Prompt: What’s the Backstory?

As you walk to the bus stop, you encounter a woman sitting crumpled and sobbing on the sidewalk. What happened? Write the conversation that led to her breakdown. This was a scene that actually unfolded in front of me when I was in college. I was waiting for my bus in Harvard Square, and a woman walked into the street and just crumbled. I don’t think I’ll ever forget those five minutes. If you want to...

Visual Prompt: The Table

Use the photo above as a writing prompt. Take 10-20 minutes and write a scene, poem, piece of dialogue or anything that comes to mind. The idea is to write freely without editing. Just let yourself go. If you’re having trouble getting started, ask yourself questions to dig for details. Who is the table reserved for? What is the location like? Are the people meeting going to talk business or pleasure? What do...

10 Ways to Use the Weekly Flickr Theme

The weekly Flickr theme can be an inspiration tool for creatives of all kinds. Here are just a few quick ideas to get your thoughts flowing. Shoot some new photos that fit the theme. Try to recreate one of the photos, but add your own flavor. Create a piece of artwork based on the theme word or one of the submitted images. Write a scene and include the theme word. Choose one of the submitted photos and write a...