Write Something New Today: It's a Sign
Story starters, WIP-nudgers & idea generators
I keep taking pictures of things like this:
and this:
and my favourite:
Clearly I’m drawn to a particular kind of sign… Which probably says more about me than I care to investigate right now — but more importantly, it gave me inspiration for a writing prompt. Or five.
It’s a sign!
What used to be written on the empty signs above? A welcome? A wayfinder? A warning?
Your character sees the ‘call in sick’ sign. What do they do?
Write about a strange/significant moment in your life that could be interpreted as a ‘sign’
What happens after you pass this sign?
Think about a story-in-progress — is there a crucial turning point or moment of realisation for your protagonist? And is there a subtle ‘sign’ that could come earlier on in the story that predicts or foreshadows this?
Try one (or five of the ideas above and see where they take your writing. Maybe they’ll spark off a brand new idea; maybe they’ll help you develop an existing work-in-progress; or maybe they’ll just serve as a short session of writing practice.
I like to think of writing exercises and prompts as a way to build muscle memory, and they work best for me when I approach them with no particular purpose in mind. A bit like practising an instrument — it’s not always about sounding good, but it needs to be done if you’re gonna get there...
So take this as a sign to turn off the try-hard perfectionist side of your brain for a moment and just… write for the sake of writing.