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- Wordbank: Dr. Seuss was once challenged by his editor to write a book using only fifty words, where words could be repeated or reused. The result of this endeavor was Green Eggs and Ham. Try this challenge for yourself and see what you can come up with!
- Fast and Fearless: Ideas will come to the page if you only let them flow. Heat a pot of tea (or another hot drink, if you prefer) and finish a draft of a story or poem before the water grows cold. Allow yourself the freedom of writing without the fear of imperfection. Not all ideas will be genius, so simply discard the bad results and pour yourself another cup.
- The Imitation Challenge: Choose a poem. Keep only the title and the first three lines. Throw away the rest, and create your own ending. Imagine you are holding the author’s pen rather than your own. How does this impact your writing style?
- Flash Fiction: As the story goes, Ernest Hemingway was once dared to write a complete story with a clear beginning, middle, and end…in only six words. The result is the now-famous line, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” The more concise the story, the more meaning attached to each word. Try this deceivingly-difficult art form for yourself!
- The Creative Twist: Find (or come up with) the most terrible, uninspired premise that ever was. Perhaps it’s an overused or uninteresting first line. Maybe it’s a set of limitations that you find dull and confining. Now twist the boring prompt into something creative and amazing.
- Kill the Adjectives: Mark Twain once said, “When you catch an adjective, kill it…They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are far apart.” Write a story or poem that lacks adjectives entirely.
- Imagine the Scene: Sometimes, a good title is the best place to start. Somewhere around your house, find a book that calls to you, preferably one that you haven’t read. Using only the title and cover design, write a scene that you imagine would take place in your chosen book.
- In the Abstract: In one of her most beloved poems, Emily Dickinson urges us to “Tell all the truth but tell it slant.” Start with an idea or concept to frame a poem or story, and then revise the wording to “tell it slant.” How does the distortion of an idea change its meaning?
- The Daily Poem Challenge: Every day for one week (or longer if you are feeling particularly inspired), force yourself to write a poem every morning before you get out of bed. Write about the first idea that comes to mind when you wake up. Not all the results will be masterpieces, but at least one or two will certainly be memorable.
- A Boring Concept: There is no concept that is so incredibly boring that it cannot be expressed in an interesting way. Think about it. And the more you think, the more you’ll realize: there’s inspiration everywhere if you look in the right places.
