you thought. Then save it for later.
   
   Whatever your situation, summertime can be a springboard for your creativity. Enjoy!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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