I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have sat down to write only to sit there, mind and page as blank as can be. There are days where no amount of coffee is going to stimulate my brain into action and my creative juices feel as if they will never flow again. I used to throw in the towel at this point and just walk away from the notebook, hoping for the muse to descend tomorrow and bring me something truly wonderful. The problem was, I wasn’t creating a habit of writing by doing that. I was actually creating the habit of giving up…which isn’t really a habit I want to cultivate. I knew I needed help so I turned to Google for some answers. That gave me tons of great writing sites that offered prompt ideas and I tried them all out. I have a few favorites that I turn to now, when I can’t really get in the mood to write.

creativewritingpromts.com is my all-time go to site when I just can’t get pen to paper. Some of their prompts are ridiculously cheesy (write about the saying “revenge is bliss”) but many of them have led me to some really cool places (write from the point of view of a glass on the edge of a table). I love that they are numbered so you can actually choose a prompt at random.

Creative writing now is another great site for prompts. Their ideas are a little more fleshed out, a little more “writerly” if you will, and they make for some super easy word counts. They don’t have a ton of prompts on there so I try to save them for when I have a large chunk of writing time and can really put in the effort. My words seem to come much easier when using one of these prompts.

If you want to waste some time (always good for writer’s block) and get in a few laughs, you should definitely check out Seventh Sanctum Story Generator. They are hilarious and weird prompts (The story is about an alliance of queens. It takes place at a portal to another solar system. The effect of magic on technology is a major part of the story.) that give you lots of room for imagination.

Short story ideas is my last stop on the inspiration train. Like, Seventh Sanctum, they have some strange prompts (A motor home is the location, blood is thicker than water is the theme. A radio is an object that plays a part in the story.) but they try to make a complete picture for you to work with. There is a little more brain work needed for these prompts which is a good thing when you are stuck.

So there you are, a few places to turn if you are stuck with a blank page in front of you and a word count looming over you. Let me know if you find a prompt you love or one that really takes off into a story.