#Creative writing exercises

[andromeda4004]

Thanks for the tag @sabotage-on-mercury!

Rules: In a new post, show the last line you wrote and tag as many people as there are words (or as many as you like)

Conveniently, I was in a writers' workshop this afternoon, and the last thing I wrote was a response to this quote from Harry Winston, "People will stare. Make it worth their while."

Sometimes it's nice to get the attention though. I put effort into this. I spent time and money and thought on getting this look, creating this image, becoming this version of me that you see here. So yes, please stare; you owe me that. You can clap, too, if you feel like it.

I appreciate the encouragement to share! Tags without pressure, if you'd like to join in: @afrenchwriter, @aracloptia, @tawnyontumblr, @adverbian, @voluptatiscausa, @malachitegrey, @carry-the-sky, @homemadeapplecider, @copperplatebeech

[angela-yuriko-smith]

Unleash Your Creativity: Top Writing Techniques for Unstoppable Storytelling

By following these top writing techniques, you can unleash your creativity and become a successful storyteller. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, these tips are sure to help you reach your writing goals and produce captivating stories

As a writer, the goal is to create stories that captivate and engage readers, leading to a wider audience and greater impact. But where do you start? With so many writing techniques and styles, it can be difficult to know what works best. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top writing techniques used by successful writers to unleash their creativity and produce unforgettable works of…

[docescene]

List of Types of Kisses

This list is divided by category, kiss type, emotion conveyed, and description. You can do whatever you want with this information.

More prompts!

Location

[BELLY KISS] Love, care: a gesture of affection and protection;

[CHEEK KISS] Respect, affection: gesture of greeting, friendship, or affection;

[CHIN KISS] Passion, desire: an intimate and sensual gesture.

[EAR KISS] Desire, intimacy: a sensual and provocative gesture;

[EYELID KISS] Love, affection: a delicate and romantic gesture;

[FOOT KISS] Adoration, devotion: a gesture of submission or adoration.

[FOREHEAD KISS] Love, care, comfort: a gesture of affection, protection, and tenderness;

[HAIR KISS] Affection, tenderness: a gesture of affection and care.

[HAND KISS] Admiration, reverence: a gesture of respect and admiration;

[KNEE KISS] Passion, desire: an intimate and sensual gesture;

[MOUTH KISS] Passion, love, desire: the most common, can vary in intensity and technique;

[NECK KISS] Desire, passion: a sensual and provocative gesture;

[NOSE KISS] Affection, complicity: a gesture of affection and intimacy;

[SHOULDER KISS] Passion, desire: an intimate and sensual gesture;

Intensity

[CHASTEN KISS] Friendship, affection: a light touch on the lips, expressing affection and friendship;

[OVERWHELMING KISS] Passion, desire: a strong and urgent kiss, expressing intense passion;

[PASSIONATE KISS] Passion, love: an intense and desire-filled kiss, with tongue and light bites;

[SHY KISS] Insecurity, desire: a hesitant and delicate kiss, expressing insecurity and desire.

Type

[CINEMATIC KISS] Romance, idealization: a long and passionate kiss, idealized in movies;

[BUTTERFLY KISS] Romanticism, delicacy: kissing with eyelashes, expressing delicacy;

[ESKIMO KISS] Affection, friendship: rubbing noses, a gesture of affection in cold cultures;

[FISH KISS] Sensuality: kissing with lips slightly open;

[FRENCH KISS] Passion, desire: exchange of saliva and tongue movements;

[INVERTED KISS] Passion, adventure: kissing with bodies inverted, like in Spider-Man;

[LIZARD KISS] Sensuality, playfulness: licking the other person's lips;

[PECK] Friendship, affection: a quick and light touch of the lips;

[VAMPIRE KISS] Sensuality, mystery: kissing the neck with a slight suck.

Context

[APOLOGY KISS] Regret, forgiveness: expressing regret and seeking reconciliation;

[COMFORT KISS] Compassion, comfort: expressing compassion and comfort;

[FAREWELL KISS] Longing, hope: expressing longing and hope for reunion;

[THANK-YOU KISS] Gratitude, recognition: expressing gratitude;

[WELCOME KISS] Joy, happiness: expressing happiness at seeing someone.

