Two New Creative Prompts

Occasionally writers sit in front of the computer with no idea where there story is headed, even if they have a basic outline or synopsis. It's natural to hit a brick wall. It's not always the plot but ideas for varying the setting or thoughts on how to deepen emotion. Sometimes this happens while developing a new proposal for a novel. Authors no their editors and the lines they right for, and they are faced with pleasing themselves and pleasing the people who will pay them to contract their book.

So what do you do?

Exercise works for me. Going for a walk outside or on a treadmill, pedalling my recumbent bike or doing knee bends can sometimes get the blood flowing and ideas come. I've resolved many writing issues while exercising.

But another way sometimes works for writers and I've found two that I want to share with you.
The first is simple, called EyeWire Cards, a small set of flash cards that you can use to stimulate new thoughts. I printed them on matte photo paper so I can cut them into smaller cards to use when I'm at one of those "duh" points. These are not all for writers but even the ones that aren't might stimulate you. http://www.innovationtools.com/pdf/eyewire_cards.pdf

The next Creative Writing Prompts is my favorite. http://creativewritingprompts.com/ The page is a list of numbers into the hundreds and when you place the cursor over a number you will get a prompt. Here are three random samples:

1. You come home and check your phone messages. You get your third message and freeze. Begin your story there.

2. Kristine Pederson and Russell Ebert meet before he inherits money. One of them is killed.

3. Create a story based on the metaphor - "A minute of failure."

These all intrigued me and sent my mind on a journey. I hope you find this prompt helpful, too.