Ryan Andrew Kinder - 1,000 Awesome Writing Prompts

Ah, the introduction! The literary equivalent of lubrication. Those of you who are reading this via a free preview are likely hoping to see a few examples of prompts, in an effort to decide on if this book is worthy of your time. I want to reward both the patient and impatient for the duration of this section. I will intersperse prompts throughout the next few paragraphs, in italics, so that you are treated and taught at the same time. Let's give it a shot and hopefully it's not too difficult to follow. Those who wish to get straight to the meat of prompts, skip to #150. I forgive you for ignoring the other sections.

The first thing you need to know about prompts is that they are a multipurpose weapon in a writers arsenal. Write from your perspective as if you were reincarnated into the body of a giraffe, as your human thoughts begin to slowly fade. If you've got a case of writer's block while working on The Next Great American Novel (or British, or German, or...) you can always use them as a bit of mental exercise. A cannibal decides one day to become a vegetarian. How do his friends react? The other purpose for prompts is to aid you should you feel you aren't strong enough to write an entire single story novel. You can use prompts as a gateway for a novel of short stories. Everyone in the contacts on your phone are being killed off in alphabetical order. You are next alphabetically. There is also the most basic purpose for writing prompts: Exercising your writing muscle.

Much ado is made about stretching the brain. Writing prompts afford you the ability to write outside of your comfort zone. You come across a living relative's will and something strikes you as odd. It's fun to write outside of genres that you specialize in. If you are a serious writer, writing towards a humorous prompt can help you understand how to add a bit of humanity to your work. If you're a farcical writer, writing towards a gravely serious prompt can help you understand how to write a bit more realistically. A seafaring pirate boards a ship only to discover it is augmented with alien technology. This goes across all genres; writing is a vast world of opportunity. Prompts are your introduction into the many portals that you can pass through. Write a poem about all that is beautiful to a blind man.

Now that you're hopefully willing to throw yourself "all in" with prompts, I'd like to take a few moments to explain the structure of this beast to you. A curse is put on a female character, it is vicious. There will be basic writing prompts. Much like the ones that I've sprinkled in this introduction. You are a soldier about to go on a mission you know you won't live through. There will also be "constrained writing" prompts. These are meant to test your ability to write within specific parameters. Example: Write two paragraphs on the meaning of love, without using the letter 'e'. There will also be a section on "flash fiction." This is meant to test your abilities in a short period of time. In 55 words or less, write an entire story about two star-crossed lovers forced to end their lives. Another prompt type involves random items; they're called "rippers." The explanation of that section will take more than a sentence, so you'll have to get there to understand it. Describe a product from the future and make the reader understand its awesomeness.

Beyond this introduction, you will be faced with 1,000 prompts. The first chapter will be for absolute beginners, having them write about what they know. Where do you see yourself in ten years? You must choose something far removed from where you actually see yourself in ten years. If you think you can handle it, try to tackle each and every prompt. Carry a little notebook with you and write wherever you are. You live in an alternate universe where on your 40th birthday you either kill yourself or the government tracks you down and kills you. What do you do? Of course, since this is a digital book, it might behoove you to find a good writing app and maybe carry a Bluetooth keyboard with you. I prefer the analog way of writing. The tactile feel of pen against paper. Upon waking you notice a bump in your arm. It's small... and it's blinking. If you're seeking a place to share your writing, start a blog. You can also go to http://reddit.com/r/writingprompts and share your prompt inspired work there. Assuming Reddit still exists at the time you read this book. You start a website that becomes the center of the internet, but you have a nefarious motive behind this site that nobody realizes. You could also just write for you, which is who you should always be writing for to begin with. Write things that you enjoy that you would like to read.

Now that the introduction is out of the way, let's jump straight into the first section, shall we?

As you will notice, each prompt will be successively numbered. This is for your ease of use and sharing with others. If you decide to start a writing group amongst friends, you can say: "We will tackle prompt #15." They will know which one to refer to. There is no length with which you need to adhere to for these prompts. Write until you feel satisfied. This section will be your basic "Write what you know" types. It will be a short section (20 prompts), as there are a great many resources for basic prompts. Without further ado, here are some easy entry level prompts to write towards.

1. Describe an important item from your childhood. Why was it important and where is it now?

2. You find out that you will die in five years or less. How did you find this out? What would you do in those five years?

3. You receive an unmarked envelope with a check for $5,000,000 inside. It's a legitimate check, what do you do with it? Do you ever find out who it is from? How does it change your life?

4. You are granted one super power. What is the power and what do you do with it?

5. Most everyone has had a near death experience, describe yours. If you've never had one before, create one. Embellish as much as possible.

6. Describe the perfect home. Make that home come alive; put yourself in your mind in that place. How large or small is it? Where is it located?

7. How were you named? If you feel that your name is boring and the story behind it equally so, make up a name and come up with an interesting story behind that.

8. How'd you get that scar? Most everyone has a scar. Talk about it as if it you were about to get that scar for the first time. Scar free? Then you need to invent one! Or talk about another person's scar as if it was your own.

9. You've awoken as the opposite gender. What do you do with this newfound switch? If you don't identify as any sort of gender, pretend that you are forced by the government to identify. What is your life like?

10. You are given the option for immortality. Do you take it or do you decline?

11. There's an old saying "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" in terms of punishment. How do you feel about this subject? Write a story that either supports the notion or rails against it.

12. You get the opportunity to talk to a famous deceased person. Who do you chat with and what do you talk about? What are some of their answers? Try writing in their voice.

13. There is a job you desire with every fiber of your being. Part of the application says that you must write about yourself in a humorous manner and boast about your skills as a person. What do you say about yourself?

14. You are given the chance to travel back to any point in your life to do things differently. What point do you choose? What do you do differently and how does it affect you now?

15. You are forced to have a roommate. (If you have a roommate, pretend that they have just been introduced to you and are being forced upon you.) Create a list of rules designed to drive them crazy and make them move out. What happens as a result of the list?