52 Writing Prompts

In a Nutshell:

One writing prompt per week with varying levels of complexity based on one, two, or three cues.  

Cues will be based on Character, Objects, Emotions, Environment/Setting, Action, Abstract.  

The writer(s) will be given a prompt at random at the beginning of the session. 2 minutes will be allotted for brainstorming, followed by 20 minutes of free-writing.

Here is an example prompt:

If this card was drawn, during brainstorming, the writer may come up with many options for a story.

Idea 1: A cat hunting its prey: the string.  

Idea 2: A string attached to a trap. 

Idea 3: The start of a fraying hem. 

From there, decide where you want to go and just start writing!

 

Types of Cues:

Cues come from one of six categories: Character, Object, Emotion, Setting/Environment, Action, Abstract. Each prompt will have one, two, or three cues. The example above would be an object cue. These definitions are intended to stimulate discussion during a group session as well as looking at what types of ideas can lead to a story.

Character: This may be as simple as defining a type of character, like a thief, or can be something attached to or related to the character, such as blood-stained hands. In some scenarios, the character of a prompt may not be immediately obvious and assigned at the writer’s designation. An object may become the character of the story, or perhaps influence the character in a way they would not have reacted on their own. 

Object: These are tangible things. Something you can use or take with you. It can be as simple as a piece of string, or a more in dept thing, like the last leaf on an autumn tree.  

Emotion: This can be a story in itself. Something you feel. That visceral reaction. Fear. Anger. Love. Crying. Will probably be tied to something else, for example, a tearful kiss. 

Setting/Environment: A place. The weather. The interior of a dank, musty bookstore. This is the place your story happens. Or perhaps the story is the place itself. It may project a mood or give context to a situation. 

Action: Movement. Something changing. Running away. Breathing heavily.  

Abstract: A thing or idea you can’t quite define. It might not qualify as one of the cues above, or maybe it encompasses more than one. The cue, Always, is an example of an abstract cue. For some, the immediate association may be Professor Snape’s proclamation of love for Lily. Others may see it as persistence. It comes down your own definition within your associated connotation. Often it may ask a question that begs to be answered.