Artistic prompts to inspire, cultivate and create
In the modern classic “The Alchemist,” Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho wrote, “The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.” As per an article by The Stanford Daily, inspiration is everywhere as long one takes the time to perceive it and use it as such. Chosen from Poets & Writers website, Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction, Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction and Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief, here are eight writing prompts that turn the ordinary to something extraordinary.
WRITING PROMPT NO. 1: WRITE ABOUT YOUR OWN TENDENCIES
In their post “In Real Life,” the Poets&Writers website explained the creation of “On the Shore of Lake Atitlán, Apparently I Ruined Breakfast,” a poem by Ariel Francisco recounting a puckish remark caused the derailment of an otherwise upbeat meal with the speaker’s mother and aunt. As per the post, Ariel Francisco commented the poem tried to capture his teenage immaturity to overturn a beautiful moment with his flippant attitude.
The post encouraged writers to think of their own tendencies in life they may have been self-critical about, and write about it using a lighthearted tone or a darker tone that turns unexpectedly bright.
WRITING PROMPT NO. 2: WRITE ABOUT A LOVED ONE
In their post “You’re the Inspiration,” the Poets & Writers website encouraged writers to write about their friends and loved ones, rather than themselves. They shared Stanford psychiatrist, Dr. Anna Lembke’s words in a recent The New York Times Magazine interview. “Our culture is demanding that we focus on ourselves so much that what it’s creating is this deep need to escape ourselves,” she said.
The post urged writers to forget about self-actualization and create a lyrical profile of their close friend or loved one, and to correct their course if they instinctively relate their own observations and memories back to themselves.
WRITING PROMPT NO. 3: WRITE WHILE NOTICING THE MINIATURE
In the book “Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction,” Lia Purpura wrote, “The miniature is mysterious. Miniatures offer changes of scale by which we measure ourselves anew.” She shared understanding the smallest and briefest things like bonsai trees, birds, and chihuahuas offer unfamiliar surprises to a writer. They are compressions of something grand that are often overlooked but ultimately add more physicality, she said.
For a writing exercise, Purpura suggested taking a work-in-progress piece to an unfamiliar space and reading it aloud, taking note of the tiny details that create the new atmosphere. She said new perspectives, personalities, and dreams will come to the page while doing so.
WRITING PROMPT NO. 4: WRITE ABOUT A BRIEF BUT TELLING MOMENT
“By compressing your story, which self do you reveal?” asked Carol Guess in “Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction.” She said by honing in on a moment or a detail, a writer could capture a longer story in just 2,000 words.
Guess suggested capturing someone by describing a telling moment or detail, for a writing prompt. “Compress a life’s worth of memories; allude to the gifts they gave or the damage they did,” she said. If done right, she said a flash or a glimpse would tell a reader all there is to a character’s life.
WRITING PROMPT NO. 5: WRITE ABOUT AN ARTICLE OF CLOTHING
In the book “Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction,” short story writer and fiction editor Nathan Leslie suggested writing a story revolving around an article of clothing, like a hat, a jacket or a shirt. “The article of clothing doesn’t necessarily need to be the primary focus of attention, but it will hopefully act as a trigger to or as a symbol of your imagination,” he said.
As an example, he used “The Sock,” a story by Lydia Davis that portrayed detailed and intimate internal struggles of an unnamed female narrator through the simple article of clothing. With it, the story was able to tell a complex theme of love, divorce and expression, he said. “Imagery is of the utmost importance,” said Leslie.
WRITING PROMPT NO. 6: WRITE ABOUT AN IMAGE
“Manoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing” editor Robert Shapard shared his best stories came from focusing on the image that prompted the story. He quoted writer A. Van Jordan’s words on his creative approach saying, “The image is what comes to mind first. Trying to correlate that image with an emotion is the rest of the process.”
Shapard suggested starting a story with an image in mind. “The image may be simple or complex, involving senses other than the visual, such as the spoken word. The main thing is to choose an image not because you think others will like it but because somehow it matters to you,” he said.
WRITING PROMPT NO. 7: WRITE USING AN ACTIVITY
David Starkey, author of the book “Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief,” said creating poems from various inventive activities helped his students create a poem that became part of their writing portfolios. As part of his invention activities, Starkey suggested keeping a journal to write down everything that might become material for a poem, whether it be ideas or observations in the world. “The more material you collect, the more likely some of it will begin to cohere into a fully formed poem,” he shared.
WRITING PROMPT NO. 8: WRITE WITHOUT WORRY
“We have emphasized that you need to make every word count in your finished story, but when you’re actually sitting down to write, you want to shake free of the demon,” shared “Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief ” author David Starkey. He said a key characteristic of a writer is to reconcile with their drafts and accept the first one will never be perfect.
“Sit down in front of your computer—or notebook or voice recorder—and begin,” he said. As a guide, Starkey suggested as long as a writer has a central character with a desire, it will be enough to ignite the story.