- Write Starts
- Posts
- March 16, 2025 Writing Prompts for the Week
March 16, 2025 Writing Prompts for the Week
In partnership with
Happy Sunday! Here’s a thought experiment for you: How little could you write consistently each day? As in, what would be a small enough amount of writing that you could commit to doing it every single day? 200 words? 100 words? 15 words?
Sure, if you get started and, instead of 15 words you write 20 (or, instead of 200 words you write 250), you’ve gone above and beyond.
But if you can commit to writing even just tiny amount every day, eventually you’ll amass enough writing for a story or a book. You can complete a marathon taking baby steps—as long as you keep taking those steps.
Something to think on. In the meantime, how about some prompts??
This Week’s Prompts*
The ground was frozen, but her heart was on fire…for the first time since 1982.
Burned to the very limits of consumption: just the way he liked it.
Keb's body was lobster-red as she stepped out of the shower, suffused in bliss like a shampoo commercial.
The swish, swish, swish sound was louder than she'd have expected through her closed door.
"And, of course, this is Delroy Grand," she said, gesturing at an oil painting facing a large, glassed in conference room, "He founded this agency 40 years ago."
Write a scene between twins—one is convinced their mother has magical mind-reading powers and the other is not. It's the first thing they've ever disagreed on.
She used to call me Chicken Butt and, for a very long time, I took it as a term of endearment.
*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 Bee Sing by Paul Murray
I’ll admit that I was a touch put off by the length of this book (which is an odd quirk for an avid reader, I know), but this book about an Irish family falling apart in half a dozen different ways is so compelling that it had me turning the digital pages at a rapid clip. In fact, right after I finished, I picked up the writers other (very hefty) novel. It’s interesting, well-written, and, like me, you might find yourself finishing the 600+ pages in a weekend.
Grab it on Bookshop.org (and support local bookstores!)
Grab it on Amazon
If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
Links We Like (And Think You Will, Too)
🙈 Who better to learn about focus from than people who’ve been able to buckle down and get novels written (and published)? This article profiles famous authors and digs into how they avoid distractions and get their writing done.
📉 Ever buy an ebook only to see it on sale for a few bucks a day or two later? (🙋♀️) This website lets you track books and will alert you when prices drop. It’s free; you just have to create an account.
🔥 I’ve been recommending this podcast to everyone I know, so I’m adding you to the list. Dr. Rangan Chatterjee breaks down 7 signs of burnout (including a few I thought were signs of getting over burnout—oops) and 10 habits/tools to help you get out of it.
Top (Published) First Line of the Week
Ellwood was a prefect, so his room that year was a splendid one, with a window that opened onto a strange outcrop of roof.
From In Memoriam by Alice Winn
Grab it on Bookshop.org (and support local bookstores!)
Grab it on Amazon
Would you rather... |
P.S.
If you’re looking for a round up of the best-paying jobs for writers (yes, writers can make good money), then look no further. This article digs into the top three, what job prospects look like, how much you can earn, and how you can get started.
Some links in this email may be affiliate links and we may earn a commission if you purchase through these links. And, should that happen, thank you!