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- April 6, 2025 Writing Prompts for the Week
April 6, 2025 Writing Prompts for the Week
Happy Sunday! Okay, not to get all “corporate-y” on you (technical term), but we’ve just ended Q1 of 2025, aka the first quarter of the year.
And, believe me, I’m not at all pointing this out to speed the year away. In fact, looking at the year by quarters is a great way to help savor it. So, in the spirit of savoring and improving, how did Q1 go for you and for your writing practice? What went well? What didn’t go as well? What would you like to see happen in Q2?
While you’re working on those answers, let’s kick off this new quarter with some prompts!
This Week’s Prompts*
"Was it gin?" he thought. "Or was it vodka?"
The sun was, quite literally, melting her hair.
When he tipped his head back just so, as if contemplating lofty ideals, he could see Ken's wife sitting a few rows back.
Describe a scene in which two adults begin fighting in a children's playgroup.
"Fluffy, cuddly, and two for a buck!" she shouted, rummaging in the cardboard box for a few she could grab by the scruff.
As a child, I'd misheard "San Diego" as "Dan Diego" and believed we were moving across the country for a man.
"A steady simmer" is harder to achieve than it sounds.
*How to Use These Prompts: The italicized prompts let you create your writing entirely from scratch; the non-italicized prompts are intended as your first line and jumping off point. But, at the same time, there are no rules. Write on!
Book(s) We’re Reading This Week
The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker
Oo, this was one I started and finished in a hot second. There’s an element of mystery to it and you’re never quite sure what’s going on—until you come to a very unexpected ending. It’s the story of a woman’s unexplained blackouts and her therapist’s effort to figure out what’s causing them but that doesn’t begin to do it justice. Both well-written and compelling.
Grab it on Bookshop.org (and support local bookstores!)
Grab it on Amazon
We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.
Links We Like (And Think You Will, Too)
☕️ Coffee might be good for you (or not? hard to keep up) but one thing is definitely good for you: Having coffee with your younger self. Here’s why and exactly how to do it.
🃏 Asking celebrities in-depth questions about their views on themselves and the world? I’m in! Rachel Martin’s Wild Card podcast is a delight each week, but this episode with author John Green is a stand-out.
🧌 Is there a tiny, apple-stealing breed of monster living in Pennsylvania? Maybe! And if this article isn’t enough to fire up your imagination (not to mention plan a road trip), I don’t know what is.
Top (Published) First Line of the Week
Abe Winter awoke less than rested, autumnal sunlight puddling on his wife’s empty side of the bed as he eased himself upright and swung his feet into his waiting slippers.
From The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison
Grab it on Bookshop.org (and support local bookstores!)
Grab it on Amazon
Very important question: How do you mark your spot in a print book? |
P.S.
“Yeah, I want to do it…but I’m so busy right now. I’ll get to it later.” Sound familiar? Join the club. But if you’re putting off something that matters, it might be worth asking yourself, “If not now, when?” In fact, here’s a podcast episode to help you think it though. Enjoy!
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