Category: writing prompts

23 March 2023

Thursday 23 Mar 2023: A glorious day

I woke up to a glorious day yesterday. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, next door had washing blowing on the line, and Rufus wanted to just sit on the lawn or roll on his ‘fetch’. When I made breakfast, I took it, my cup of tea, my phone and my tablet into the conservatory, which was boiling...

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1 March 2023

Wednesday 1 Mar 2023: Hello March + Writing prompts

We had a bit of a struggle getting to the show on Monday night. We’d timed it really well and knew that if we left the house at 5:30pm, we’d have time to drive to Meadowhall, have something to eat, catch the train, and walk to the theatre, all in good time. So, we made it to Pizza Express and...

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15 February 2023

Wednesday 15 Feb 2023: Unexpected day off + Writing prompts

I seem to have inadvertently taken a day off yesterday. I worked late Monday night to submit Part 3 of the ghostwriting job and finished at 2:30am Tuesday morning. That, of course, meant that I slept in on Tuesday and didn’t surface until very late. Nevertheless, the plan was still to get going on Part 4 and to do some...

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8 February 2023

Wednesday 8 Feb 2023: Almost clear + Writing prompts

I caught up on some date work over the weekend and now I’ve had time to let some of the ideas percolate, I came back to it yesterday morning and chose a few I might have a go at for May. The first job of the day was to revisit all of the ideas and colour-code the ones I’ve chosen...

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25 January 2023

Wednesday 25 Jan 2023: Date work + Writing prompts

The Scrivener/Save the Cat webinar wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but it was a free seminar and there was still some useful stuff in there. I just would have liked to see more about how to use Save the Cat with Scrivener rather than a whistle-stop overview of Save the Cat.  Date work Because of a request I received...

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1 June 2022

Writing Prompts: 1 June 2022

I try to work roughly 4 months ahead because the majority of my writing markets are quick to take work from me and publish it. Many markets, however, already have their content planned for up to a year. Quicker writers than me will also be able to churn out an entire book — or more than one — in time to hit the market...

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30 March 2022

Writing Prompts: 30 March 2022

Wednesday Writing Prompts are back, but renamed simply Writing Prompts. This is so I don’t feel obliged to do one every week, especially when I’m snowed under doing other, paying work. Six months away Personally, I try to work roughly 6 months ahead because the majority of my writing markets are quick to take work from me and publish it....

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23 March 2022

Writing Prompts: 23 March 2022

Wednesday Writing Prompts are back, but renamed simply Writing Prompts. This is so I don’t feel obliged to do one every week, especially when I’m snowed under doing other, paying work. Six months away Personally, I try to work roughly 6 months ahead because the majority of my writing markets are quick to take work from me and publish it....

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16 March 2022

Writing Prompts: 16 March 2022

Wednesday Writing Prompts are back, but renamed simply Writing Prompts. This is so I don’t feel obliged to do one every week, especially when I’m snowed under doing other, paying work. Six months away Personally, I try to work roughly 6 months ahead because the majority of my writing markets are quick to take work from me and publish it....

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5 January 2022

Writers’ ideas: where to find them

Wednesdays will be regular weekly writing prompts again soon, but as I haven’t had chance yet to search any dates, here’s a connected post I made earlier… Ideas are all around, but how do you capture them? In the next week few weeks, I’ll be kickstarting my weekly writing prompts. Before then, and by popular demand, I’m going to start...

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1 September 2021

Wednesday writing prompts

(Image by JohnNico from Pixabay) I’m away this week, but here’s one I prepared earlier. Short and sweet once again, but here are this week’s writing prompts. The Swallow Sidecar Company One hundred years ago next year, on 4 September 1922, William Walmsley and William Lyons founded the Swallow Sidecar Company in Blackpool. It was later to become Jaguar Cars. What can you find...

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25 August 2021

Wednesday writing prompts

I missed another week, so here is another list of dates, this time for the second half of the month, for you to research and brainstorm for yourselves. Choose a topical date or an evergreen, and consider writing an article, a short story, or something longer. There’s time, after all. 16 August Twenty years ago next year, on 16 August...

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11 August 2021

Wednesday writing prompts

8 August is International Cat Day (Image by Pexels from Pixabay) I missed last week, so here is a list of dates for the first half of the month for you to research and brainstorm for yourselves. Choose a topical date or an evergreen, and consider writing an article, a short story, or something longer. There’s time, after all. 1...

