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WRITER'S BLOCK-BUSTERS
Sometimes, writers get stuck and just thinking about writing creates so much mental and emotional stress that every word is effort.
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This is writer's block.
It's okay, writer's block is normal; every writer suffers this torture at some point. If you're looking to break free of this stressful time, or even if you're bored or lacking inspiration, check out the block-buster prompts below.
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Most of the prompts on this page can inspire a range of prose genres and poetry styles. We set the series prompts aside for those who enjoy creating longer works.
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This page is open to any writer with a free Writer's Workout membership. Anyone may use these prompts for their own purposes.
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Please credit The Writer's Workout if one of our prompts inspired a piece you publish.
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Better Writer subscribers may submit their creations as their monthly feedback option.
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We will update this page as often as possible.
Good luck, writer!
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Prose and Poetry
These prompts are in no particular order. You'll find suggestions below each prompt to push you creatively; prose suggestions focus on strengthening the Core Concepts while poetry suggestions target emotional expression.
If something you publish was inspired by a Writer's Workout prompt, please credit our nonprofit organization to help spread the word about this amazing resource.
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Your character’s new home is haunted.
Prose: focus on horror tropes
Poetry: show fear
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Your character finds a magical item in an ordinary place.
Prose: focus on description
Poetry: show wonder
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Your group of adventurers splits up.
Prose: focus on fantasy tropes
Poetry: show anxiety
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Your character explains their family tree to a non-relative.
Prose: focus on a backstory
Poetry: show nostalgia
Add a frenemy
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Your character cooks a special dish.
Prose: focus on show, don't tell
Poetry: show joy
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Your character explores the world from someone else’s point of view.
Prose: focus on out-of-body perspective
Poetry: show compassion
Explore the body-swap trope
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Your character takes something that doesn’t belong to them.
Prose: focus on description
Poetry: show thrill
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Your character is forced to move homes.
Prose: focus on description
Poetry: show despair
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Your character is on the hunt for something specific.
Prose: focus on perspective
Poetry: show longing
Your character explains the story behind their nickname.
Prose: focus on backstory
Poetry: show nostalgia
Your character goes back in time to undo a mistake but makes the future much worse.
Prose: focus on cohesion
Poetry: show defeat
A secret society seeks new members.
Prose: focus on thriller tropes
Poetry: show anticipation
Add the symbols hidden in plain sight trope
Your character creates a companion for themselves.
Prose: focus on dialogue
Poetry: show inner peace
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Your character is immortal and witnessing the final moments of the universe.
Prose: focus on character development
Poetry: show loss
Your character is falsely accused.
Prose: focus on dialogue
Poetry: show fear
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Your character finds or receives a family heirloom with special properties.
Prose: focus on backstory
Poetry: show surprise
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Your character creates an elaborate lie to avoid punishment.
Prose: focus on cohesion
Poetry: show smug
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Your character finds themselves living the same day over again.
Prose: focus on foreshadowing
Poetry: show confusion
Add the frozen clock trope
Your character loses themselves in something they love.
Prose: focus on pacing
Poetry: show love
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Your character attempts to become a costumed superhero.
Prose: focus on thriller tropes
Poetry: show anticipation
Add a rural setting
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Your character must learn a new skill in a short amount of time.
Prose: focus on character development
Poetry: show stress
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Someone from your character’s past delivers an important message.
Prose: focus on backstory
Poetry: show surprise
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Your character wakes up on the opposite side of the world.
Prose: focus on cohesion
Poetry: show wonder
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Write a story about an ordinary trip turning into a fantastic adventure.
Prose: focus on pacing
Poetry: show curiosity
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Your character duels an opponent to the death.
Prose: focus on pacing
Poetry: show pride
Your character makes their last creative work.
Prose: focus on character development
Poetry: show reminiscence
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Your character gets a raise at work but it’s less than they feel they deserve.
Prose: focus on perspective
Poetry: show anger
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Your character fixes something they broke.
Prose: focus on cohesion
Poetry: show panic
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What happened outside the frame when the photographer snapped the shot?
Prose: focus on show, don’t tell
Poetry: show surprise
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Your character writes a letter to someone they know.
Prose: focus on perspective
Poetry: show awe
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Your character dies but the afterlife doesn’t live up to the hype.
Prose: focus on description
Poetry: show frustration
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Write a story about a tree.
Prose: focus on description
Poetry: show peace
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Two of your character’s friends are fighting.
Prose: focus on pacing
Poetry: show annoyance
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Your character discovers a strength they didn’t know they had.
Prose: focus on character development
Poetry: show empowerment
Add the antihero character archetype
Your character has a huge ego and falls from grace.
Prose: focus on show, don’t tell
Poetry: show sorrow
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Your character finds a strange object.
Prose: focus on foreshadowing
Poetry: show curiosity
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After years apart, you character is reintroduced to someone from their past.
Prose: focus on dialogue
Poetry: show nostalgia
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Your character wins a very large prize.
Prose: focus on foreshadowing
Poetry: show shock
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Your character finds out they can become invisible.
Prose: focus on show, don't tell
Poetry: show wonder
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Your character starts a new job.
Prose: focus on dialogue
Poetry: show intimidation
Add a high-level responsibility position
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Series Prompts: novellas
If longer works are more your speed, check out these novella-length prompt series. Each prompt in the series is designed to inspire a scene or small section of a longer work. The prompts fit together in various orders to create a unique story each time.
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Links open a Google Doc; genre definitions are just suggestions.
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Looking for even more prompt series? Click here.
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