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Date Mishaps

a misunderstanding about where they would be meeting, so both are waiting at a different location

a last minute emergency means they have to bring someone else with them on the date (e.g. child, little sibling, pet)

they were absolutely not dressed for the weather and end up getting completely wet in the rain

one of their phones is dead and they can't reach each other

even though they had reservations, the restaurant is closed

one of them gets hurt on the date, which makes them end up in the ER

they met online without a proper picture of each other and they keep missing each other at the bar, not able to find out who their actual date is

the waiter was supposed to bring a dessert with an engagement ring to the table next to them but brings it to them and now the awkwardness has reached new heights

they are doing speed dating, but unfortunately they already know each person of the other sex that is there

a date on a boat is nice until a swan attacks and someone falls into the water

they are both not local and they keep getting lost

their boss/parents/friends are also on a date in the same restaurant

one of them gets called back into work for an emergency and their date insists to walk them there

they thought they would have a date with someone else and are confused by who actually shows up

More: Date Gone Wrong

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[inkskinned]

i love when words fit right. seize was always supposed to be that word, and so was jester. tuesday isn't quite right but thursday should be thursday, that's a good word for it. daisy has the perfect shape to it, almost like you're laughing when you say it; and tulip is correct most of the time. while keynote is fun to say, it's super wrong - i think they have to change the label for that one. but fox is spot-on.

most words are just, like, good enough, even if what they are describing is lovely. the night sky is a fine term for it but it isn't perfect the way november is the correct term for that month.

it's not just in english because in spanish the phrase eso si que es is correct, it should be that. sometimes other languages are also better than the english words, like how blue is sloped too far downwards but azul is perfect and hangs in the air like glitter. while butterfly is sweet, i think probably papillion is more correct, although for some butterflies féileacán is much better. year is fine but bliain is better. sometimes multiple languages got it right though, like how jueves and Πέμπτη are also the right names for thursday. maybe we as a species are just really good at naming thursdays.

and if we were really bored and had a moment and a picnic to split we could all sit down for a moment and sort out all the words that exist and find all the perfect words in every language. i would show you that while i like the word tree (it makes you smile to say it), i think arbor is correct. you could teach me from your language what words fit the right way, and that would be very exciting (exciting is not correct, it's just fine).

i think probably this is what was happening at the tower of babel, before the languages all got shifted across the world and smudged by the hand of god. by the way, hand isn't quite right, but i do like that the word god is only 3 letters, and that it is shaped like it is reflecting into itself, and that it kind of makes your mouth move into an echoing chapel when you cluck it. but the word god could also fit really well with a coathanger, and i can't explain that. i think donut has (weirdly) the same shape as a toothbrush, but we really got bagel right and i am really grateful for that.

grateful is close, but not like thunder. hopefully one day i am going to figure out how to shape the way i love my friends into a little ceramic (ceramic is very good, almost perfect) pot and when they hold it they can feel the weight of my care for them. they can put a plant in there. maybe a daisy.

[angstober]

Welcome to another year of Angstober! We're delighted to unveil the prompts for this year of angsty, spooky fun.

What is Angstober?

Angstober is a yearly October challenge with 31 angst-themed prompts to inspire you to create. The challenge is open to all sorts of creative work - writing, art, edits, whatever you want - in whatever medium you want. Original work or fanworks? Whatever you feel inspired for!

How do I take part?

Tag your works with #angstober2024 and the day of the prompt (e.g., #day 01) to share on tumblr. Feel free to @ us directly in the post as well! To share your work on AO3, add it to the Angstober 2024 collection.

You can post your works whenever - early or late - and use as many or as few prompts as you feel inspired for! We'll do our best to reblog as many works to the @angstober blog as we can.

Is there a banner to post my work with?

Absolutely!

Anything else?

Nope. Happy Angsting!

2024 Prompt List

Again

2. Countdown

3. Self-Destruction

4. Blood

5. Do Better

6. Medication

7. “You Still Don’t Get It.”

8. Growing Pains

9. Promise

10. Humiliation

11. Wake Up

12. Rotten Touch

13. Shaking

14. Only Around You

15. False Hope

16. No One Else To Turn To

17. “Shhh…”

18. Falling Stars

19. Tear-Stained Cheek

20. Spare Me

21. Abandoned

22. Crocodile Tears

23. Safe/Unsafe

24. Dark Sunrise

25. You’re No Better

26. Persuasion

27. Curled Up

28. Perfect

29. Get Out

30. Nothing Else To Tell You

31. It Ends Here

[me-writes-prompts]

-:"We just got married!" Newlywed Prompts:-

(Tag me if you write these! || requested by: anon(hope you enjoy!) )

By @me-writes-prompts

Their first morning together

^^"Breakfast in bed?" "Oh! you didn't have to do that!" "Of course, I did. I vowed to be the chef in our relationship."

Making each other new playlists

Leaving little love notes around the house for each other before they leave for work

Surprise dates

Going shopping together for the first time after being married

^^"I should've known you married me for my money :(" "Oh shush! I'll pay next time, promise!" They don't.

