Creative writing ideas can be hard to come by at times. Every writer, from the most prolific writers to the newcomers, will all encounter writer’s block at some point or another. The act of writing is a creative endeavour and one that cannot easily be forced.
Many argue that you should never force your won creative imagination process, and I agree, but if you are a career writer then writer’s block can literally cost you dearly.
With that in mind, this list is designed to be a hybrid list with varied and detailed instructions to delve into your imagination. I wanted to keep this post short, and to the point, while keeping it detailed.
Let’s move onto the creative writing ideas!
Idea 1:
Imagine you wake up and you find yourself in the middle of a forest. The forest looks completely alien to that which you know; so you are certainly not near home!
How do you feel? What do you think? How would you react? Try imagine what you would do and how you would do it. Imagine why the place seems to alien to you. Is it the strange smell? Or maybe the trees and undergrowth look different from what you know.
Are you in some far off land? An alien planet? What colour is the sky? The clouds? Is it warm or cold?
Now write a short fiction passage about it. Do you try and find help? Do you start looking for food? Water? Do you dare explore? If you do, what do you find? Take the reader through the experience!
Idea 2:
For this creative writing idea, I want you to begin by thinking about a color. It can be any color, no matter how niche. If anything, the more obscure, the better. Now think about objects and places that you associate with this color. What was the first thing that popped into your head? What people (if any) do you associate with the connotations of that color? Is it a happy color for you? A sad one? Why?
I personally thought of aqua, and then dolphins, and then a video I once saw of a cat and a dolphin meeting. Strange, I know.
Now think about ways you can convey this emotion you feel for your example in a poem. If you have never tried poetry before, take a look at our poetry section for some inspiration. Try something new!
Idea 3:
For the third fiction based idea on this list, I want you to imagine you are a teenager again. If you are a teenager, I want you to think back to when you started school. Think about your most fond memories of this time frame, and think about why they are fond. What makes them so wonderful? Was it a particular event? Or maybe a person?
Now capture this moment and write about it. Describe it in as much detail as you can remember. As you go, add small details to the story that define it as someone else’s story rather than your own. For example, maybe you were eating an ice cream cone and your character is eating a lollipop. As you continue to write, make the differences diverge more and more from your original memories. Was it set in a city? Then set it in a town, or a different city. Keep doing this until the end of the memory you are recalling and you should have something new!
Idea 4:
For our fourth idea, I want you to think back to your childhood and any locations you remember. If you can’t seem to pick one out, try remember the first place you remember visiting that wasn’t home. What did you feel? What do you remember seeing? What did you smell? Or taste?
Use this vivid sensory scenery to write about either yourself or one of your characters in this place. Why are you (or they) there? What is it like? How does it feel? What do you smell? Where does your mind go?
This is the perfect opportunity to not only delve deep and write, but to relive childhood memories – a win, win!
Idea 5:
For this idea, I want you to think about a city you have never visited. It can be anywhere. The next city over, or a city thousands of miles away. Both of these scenarios will be interesting to write about.
If it is a city close by, why haven’t you been there? Project these ideas, thoughts, and feelings into a story told from the first perspective. Perhaps it is a stream of consciousness. Maybe it is a memoir. You can take this further by looking up photographs of famous streets or main streets this area has to offer. What kind of people do you think live there?
If the city is far away, let your dreams run wild. What do you think it would be like? Why do you dream of this place? What is it about this place that has drawn you in? Is it the people? The sights to be seen? The varied culture? Again, you can look up photographs or videos of this place and do your best to describe what you see as a thought experiment, or writing exercise.
If you do decide to look up photos and videos, this can be a good way to expose yourself to entirely new things. Maybe a building has a particular feature you’ve never seen? Maybe you’ll notice a street food stall or store you’ve never encountered before. The possibilities, really are, endless.
Travel bloggers and vloggers are a great source for this kind of inspiration.
Idea 6
This is a rather unique prompt, but it can be a really fun one to try out. Before you dig into this prompt, i’d recommend you access the link that will follow on a computer or tablet (as its easier). If you only have your phone, be sure you have Google Maps installed.
Generally, I try to stay away from ideas that require you to have some kind of app but this one is too fun to pass up on!
When you are ready you can:
This will take you to a website where you can generate a random location on Google Maps. Explore the area and surroundings. What will you find? Where is it? If you were to write a story or character, how would you tie it or them to this location?
More About Lore and the Writer
This article on creative writing ideas was written by Stewart Storrar, Lore’s founder, to help get the creativity flowing. Stewart is an avid writer, both professionally by trade and personally with fiction. He loves all things literary!
For more articles, short stories, flash fiction, and poetry (all free) be sure to access all our latest releases right here on the site:
- Short Fictional Work
- Short Stories
- Flash Fiction
- Poetry Corner
- Submissions
- Poetry Chapbooks & Pamphlets
FAQs About Creative Writing Ideas
How Do I Start Creative Writing For Fun?
When it comes to writing, don’t force it. It is important to write about what you love, what you enjoy, and what you are interested in. If you try and force yourself to write something because you like the idea of it, and not because you enjoy it for what it is, you’ll have a harder time committing words to paper (in any format). Keep it simple, and write about what you know and enjoy.
What do you write when your bored?
Different writers have different methods for dealing with boredom, or writers block. Some common methods to help get the creative juices flowing is to go for a short ten minute walk around your neighbourhood. You can also try writing about your pets, you family members or friends, or about your favourite place to read or relax.
What is a good topic to write?
There’s no one ‘good’ topic to write; all topics are important and merit attention. However, that being said, stick to writing about what you know – this will be easiest and it will be something that you can do well.
What should I write daily?
If you choose to write daily, you can write about a whole number of things. You can write about anything from your goals for your day, any questions you have and want to research (about anything at all), things you feel you want to improve on, to something more trivial like how you feel about the weather. What you write about isn’t as important as how you write it. Paying attention to how you write, what words you use, and writing techniques you employ is much more important.
How many pages do writers write a day?
This will vary very wildly from writer to writer, depending on how a writer chooses to work. However, an average is around five to ten pages a day. Depending on font and size, this can accumulate to between 1000 – 2000 refined words in a week. This would be 1000 – 2000 words drafted multiple times.
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