The Writer’s Playground

Prompts & Exercises to Spark Your Creativity.

The key to improving as a writer is consistent practice and a willingness to try new techniques.

Writing exercises flex your creative muscles, break through blocks, and polish your skills.

Whether a beginner or pro, regular practice takes your craft to new heights.

Here are some prompts to get your creative juices flowing.

Character Creation Challenges

Creating characters is at the heart of great storytelling.

The Stranger on the Bus. You’re on a bus. A stranger sits next to you. Describe them in detail. What are they wearing? How do they smell? What’s their body language like? Go deeper. What’s their backstory? Where are they going? What secrets are they hiding?

The Job Interview. Your character is interviewing for their dream job. What questions do they get asked? How do they respond? This exercise helps you understand your character’s goals, strengths, and weaknesses.

The Time Capsule. Your character finds a time capsule they buried 10 years ago. What’s inside? How do they react to each item? This prompt explores your character’s past and how they’ve changed over time.

Setting the Scene

A well-described setting transports readers into your story world.

The Abandoned Building. Describe an abandoned building in detail. Use all five senses. What does it look like? What sounds do you hear? What smells linger in the air? This exercise helps you create atmosphere and mood.

The Bustling Market. Write about a busy marketplace. Focus on the sights, sounds, and smells. Describe the vendors, the shoppers, the products for sale. This prompt helps you capture the energy of a lively setting.

The Alien Planet. You just landed on an alien planet. What does the landscape look like? What’s the weather like? Are there any strange plants or creatures? This exercise pushes you to think beyond the familiar.

Dialogue Drills

Dialogue can make or break a story.

The Overheard Conversation. Go to a public place and eavesdrop on a conversation. Write it down word for word. Then, improve it. Make it snappier, more interesting, more revealing of the speakers’ personalities.

The Silent Argument. Two characters are having an argument, but they can’t speak. How do they communicate their anger, frustration, or hurt? This exercise focuses on body language and subtext.

The Language Barrier. Two people don’t speak the same language. How do they understand each other? Think about non-verbal communication and the power of gestures.

Plot Twists and Turns

Keep your readers on their toes with unexpected plot developments. Practice your plot-twisting skills.

The Unexpected Inheritance. Your main character inherits a house from a relative they’ve never heard of. There’s a catch. What is it? Practice creating story setups.

The Mistaken Identity. Your character is mistaken for someone else. Who is this person? What trouble does this mix-up cause? Create complications and conflicts in your plot.

The Time Jump. Start your story, then suddenly jump 10 years into the future. What’s changed? How have your characters’ lives been altered? Think about long-term consequences and character development.

Genre-Bending Exercises

Mixing genres leads to fresh and exciting stories.

The Sci-Fi Fairy Tale. Rewrite a classic fairy tale as a science fiction story. How would Little Red Riding Hood play out on a space station? Think creatively about familiar stories.

The Romantic Horror. Write a love story with elements of horror. Maybe your characters fall in love while fighting zombies, or their dream house turns out to be haunted. Balance different tones and themes.

The Historical Fantasy. Pick a historical event and add a fantasy element. What if dragons existed during World War II? How would magic have changed the course of the American Revolution? Blend research with imagination.

Emotional Exploration

Great writing often comes from tapping into deep emotions.

The Happiest Day. Write about the happiest day in your character’s life. What happened? Why was it so joyful? Understand what your character values most.

The Heartbreak. Describe a moment of intense heartbreak or disappointment. How does your character physically react? What thoughts run through their mind? Dig into the nuances of difficult emotions.

The Moral Dilemma. Put your character in a situation where they have to make a moral choice. What do they decide? How do they feel about their decision? Explore your character’s values and inner conflicts.

Character Development Exercises

These exercises help to dig deeper into characters’ personalities, motivations, and backstories.

The Character Interview. Pretend you’re a journalist interviewing one of your characters. Write out 10–15 questions to ask them, then answer in their voice. Go beyond basic facts. Ask about their hopes, fears, regrets, and dreams. Understand your character’s inner voice.

The Childhood Memory. Write a childhood memory from your character’s perspective. What happened? How old were they? How did it make them feel? How has this memory shaped who they are today? Add depth to your character’s backstory and explain their current motivations and behaviors.

The Secret Diary. Write a diary entry from your character’s point of view. What do they reveal when no one is looking? What secrets or insecurities do they keep hidden from others? Tap into your character’s private thoughts.

The “What If?” Scenario. Take your character out of their usual setting and put them in an unexpected situation. How would they react if they won the lottery? Got stranded on a deserted island? Woke up with superpowers? Understand how your character behaves in unfamiliar circumstances.

The Character Collage. Create a visual representation of your character by making a collage. Cut out images from magazines that represent their appearance, interests, goals, and personality. Visualize your character and spark new ideas about their traits.

Descriptive Writing Exercises

Sensory details bring your writing to life. Paint pictures with words.

The Sense Walk. Take a short walk. Focus on all five senses to describe your surroundings. What do you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste? Write detailed notes about your observations. Write immersive descriptions.

The Object Biography. Choose an ordinary object in your home. Write its life story, from manufacture to present day. Where has it been? Who has owned it? What has it witnessed? Look at everyday items in a creative way.

The Mood Piece. Pick an emotion (joy, fear, loneliness, etc.) and describe a setting that evokes that feeling without explicitly naming the emotion. Use sensory details and figurative language to create the mood. Practice “showing” rather than “telling” in your writing.

The Color Palette. Choose three colors. Write a descriptive paragraph or short scene using only those colors. Create a vivid picture with a limited palette. Be creative with your descriptive language.

The Zoom Lens. Describe a scene, starting with a wide view and gradually zooming in on smaller and smaller details. Start with a cityscape, then focus on one building, then one window, then an object visible through that window. Practice varying the scope of your descriptions.

These exercises focus practice on specific skills while encouraging experimentation. The key to improving as a writer is consistent practice and a willingness to try new techniques.

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