They decide to adopt a pet to celebrate!

Now that they're married, they can workout together(and make fun of their partner's stamina)

"We need to get a bigger place, don't we?" "Yeah, seems like it." They say when they see how much stuff their partner has.

Rewatching their favorite show together

Decorating their first christmas tree

[scealaiscoite]

⋆˚࿔ prompt sets of three 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

write a piece featuring - in any capacity you can think of - all three things depicted in the given prompt!

¹⁾ a polka-dot bikini, a throw blanket and a pint glass

²⁾ a sliotar, a flat tire and a thunderstorm

³⁾ a teakettle, a fresh bruise and rosewater

⁴⁾ a chipped enamel bathtub, a blue sweater and basil leaves

⁵⁾ howling gale winds, an inflatable paddling pool and an oil lamp

⁶⁾ a fresh buzzcut, pink bubblegum and rolling tobacco

⁷⁾ gas station bandaids, a cellophane-wrapped bouquet and muddy footprints

⁸⁾ a lipstick print, skinned knees and stained-glass windows

⁹⁾ a busted streetlight, green olives and a teak countertop

¹⁰⁾ gun oil, red lace and an old armchair

¹¹⁾ a fresh tattoo, a sacristy, and guilt

¹²⁾ a corner booth, sweet patchouli and a wallet

¹³⁾ donuts, orange juice and a jail cell

¹⁴⁾ a cold red bull, shaking hands and broken traffic lights

¹⁵⁾ new graves, a busted headlight and silver rings

¹⁶⁾ handcuffs, brightly coloured building blocks and fir trees

¹⁷⁾ a shortwave radio, takeout containers and a bare lightbulb

¹⁸⁾ broken windows, waist-high grasses and lit matches

¹⁹⁾ orange segments, divorce papers and a front porch

²⁰⁾ horror movies, steaming showers and cold bedsheets

²¹⁾ brazilian lemonade, a split lip and daisy chains

²²⁾ a red convertible, a priest’s collar and dogtags

²³⁾ a corner office, parking tickets and greyhound races

²⁴⁾ bitten lips, army fatigues, and coca-cola

²⁵⁾ old wives’ tales, creaky stairs and cherry lipgloss

²⁶⁾ smooth whiskey, greying hair and warm hands

²⁷⁾ hospital food, full moons and a reconciliation

²⁸⁾ exes, candy wrappers and a twin bed

²⁹⁾ a rural motel, a pocket knife and iodine

³⁰⁾ a dirty martini, a dressing gown and blood under fingernails

³¹⁾ slept-in braids, a lamplit office and an explosion

³²⁾ blueberry pancakes, a restraining order and the taste of rum off someone’s lips

³³⁾ farmers’ market peaches, burnt coffee and houseplants

³⁴⁾ a late text, faded jeans and lightning strikes

³⁶⁾ desert air, zinnias and chocolates

³⁷⁾ an old truck, freshly turned earth and a tv dinner

³⁸⁾ wedding rings, wildfire and wrought iron gates

³⁹⁾ a hostage situation, evergreen trees and a pierced tongue

⁴⁰⁾ unripe strawberries, bitter wine and a kitchen table

⁴¹⁾ a head laid down in a lap, green tea and a break news announcement

⁴²⁾ a fire alarm, a flower-patterened apron and an ajar kitchen window

⁴³⁾ a jar of jam, two shots of vodka and a stack of car manuals

⁴⁴⁾ techno music at 4am, knitted jumpers and a broken watch

⁴⁵⁾ a green silk scarf, a pan of burnt food and the trunk of a car

⁴⁶⁾ bound hands, a crescent moon and laughter

⁴⁷⁾ a winter coat, a heatwave and fresh mangos

⁴⁸⁾ a thrift store sofa, a highrise apartment building and creaking floorboards

⁴⁹⁾ missing teeth, a house half covered in ivy and cheap beer

⁵⁰⁾ undeveloped camera film, stomach kisses and cigarette smoke

[deerspherestudios]

If anyone's wondering how the new VN for the Monstrous Desires jam is going,,

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Exploring your Setting

(Excerpted from the Young Novelist Workbook) ⚜ Basics: Setting

PART 1: Settings That Create Moods

Mood - the feeling of your novel; its emotional quality.

You can also think of the mood as how you want someone to feel while reading your novel. 

Examples: playful, serious, mysterious, tense, warm, dangerous, joyous

The setting of a novel - where and when the story takes place. As you know, most novels have more than one setting.

Usually, the author decides to have one large setting.

