Creative Writing Exercises for New Short Story Ideas

Creative Writing Exercises for New Short Story Ideas Creative Writing Exercises for New Short Story Ideas Sometimes the hardest part of writing is figuring out what to do with that blank page. Coming up with a new short story idea  doesnt have to be painful, however. Outlined below are some short story exercises designed to get you writing- and hopefully on your way to a new short story. Freewriting At the very least, freewriting forces you to put words on the page- a good start toward curing writers block. Ideally, however, youll find yourself writing about ideas and situations worth greater exploration. Set your timer for 5 minutes and write without taking your pencil off the paper. Whatever comes to mind should be written. Once you are done, take a breath and see what you have written. Even a sentence fragment can be used to start a new short story. Secrets This popular writing exercise for groups or pairs uses secrets to suggest plots and themes you might not write about normally. Your little secret could give someone big ideas. Writing From Pictures Photographs or other images often suggest a narrative. Working alone, in pairs, or in groups, discover a story you wouldnt have thought of on your own. Check out the literary magazine and podcast People Holding, which assigns photos to authors to write about! Dictionary Writing Prompts Sometimes simply using new words can inspire your writing to take a new direction. In this exercise, a few words chosen at random will provide a new focus for the days writing. Idea Box Start collecting words, phrases, images and objects that inspire you so that when writers block strikes, you have a place to turn. Memories Write down a list of memories. Try to be as specific as possible. Then go back and try to figure out why each memory is important. What did the moment mean, and why did it stay with you? Is there a secondary memory that goes along with it? Is there a way to see the situation differently now than when you experienced it? Try writing the memory from another characters point-of-view. How do the two perspectives clash? What is the reasoning behind each of the actions? Is there a misunderstanding? Now write that story! Eavesdrop Get out of your office or bed and go to a local coffee shop. Get a coffee and just listen. People talk loud enough for you to hear, and their words, out of context, can go anywhere you want them to. Collect random sentences from strangers and start a story with each one. Recycle Often you will be inspired by just reading your old work and can finish the original story you started. If that doesnt work, go back to an old story you never finished and randomly pick a line from it. Start a new story about something completely different, simply using that first line. Key to All Short Story Exercises Remember to save all your work. You never know when you will be inspired by a story you previously felt you could not finish. Or you might be able to take partial stories and make an entirely new one.