Invent a new tarot card and describe its appearance and meaning.
Prompt #18
Write your own obituary. Don't bother with how you died, but project yourself into the future and reflect on how you lived. (This prompt is borrowed from writing coach Ann Kroeker. You should check her out!)
Prompt #17
Create a cryptid or urban legend for your hometown (or a place that's meaningful and familiar to you). Consider the elements that go into a memorable urban legend... What makes a story intriguing? What degree of plausibility is needed? What aspect of your town would make an ideal setting for such a myth?
Prompt #16
Write a scene from the perspective of a blind person on a blind date.
Prompt #15
Write a tense scene that takes place around a dining room table.
Prompt #14
Write a scene that you want to happen in your life in 2017.
Prompt #13
If "luck" were a person, what would they be like? (Mentioning Andrew Luck is cheating, Hoosiers.)
Prompt #12
Describe the sensations of a particular emotion without naming it. Can we guess what the emotion is from the physiological description?
Prompt #11
Write a letter to someone you haven't seen in a while, and might never see again. Talk directly to them. Maybe it's a childhood friend that moved, or a stranger you briefly met at a gas station. Why do you remember them? What would you like to say to them?
Prompt #10
Write a short horror story set in a laundromat.
Prompt #9
This one's for the folks doing NaNo or otherwise working on a novel. How might your protagonist be blackmailed? By whom? And how would your protag react?
Prompt #8
Using only dialogue, depict a relationship between two characters. Bonus points for conflict between them.
Prompt #7
Create a character you would absolutely not get along with. Introduce him/her in a brief scene.
Prompt #6
Halloween may be over, but I sure haven't let go of its spirit yet. Design a monster based on a childhood (or current) fear of yours.
Prompt #5
Write a back cover summary for a book that doesn't exist. This could be something you want to write, are currently writing, or something you wish you could read.
Prompt #4
Create an unusual mechanic. What traits would make this person unusual in his or her position? Give the character a brief introductory scene in the shop.
Prompt #3
Typical familiars for witches include cats, owls, toads, and other nocturnal or spooky creatures. Describe an unusual familiar and the sort of witch to which it might belong. Think about what purpose the familiar would serve to its master.
Prompt #2
While you're out and about, pick a person and imagine their favorite food. Be specific about why this particular food is their favorite. If you don't go out and about (or there's an apocalypse on and you don't see many strangers), choose a character from the most recent book or movie you've read or seen and do the same thing. It's cheating if you know their favorite food, so don't do that. Rude.
Prompt #1
Describe yourself as a protagonist. If another character or narrator encountered you, how would they depict you? What setting would you likely be in?