Example: Los Angeles in 1995

and then many smaller settings

Examples: The laundromat where the characters hang out on the weekends, or the classroom where they get in a fight

Settings do more than serve as a backdrop to the action in your novel. They can also create or enhance the mood of your novel. 

Example

If you wanted to create a creepy mood for a scene in your novel, you could start with something like: 

"A dead tree stood alone in a dark field. Its branches creaked in a cold wind, and in the distance, something howled.”

These images remind us of dark, disturbing things, and show the reader that the scene of the novel is “creepy” without having to tell them directly.

Describing the Setting: A Sample Exercise

Describe the settings that would help create each of the moods listed below.

Try to write 2 or 3 sentences for each mood.

Include specific details about the sights, sounds, sensations (and maybe even smells) of the settings you choose:

Creepy, Joyous, Suspenseful/tense

Now make up 2-3 of your own moods and describe a setting that would go along with each one. 

The last step is to apply your new skills to your upcoming novel.

Think of a scene from each section of your novel.

Then, write or list details to describe a setting that will help create the right mood for each scene.

Example: You might set your climax on the edge of a crumbling cliff at sunset in the middle of a thunderstorm. 

A setting from your set-up:

A setting from your inciting incident:

A setting from your rising action:

A setting from your climax:

A setting from your falling action:

A setting from your resolution:

Now you have settings to enhance the different moods that will be in your novel.

PART 2: Settings That Reinforce Characters

Another advanced writing trick is to show things about your characters just by putting them in specific settings.

Examples: If you were writing about a mysterious person, you might place them in a dark mansion on a hill outside of town; if you were writing about a musician, you might place them in a messy room filled with instruments, speakers, and microphones.

Sample Exercise

For each of the following characters, try to come up with a setting that will reflect or reinforce what you imagine about them.

As you write, try to be as detailed as possible.

Don’t forget colors, sounds, and even smells.

Focus on where the character is.

The shy new kid in town:

A secret scientist superhero:

A character from your novel:

Another character from your novel:

Source ⚜ Writing Notes & References ⚜ On Setting

[morallysuperiorlips]

Oddly Specific Romance Prompts Vol. 1: Under Protection

"You're in danger. Please let me protect you."

"I'll be there at 9:20. Out front, in my car. Do not leave the building until then, understand?"

"If anything else happens, you call me immediately, okay?"

"You're under my protection, and that includes sustenance. What do you want to eat?"

"If anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do. But it sure as hell wouldn't be anything good."

"I don't know what to do." "It's okay. I've got you, and you're safe."

"Would you feel safer if you slept with me tonight?"

"I'm going to get you out of here, but you need to hang onto me."

"Why are you so dead set on protecting me?" "I don't know. It's my job, it's what I was born to do, I might be slightly in love with you." "But--wait, what?"

"I'm not really used to this 'protection' thing." "Well, you better work on that. I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

"Am I allowed to be in love with the person protecting me?" "It's not standard, but it's definitely welcome."

"Stay here." "But--" "I don't want to hear it. You scared the shit out of me last time, and I'm not letting you do it again."

"You can't protect me from everything, [NAME]. This world is fucked." "You're right. But I sure as hell am going to try."

"Why are you here?" "You needed help. So I'm here to help you."

[prompt-heaven]

100 different AUs

academic au

alien au

alpha/beta/omega au

amnesia au

apocalypse au

artist au

arranged marriage au

assassin au

athlete au

babysitter/nanny au

bakery au

bartender au

billionaire au

bodyguard au

bodyswap au

bookstore au

bounty hunter au

brother's best friend/dad's best friend au

camgirl au

camp counselor au

chef au

circus au

coffee shop au

cowboy au

cult au

dark au

deserted island au

dog walker au

dystopian au

enemies to lovers/rivals au

fairy tale au

fake relationship au

fantasy au

farm au

firefighter au

fisherman au

flower shop au

friends with benefits au

ghost au

grocery store au

guardian angel au

haunted house au

historical au

hitchhiker au

holiday au

hospital au

hunter/prey au

kidnapping au

law enforcement au

library au

lifeguard au

lumberjack au

mafia/mob au

maid/butler au

magic au

master/slave au

mechanic au

mermaid au

model au

modern au

monster au

mundane au

music store au

neighbour au

office/coworker au

paranormal investigator au

pen pal au

pirate au

prison au

private detective au

reincarnation au

road trip au

rockstar au

roommate au

royalty au

scientist au

sex worker au

single parent au

slasher au

soulmates au

space au

spy au

stalker au

stepcest au

street racer au

sugar daddy au

superhero au

surfer au

tattoo artist au

teacher/professor/tutor au

time travel au

treasure hunter au

undercover au

vampire/werewolf au

veterinarian au

vigilante au

wedding planner au

western au

witch au

yandere au

[love-me-a-good-prompt]

RANDOM DIALOGUE IDEAS #17

Feel free to use any of these dialogue ideas in your writing. Be creative with the context!

