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- August 17, 2025 Writing Prompts for the Week
August 17, 2025 Writing Prompts for the Week
Happy Sunday! I just got back from a week on the beach with. my best friend and her two little girls. It’s always a good time though, PHEW, vacationing with kids is no joke. 😅
Part of why I enjoy it so much (aside from creating lasting memories) is that it’s become a nice punctuation mark for the end of summer. Yes, it’s not quite over, but our Cape Cod trip always means that summer is winding down. It celebrates summer and it begins the transition to fall.
Do you have a similar ritual? Maybe something you hadn’t even realized has become a ritual? Might just make for some good writing fodder this week…
In the meantime, prompts!
This Week’s Prompts*
Describe how an elephant and her circus trainer interact with each other when learning/training a new trick.
Frogs make terrible friends.
"No: Take a moment and really breathe all of this awful stink sink in."
Each of his tattoos reflected one of his former wives.
The boy rubbed his hands together, the sand and sunscreen forming an abrasive paste.
"Toss it higher next time!" he shouted. "You're making it too easy!"
The tent post wobbled as the 21 kids and 3 counselors squeezed in tighter.
*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 False Clue of the Twisted Red Herring’s Footprint by PJ Fitzsimmons
If PG Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster was tasked with solving mysteries, this is exactly how it would read. (This is book 10 in the series, but you won’t miss much no matter where you jump in.) Fitzsimmons clearly delights in puns and wordplay with a Wodehousian homage and though the story does end up taking second in priority, the novels are always a lot of fun.
Grab it on Bookshop.org (they don’t yet have the new one, but here’s the link to the first in the series)
Grab it on Amazon
There’s not much to be said about the period except that most writers don’t reach it soon enough.
Links We Like (And Think You Will, Too)
✒️ Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” is a classic in the creativity/get-yourself-writing genre. And while it might be tricky to get to a workshop with her in person, the Kripalu Center can make it happen for you online this Wednesday, the 20th.
🤖 Wondering how AI is affecting creative writing students? Here’s an article from a creative writing teacher offering some insight.
🇬🇧 I particularly love writing while listening to soundtracks (so much more interesting than just binaural beats!), and I’ve found British dramas to be among the cream of the crop. Here’s a playlist to test them out for yourself.
Top (Published) First Line of the Week
The first time, the intention was simply to find a place that was quiet, but not somnolent.
From One Boat by Jonathan Buckley
Grab it on Amazon
How important to you are the names of the characters in the books you read? |
P.S.
Interested in making a living as a writer? I guarantee that it’s much more possible and plausible than you think! Here are 35 tips for landing copywriting clients and it’s a great way to dig in and learn more about marketing and advertising writing.
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