30 Day Writing Challenge: Spark Your Creativity

This challenge offers a mix of prompts to target different writing styles and get your creative juices flowing. 

Each day, pick one prompt, or find a different approach that works for you. Just make time to write each day for 30 days. 

Genre Exploration

* Day 1: Sci-Fi - Write a story set on a distant planet. 

* Day 2: Mystery -  A cryptic note sets a detective on the trail of a missing person. 

* Day 3:  Fairytale -  Reimagine a classic fairytale from the villain's perspective. 

* Day 4:  Romance -  Two strangers meet under unusual circumstances. 

* Day 5:  Horror -  A group of friends explores a local legend, only to discover a chilling truth. 

* Day 6:  Fantasy -  A hidden door leads to a magical world. 

* Day 7:  Historical Fiction -  Write a diary entry from the perspective of a historical figure. 

* Day 8:  Dystopian -  In a world with limited resources, a rebellion brews.  

Writing Techniques

* Day 9:  Dialogue Only - Tell a story solely through conversation. 

* Day 10:  Free Verse Poetry - Write a poem that explores a specific emotion.  

* Day 11:  Flash Fiction - Craft a complete story in under 100 words. 

* Day 12:  Descriptive Paragraph - Focus on all five senses to paint a vivid picture. 

* Day 13:  First Line Challenge - Write a story based on a specific first line (e.g., "The rain hammered on the roof like a thousand angry fists"). 

* Day 14:  Unreliable Narrator - Let your narrator be untrustworthy, keeping the reader guessing. 

* Day 15:  Postcard Story -  Write a story in the form of a postcard.  

Inspired by the World Around You

* Day 16:  People Watching -  Pick a person at a cafe and write a story about their life. 

* Day 17:  Object Prompt - Choose an everyday object and write about its hidden story. 

* Day 18:  Eavesdropping -  Use a snippet of overheard conversation to spark a story.  

* Day 19:  News Headline -  Write a story based on a recent news headline, but with a twist. 

* Day 20:  Weather Woes -  Let the weather inspire your story (e.g., a scorching summer day, a blizzard). 

Challenge Yourself

* Day 21:  Write a scene with only one character. 

* Day 22:  Include a specific word count (e.g., 500 words, 1000 words). 

* Day 23:  Write a story in a specific tense (e.g., present tense, past tense). 

* Day 24:  Step outside your comfort zone and try a new genre. 

* Day 25:  Leave the ending ambiguous. 

Wrap Up

* Day 26:  Revisit an old story idea and rewrite it with fresh eyes. 

* Day 27:  Write a letter to your future writing self.  

* Day 28:  Reflect on your progress throughout the challenge. What did you learn? 

* Day 29:  Choose your favorite piece from the challenge and revise it. 

* Day 30:  Celebrate your accomplishment! Share your work with others or set a new writing goal. 

Don't be afraid to experiment and have fun! This is a chance to explore your creativity and break out of writing ruts. 

A Music Box and A Yellow House

So, I'm up late last night. As usual for the last 4 nights, I can't sleep. Everything I'd been doing was boring so I decided to write something that had been percolating in my mind for a few days. I kept seeing this scene in my head and hearing the start of the story. Every time I thought about sitting down to write, I put it off. Last night, boredom drove me to it.

I haven't wanted to write in months because every time I did, it just didn't work. I couldn't think, and I had no idea which way to go. I have a story so near a completed first draft it isn't even funny. Two, in fact. My crazy life has drowned me and left me in a heap on the beach. But I want to write.

Normally, I'd even be using a notebook and jotting things down but with the nerve damage in my hand, writing with a pen is not the pleasure it once was. I love pens and notebooks and writing with both. This has been one of the biggest disappointments of the nerve damage.

Anyway. Last night I sat down to write this scene. I don't know exactly what this is about. I just know that I heard a music box playing and I have a woman and her teen-aged daughter buying a big yellow house. That's it. I know what I think it is but so far I have two pages of dialogue and a sense of something beneath the surface.

It all started with the sound of a music box playing last week. No, I didn't really hear one playing. I was trying to nap listening to some music. It occurred to me that it sounded like a music box playing but a strange one. I went to sleep and forgot about it. But it came back. This music box is special but I don't know how. Next, I had this woman pop into my head and she was buying this house. Actually, I saw her in the house and knew she'd just moved into it. Then, I was seeing her with her daughter, sitting in the car and looking at the house. They take a tour but ultimately; they will buy this house.

What I know: somewhere there's a music box. The woman just moved to this town for a job. She has a teen-aged daughter. They get along well. My feeling is that the child is parent to the woman, but that's just a feeling. At some point, there's a storm. No idea when, why, or the impact. And that's all I have. Other characters? I think so, but nothing presents itself at this point.

Yeah, I know. But I can work with it. I think.

At least I got to write something! Today, I want to do it again but I have to pack for a trip to Arkansas. We'll be driving all day tomorrow. So, not sure I'll get back to it soon.