"there's something I need to tell you"

"hold me"

"I'll meet you there"

"I've seen this before"

"you can't do that"

"I don't feel that way about you"

"I'm not sure about this"

"it looks great"

"I'll introduce you"

"let's try again"

"I don't like it"

"I want to show you something"

"that wasn't part of the plan"

"I don't know where it is"

"you're better than that"

"there's nothing to worry about"

"I would never do that to you"

"this is important to me"

"I was joking"

"tell me the truth"

[wolvietxt]

⋆𐙚₊˚ grumpy x sunshine prompts!

holding hands: grumpy always insists they’re not the hand-holding type, but sunshine slips their hand into grumpy’s anyway, and despite the grumbling, grumpy’s grip never lets go.

sick day: grumpy catches a cold and insists they're fine, but sunshine shows up with a blanket, soup, and a movie to keep them company, ignoring all of grumpy's protests and making sure they're well cared for.

late-night talk: grumpy can’t sleep and finds sunshine sitting on the porch. instead of going back inside, grumpy sits down too, reluctantly opening up as sunshine listens, not saying much but offering quiet comfort just by being there.

rain-soaked rescue: sunshine gets caught in a downpour, soaked through and shivering, and grumpy rushes out with an umbrella, grumbling about how sunshine should take better care of themselves while wrapping them in a warm jacket.

grumpy’s soft side: sunshine accidentally finds grumpy’s secret stash of cute little things they’ve kept as mementos - like a doodle sunshine made or a pressed flower from a walk they took together. grumpy tries to act embarrassed, but sunshine can see the fondness in their eyes.

[creativepromptsforwriting]

How to create an atmosphere: Supermarket

Sight

advertisements for products

big signs showing discounts

aisles full of colorful products

fresh produce

employees in matching uniforms

all different kinds of costumers

with shopping carts

with children running around

with a stroller or toddlers sitting in the shopping cart

with a service dog by their side

Hearing

the sound of shopping carts being pushed and bumping into shelves

parents calling for their children

people talking on the phone

a man asking his wife if they still have enough toilet paper at home

someone asking the employee where they can find something

music interrupted by announcements about promotions the store is doing

the surring and beeping sound of the cash register belt

the sound of the electronic doors opening and shutting again

Touch

the stickiness of the floors

the differents textures of each item they think about buying

the coldness and often stickiness of the handle of the shopping cart

the sudden wetness from some products that are either fresh produce or where the package is leaking

Smell

the smell of spilled drinks that someone dropped and left for the employees to clean up

the smell of cleaning products from them having to sweep it up

the smell of hand sanitizer

the smell of different products the costumer holds up to their face and smells to decide if they like it

the horrendous smell of deposit machines where you return your not quite empty beer bottles to and the leftover liquid spills everywhere

Taste

different samples offered at the supermarket

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[writing-chats]

loss (description for writers)

"every new death brings back the full weight of those already gone"

they no longer visit the same places, glancing at each reflective surface as though the other would return

they crouch down beside the photo, stroking the frame lightly with a thinly veiled agony

wind brushing their hair over their shoulders, they closed their eyes in remembrance

a cavity had been torn where their heart had been

they stared out into the distance, waiting. waiting for the inevitable silence, waiting for the impossible

their memory forever pervades the deepest parts of their mind

alcohol bottles smashed and upright sit in standstill across the apartment

gulping as they realise they're alone

forever searching a room for them, even if they would never have gone there in the first place

"i wish they were here"

making up excuses for why they left

blaming themselves

long nights accompanied by grief and the momentary glimmer of hope caught through useless introspection

dreaming of them

they re-imagine themselves: apply on makeup, change their appearance, anything to distract themselves from the person who lost

absence haunts them like a ghost; they see it like no one else ever could

fingers grasping at thin air... a fist forming sans softness

a tender kiss on the last sealed envelope they sent

polite addresses to their family/friends, without motivation

subsistence lifestyles

curling around themselves, wrinkling the sheets, on an empty bed

no one to hold them up when they're drunk and alone

calling other people their name then frowning, a sharp pain striking their chest. yet not apologising anyway

"if only you could see me now"

biting into something to quench the sound of their wild unending sobs

a blankness in realisation

staring at a place of their past and realising it would never come back again

talking to walls/themselves pretending it is the other person, spilling all the words and secrets they had not told