Writing Prompts
Consider the basics.
Once you have a topic, take a minute or two to remember the details of the story you want to write. Considering these fundamentals should refresh your memory enough to sit down and write what you remember.
Who
Who are the people in your story?
Just you? Friends, family, strangers?
What
What happened? A trip somewhere? A hurricane? What are the important details?
Where
Where did it happen? New York, London, Mogadishu? What are the details?
When
When did it happen? What year?
What time of day?
Why
Why is this important to you?
Why do you want to share this story?
How
How did it look? How did it feel?
Cold, hot, crowded, dangerous, safe, cozy?
Ready to share your story?
Sample Story
WHO: I was 28.
WHERE: I worked in the City and lived in an apartment building on a high floor.
WHEN: It was the middle of March 2020.
WHAT: Suddenly, COVID was everywhere, and the City was mostly shut down. I couldn't go to work; I didn't want to get in the elevator in my apartment building because we were warned to keep six feet away from other people. So, I decided to move to the country to my mother's house. I had to find new ways to do so many things. We ordered groceries online. I had to find new ways to make a living. Because we were in the country, we could take long walks outside which made life much more tolerable during 'lockdown'. My sister stayed in the city with our elderly grandmother who was in danger from COVID because of her age. They didn't leave their apartment for nearly three months.
WHY: Life was turned upside down. Restaurants were closed, kids couldn't go to school, masks were required everywhere, and we were afraid of being close to anyone.
HOW: The streets were quiet; the shops and restaurants were closed. People put hearts outside of their houses, and, in some places, people would ring bells or bang on pots at the same time every day to say thank you to healthcare workers and those who worked in 'front line' places like grocery stores and pharmacies. When some businesses began to open, plastic barriers were placed to protect customers from workers, marks were on the floor to direct traffic to keep people from getting close to each other, masks were required, and air purifiers were everywhere. In the early Spring of 2021, vaccines began to be available, and things began to open up a little bit. It was hard to believe that we were experiencing this strange new way of life and could never have imagined it could last as long as it did. Nearly three years later, COVID is still a worry.
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