The Shame Shelf Prescription: Writing Prompts for Writer's Block

You want to write a story, but you feel stuck and in need of inspiration? You're staring at a blank document, fingertips poised above the keyboard (or the tip of your pen hovering over the page), and nothing comes to mind?

Then I've got exactly what you will need.

Nothing fixes writer's block more than a prescription of writing prompts.

*

001

Every day, for five minutes, a character involuntarily teleports to an alternate universe with no human imprint.

One day, they spot a deceased loved one during their trip, so they embark on an epic journey to make their time last.

002

"I don't know if I can wait for you. Because a lot of times when we’re apart, I feel this hollowness inside me. And you make me more anxious and upset than happy."

003

Around the corner of the school is a stall that sells different types of bread infused with magic.

If you want to do well on your exam, you buy a croissant of luck. Having a bad day? Ask for the happy cinnamon bun. And if you want your crush to notice you, get the best-selling Cupid's Pretzel.

004

"Sometimes people enter your life for the simple reason of making you a better person. You should cherish that. Even if they don't stay around to witness the change."

005

A world governed by the Golden Rule.

When you commit a crime, your village becomes a hunting ground — and the only goal is to deliver your decapitated head.

But what happens when your partner accidentally kills someone — and you're forced to join the hunt?

006

The men were dressed in expensive suits and matching bow ties, while each woman looked the part in long, sparkly dresses and gold jewellery.

As soon as the outsiders left the restaurant, the conversations ceased, and a woman in a red hat stood up to begin her speech.

Who are these people? And why do they all have a cloud tattooed on their arm?

007

I woke up to the sound of train tracks rattling outside my window. The nearby station had been under maintenance since 1932, but an incident in the late ’30s caused the reconstruction to be put on hold indefinitely.

Confused, I got up and looked out — and there it was: a Victorian railway train, with all its lights on.

008

A woman is found dead in the middle of the woods in a secluded village by the riverside.

When Alyssa finds out that the dead body belongs to a former beauty pageant, she freezes with horror. She can't help but think that this is related to her past when she herself competed in those vile beauty contests...

*

Which one is your favourite? Hopefully, these ideas have kickstarted your imagination. Even if they don't inspire your next novel, I hope they've at least helped as an exercise in thinking outside the box.

If you end up writing a story based on one of the prompts, please let us know in the comments.

Even better, if you'd like our feedback, send us an extract of your draft through the Contact form. We'd be thrilled—honoured, really—to read your stories.