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28 July 2021

Wednesday writing prompts

007 meets Queen Elizabeth II Ten years ago next year, on 27 July 2012, secret agent James Bond escorted Queen Elizabeth II to the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. It was such a scoop getting both Her Majesty and 007 together. The organisers must have been so proud of themselves. What do you think would happen if a secret...

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21 July 2021

Wednesday writing prompts

Image by Lee Sommers from Pixabay Commercial whaling ban Forty years ago next year, on 23 July 1982, the International Whaling Commission voted for a total ban on commercial whaling from 1985. How did that go? How long did it last? Is it still in place? What was the background behind the ban? You could approach this topic in several...

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14 July 2021

Wednesday writing prompts

Image by Barbara Dougherty from Pixabay I’m a bit flat out this week, so I only have the prompts for you with just a few suggestions. 1st expedition to the South Pole One hundred and fifty years ago next year, on 16 July 1872, Norwegian Roald Amundsen led the first expedition to the South Pole. What can you find out...

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7 July 2021

Wednesday Writing Prompts

Image by MasterTux from Pixabay Each of this week’s writing ideas is linked to another one, so here, for a change, are three pairs. Roswell incident + Roswell broadcast Seventy-five years ago next year, on 7 July 1947, there was alleged to have been a UFO (unidentified flying object) incident in Roswell, New Mexico. The following day, on 8 July 1947, reports...

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30 June 2021

Wednesday Writing Prompts

Image by Gerhard G. from Pixabay Up, up and away Here are two ideas that sort of come under the same umbrella. Forty years ago next year, on 2 July 1982, a chap by the name of Larry Walters apparently attached 42 helium balloons to a patio (lawn) chair and rose to 16,000 feet during a 45-minute (illegal) flight. Twenty...

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23 June 2021

Wednesday Writing Prompts

Image by lucatelles from Pixabay The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau Twenty-five years ago next year, on 25 June 1997, marine conservationist and legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau died at the age of 87. I remember watching The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau on the telly, and also I remember that he had something to do with the whales in the St...

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16 June 2021

Wednesday Writing Prompts

Image by Terri Stalons from Pixabay The Falklands Conflict Forty years ago next year, on 14 June 1982, The Falklands War ended. I’m old enough to remember when the Falklands War broke out and when it ended. I personally believe that had it not been for this conflict, our then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, would have been overthrown a lot...

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9 June 2021

Wednesday Writing Prompts

Image by Flybynight from Pixabay Choose one of the topics, and then brainstorm. Fiction and non-fiction, topical but no evergreens this time. Judy Garland One hundred years ago next year, on 10 June 1922, Judy Garland was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Her real name was Frances Gumm. She died only 47 years later in London. What can you find...

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3 June 2021

Wednesday Writing Prompts (on Thursday)

Image by waldiwkl from Pixabay I’m a day late this week but, hey, better late than never. Choose one of the topics, and then brainstorm. Fiction and non-fiction; topical and evergreen. The Queen’s platinum jubilee Next year, on 2 June 2022, Queen Elizabeth II will be celebrating her platinum jubilee. Although her coronation did not take place until 2 June...

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26 May 2021

Wednesday Writing Prompts

Image by Nicole Pankalla from Pixabay I skipped a week last week, so here’s a bumper crop for this week. With the new regime, I don’t have a lot of time to go into detail, but I think you have the gist of things by now. Simply choose one of the topics, and then brainstorm. Fiction and non-fiction; topical and...

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12 May 2021

Wednesday Writing Prompts

Image by Alexander Lesnitsky from Pixabay With the new regime, I don’t have a lot of time to go into detail, but I think you have the gist of things by now. Simply choose one of the topics, and then brainstorm. Fiction and non-fiction; topical and evergreen. First wireless telegraph One hundred and twenty-five years ago next year, on 14...

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5 May 2021

Wednesday Writing Prompts

Image by falco from Pixabay With the new regime, I don’t have a lot of time to go into detail, but I think you have the gist of things by now. Simply choose one of the topics, and then brainstorm. Fiction and non-fiction; topical and evergreen. These are all evergreens this week, and there are no November throwaways yet, as...

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28 April 2021

Wednesday Writing Prompts

Image by Dave Francis from Pixabay With the new regime, I don’t have a lot of time to go into detail, but I think you have the gist of things by now. Simply choose one of the topics, and then brainstorm. Fiction and non-fiction; topical and evergreen. May Day This coming Saturday is 1 May. Historically, that’s May Day, and...

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