Writing Prompts
Freewriting Friday: Publications, Pets & Possessions
Three writing prompts to spark your creativity
Let’s celebrate! We have made it to another Friday, which means it’s time to freewrite.
Last week, one prompt was to dust off a story in your drafts folder. I would suggest doing that once a week, find that pearl in your word rubble.
This week, how about writing for a publication you haven’t written for before, the one you keep meaning to but time keeps you away? Trust me, I have a list of publications I’m set to be a writer for that I haven’t submitted to yet, so that is a goal I have for this upcoming week.
I know many of you are writing during NaNoWriMo for the month of November, as I am. I still use freewriting exercises to get my fingers moving each day.
If you’re writing a fiction novel, you can use these prompts from the perspective of one of your characters. I interview my characters by asking them questions, like from my freewriting prompts. Most likely I won’t use a lot of that writing, but as I’m answering the question in the voice of that character, something will spark in terms of a scene I’m working on or to fill a plot hole.
You never know where your freewriting time will take you or a character!
— Ellie
“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.”
-– William Faulkner
Instructions
Use this time to write something personal or write from the perspective of a character from a fictional story you are working on. Or write a poem.
Allow your mind to wander, not worrying about the final product.
- Allow yourself at least 15 minutes for a freewriting session.
- Write in a place with no distractions.
- Only allow yourself to write and use this exercise as a guide.
- Only use your phone for the timer and turn off notifications.
- Move from one prompt to the next or focus on one.
- Don’t stop writing for the time allowed.
- Don’t edit yourself
Today’s Music Selection
I have to do a Halloween-inspired music selection and yes, I love fireplace videos.
Freewrite in response to all the prompts or focus on one. Whichever calls out to you. Use these prompts as a springboard to your next article, flash fiction, or short story.
As a fiction writer, you can use any of these prompts from your character’s perspective to get to know them better, maybe a story will start to form through your freewriting.
First Prompt
Change it up! Write for a publication you haven’t written for before. Go through your writer publication list and write an article (maybe an old draft you dusted off last week) for that publication. Or find a new publication that is just starting up. Look through their prompts if they have any listed and freewrite.
Set your timer for five minutes and write.
Second Prompt
Today is cat day so let’s write about our pets. Write about a beloved pet in your life, maybe your first pet, your current pet, the pet you never got to have? What did you name it? Why?
Set your timer for five minutes and write.
Third Prompt
Let’s think and write about sentimental objects. Do you collect anything? As a child what did you love to collect? What is/was your collection? What is the story behind the object? Or someone you love had an unusual collection you remember from childhood? Write about that. Can you use that object/collection for a story?
Set your timer for five minutes and write.
Revision
Let your words simmer after a freewriting session. Go back and decide if you want to turn your words into a story or article. Then start the revision process.
@2021 Ellie Jacobson
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You can submit your writing to any of the freewriting exercises found at Flint & Steel anytime. There are no deadlines.
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Written by Ellie Jacobson, all rights reserved.
I’m a freelance writer and editor from Minnesota, writing my first novel, a psychological suspense novel. Are you a writer? Check out Sparks, my newsletter filled with writing prompts to spark your creativity.
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