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Writing Warmups and Exercises
- Julian Seyoum
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
Stuck in a rut? Trying to unclog those pipes of inspiration is a job in itself so pick a number between one and thirty. These quick prompts are designed to pull you out of your block so you can fly through your WIP.
Imagine that your favorite animal appeared outside your window. What would it do? What would it see and experience?
Using a page from a story you enjoy, try some blackout poetry!
Write about a day (any day) in your life.
Draw a comic!
Find a random word generator (like this one). Write a story inspired by the words you generate.
Close your eyes and stretch your neck by gently moving your head around. Count to ten, then open your eyes and write about the first thing you see!
Write a poem or flash story about the last food or drink you consumed.
Pick one of your works in progress. In a separate file, kill off the main character, then write about how the others move on without them.
Write a parody of your favorite—or least favorite—story.
Write about your favorite element of nature.
Write a story from the perspective of an insect.
Make a list. It can have a unified topic, or it can be completely random!
Write a hate letter—to anyone or anything—but DON'T SEND IT. Tear it up or delete when you're finished.
Write about the end of the world.
Play a song on loop and see what it inspires.
Eat or drink something, then describe the tastes and textures.
Imagine if you were transported to the last story you read or watched. How would you fit into the world and interact with its characters?
Create a new word, then use it in a sentence. Build a flash or short story around it.
A mythical creature appears in the real world.
Doodle on paper.
Try a collaborative story! Find another person (try our Discord!) to exchange sentences until you have one full story.
Write a song!
Write down your earliest memory. Try to expand upon it.
Imagine your area from a bird’s eye view. Write about it!
Write about the last dream or nightmare that you had.
Write a story with zero punctuation
Write the conclusion of a story first, then work backwards to the introduction.
Write a story only using dialogue.
Write a story utilizing your least favorite trope.
Read a short story, then write yourself into it (this is self-insert fanfiction).
About the author: Julian Seyoum is a current undergraduate at Cornell University, majoring in English. While not attending classes, he resides in upstate New York. Julian enjoys reading and writing speculative fiction, alongside graphic novels and comics. Aside from literature, he enjoys crocheting, acting, singing, and drawing. He is new to the Writer’s Workout, and is very excited to contribute as a Writing Judge! His favorite parts of writing are character creation and worldbuilding.
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