Embers ~ December 2022
A collection of writing prompts
Well met, traveler.
Errr…hello, I mean. (Sorry, I’ve been spellbound these past few days by Stephen King’s latest, Fairy Tale. What a compelling book!)
Let me start by wishing you all a Happy New Year.
I hope everyone has been enjoying this holiday season. I’ve taken over a week off from writing — Substack in general, too — and I must say, I feel so excited to be typing this right now. Several short fiction ideas have been brewing for a couple of weeks, but I have temporarily put them on hold. The speculative/fantasy genre has me shackled at the moment, and I’m thinking the only way forward is through its grasp. My next story, scheduled for Monday, falls somewhere in this realm.
Darn you, Charlie Reade and Stephen King!
As promised, here is the December edition of Embers. These prompts have been written over the course of the month. I also added a few prompts from last year that I thought were worthy of inclusion.
If you are a free subscriber and would like access to Embers, please click on the link below. You will be gifted a free trial for a week! While you’re on the clock, be sure to check out previous editions of Embers for extra fiction writing prompts. All free subscribers have until January 7th, 2023 to redeem.
For your convenience, the previous editions of Embers are attached below.
If you like what you see, or if you find that the prompts help to kickstart some writing of your own, I’d love it if you told a friend about Embers or Along the Hudson.
Thanks so much for being here.
Enjoy! And happy writing.
- Justin
Write a scene consisting primarily of dialogue. Here are some character options if you don’t want to create your own:
A married couple in the car (or anywhere, really) during an argument.
Two siblings playing an imaginative game…something goes wrong.
A bank robber and teller.
Two old men sitting at the diner (or bar, or coffee shop).
Shoppers waiting in a long line around the holidays.
Write a modern-day retelling of a classic story – or part of a story. Some examples include the biblical tale of David and Goliath, Romeo and Juliet, Moby Dick, etc.
Try this: write a haiku but in story form. Choose a topic for this “story-ku”. Some examples include love, hate, war, a journey, a dispute/conflict, or maybe jealousy. Remember, a haiku consists of three total lines, with five, seven, and five lines, respectively. Instead of focusing on a single moment in time (like a traditional haiku), aim for movement/story development!
This writing prompt is one of my favorites. Pull a book from your shelf and turn to a page at random. With eyes closed, point to a spot on the page. Use this line as inspiration to write a scene or story. It may help to physically copy this line at the top of your page. If you’re having difficulty, try to focus on a single word or two from this line and use those in your opening sentence. Or, give yourself permission to try again on a new page/a different line. There are no rules here!
Write a scene or story that involves a surveillance camera. Two important questions, before you begin: where is the camera, and what was caught or captured on said camera?
Write a story about a rebellion, or perhaps a rebellious character who goes against the grain of society. A defiant student, a con artist, or a vagabond are some individuals who might fit the mold here. Feel free to take one of these example characters and plant them in a sticky situation.
Start writing your next story en medias res – in the midst of the plot, or in the middle of things. Drop your character immediately into the action!
Use a random Wikipedia page as inspiration to begin writing a scene or story. Follow these steps:
Go to the main Wikipedia page.
Click on the fourth tab on the left-hand side of the screen, titled Random article.
Use the result as inspiration to write a story.
If the random page doesn’t quite do the trick for you, try again!
Use a local landmark as inspiration to write a story. Perhaps there is an old building, a river, lake, or hill – even a uniquely-shaped tree. Anywhere and anything could fit the bill here, as long as it stands out to you in some way. Use this place to craft a setting for your story. The hope is to write the bones down and then flesh it out one line at a time. Try to start with the where first.
Up for a challenge? Try this: write a 250-word story as a first draft. On your second pass, whittle it down to 150 words. For the third draft, cut it down to 100 words while telling the same tale. After going through this process, try to retell the story using single-syllable words only.
Put yourself in someone else’s shoes for a few minutes. Imagine that you or a created character is blind or has gone blind. Write about the world you are a part of and the way in which you take in the world. It would be interesting to write this from a first-person perspective, but this choice is obviously up to you.
Write a scene or short story about something that has gone missing. Some questions to consider:
Who lost it?
What was the object?
Where (general location) & when did they lose it, if known?
Why is this item, object, or abstract idea/concept important? (For example, if you go the abstract route: someone lost their ability to love, or their ability to feel. How/why did this come to be?)
If it is found, what happens next?
For an interesting twist to the prompt, make it a missing person.
Write a scene or story about something breaking. Below is a list of ideas to help get you started:
A window
A bone
A relationship
The Earth itself (or earth, if you’re talking about the ground)
A dish, vase, or urn
Someone’s car “breaking down”
Someone’s mental state
Fingernails
Such amazing prompts, Justin! Happy New Year and I'm excited to be back writing again 😁