If it hurts your brain, you’re on the right track!

I run across writing prompts all the time on the web. After my Creative Writing program, I don’t find many of them helpful in so far as challenging and improving a writer’s craft. Many writing prompts are just too comfortable, you know? They focus on flexing your imagination instead of developing your technique.

Here are 4 amazing prompts I used in my Creative Writing 300-level workshops that will both challenge your writing and hopefully improve it.

1) Write from the perspective of an inanimate object.

-Write the story of a house observing the family that lives in it.

-Write a story about two inanimate objects falling in love.

-Write a story where a street becomes the main character.

The point: flex your characterization skills to include more than just ordinary people or animals. Practice describing a setting or environment that embodies its own character and atmosphere.

2) Write a story out of chronological sequence.

-Write a 2500-word story where the scenes happen out of chronological order.

The point: break away from always focusing on “beginning, middle and end.” Read Catch-22 if the concept of this seems confusing, or watch Momento.

3) Write the same story from 3 different “distances” or “times.”

-Write about a character meeting a friend over coffee.

-Write the same scene from farther away: a person across the street observing two friends meeting for coffee.

-Write the same scene at an even farther distance: a person reflecting on that one time, years ago, when they met their friend for coffee.

The point: experience the difference between each of these scenes. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of each one: “in the moment,” “from across the street” and “from years and years ago.” How do the scenes change? Which do you feel is the strongest perspective or time frame? Which felt more “safe” to you and which was more of a challenge? This helps you break out of the mode of always writing from one “distance” or one sense of time.

4) Write a story that includes 3 dictionary definitions.

Use a definition from a dictionary in your story. Try using this technique 3 different times throughout the text. Make sure your definitions fit the context of your story.

The point: explore new narration techniques. Think outside the box. Shake it up a bit!

And most importantly, have fun!