WRITING PROMPTS | PROMPTLY WRITTEN
Prompt Yourself: Weekly Prompts December 18–24
Prompts to tempt your muses
Welcome to the 51th week of Weekly Prompts here at PW! So as I said on my last prompt post, I’ll be providing prompts for two consecutive weeks to help Dr. Casey to lessen her burden due to her upcoming wedding. So whether you like it or not, you have no choice. 😁 And as I also said, the prompts will be all about weddings.
Before we get started, here are a couple of quick reminders:
How This Works
- Use these prompts to write poetry, fiction, an essay, creative non-fiction, or an article. They are totally open to interpretation! Include a link to the prompt at the bottom of your post.
- If you use one of these prompts, you can submit the result here at PW, to any publication that accepts prompts from other publications, or self-publish. If you submit somewhere besides PW, make sure to include a link to the prompt and tag PW editors so that we do not miss reading your story!
- You don’t have to use PW’s prompts to submit work here. We are an open publication for established and new writers to submit their writing — usually based on writing prompts from here or elsewhere, but unprompted stories are also welcome!
- Please be sure to use the correct Reader Interest Tags when you submit your work to PW so it lands in the right place on the homepage. Please use ONE (not multiple) of the following tags: Poetry, Fiction, Essay, or Articles. Your other four tags can be whatever you wish them to be.
- Please ONLY submit drafts. To do this, once you have finished writing, instead of hitting the Publish button, click on the three dots (…), choose Add to Publication, click on Promptly Written, and then submit. This will put it into our queue, and we will publish it on our end.
- Each week, you will find prompts for Monday-Sunday. However, you do not have to use them in the order they are written. Browse them all and use only the ones that resonate with you. Submit your work any time during the week (or long after!).
- If you previously wrote for PW but haven’t in a while, you may need to go to the Submission Guidelines and ask to be a writer again. We went on hiatus a few months ago and stopped accepting submissions; if you were a writer with us before that time, you will need to sign up again.
- Have fun!
Are you ready? Great! Let’s get prompting!
Moody Monday
Write a ‘moody’ poem or story around any of the following:
1. The empty seat at the wedding
2. Watching an ex get married
3. A groom’s second thoughts
4. A wedding photo with a ghostly presence
5. The broken heel and a broken heart
Tuesday Twosome
1. Conceptual Theme —Guest List
Twosome — Deciding Who to Invite and Creating the Seating Chart
2. Conceptual Theme — Honeymoon Planning
Twosome — Choosing a Destination and Planning Activities
3. Conceptual Theme — Couple’s Journey
Twosome — First Date Memories and Proposal Story
4. Conceptual Theme —Wedding Traditions
Twosome — Something Old, Something New and Bridal Bouquet Toss
5. Conceptual Theme — Marriage Advice
Twosome — Lessons from Long-Married Couples and Newlyweds
Wednesday’s Either/Or
1. Either “A Wedding Registry” or “Requesting No Gifts"
2. Either “A Formal Seated Dinner” or “A Casual Buffet Style Meal"
3. Either “Inviting Distant Relatives” or “Keeping the Guest List Close”
4. Either “A Beach Wedding” or “A Ceremony in a Church”
5. Either “Changing Your Last Name” or “Keeping Your Maiden Name”
Thursday’s Thoughts
1.”Love is not just looking at each other, it’s looking in the same direction.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
2. “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” — Mignon McLaughlin
3.”The beauty of marriage is not always seen from the very beginning — but rather as love grows and develops over time.” — Fawn Weaver
4.”The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret.” — Henny Youngman
5.”Marriage is not a noun; it’s a verb. It isn’t something you get. It’s something you do.” — Barbara De Angelis
Fiction Friday
Use any or all of the following concepts for a story:
1. The story of a couple who organizes a wedding with a tight budget, focusing on the true meaning of the ceremony.
2. A tale of a wedding photographer who captures more than just photos at weddings, uncovering a magical ability.
3. A comedy about a couple trying to hide their wedding from their feuding families, leading to a series of mishaps
4. A tale of a wedding planner who falls in love with a client, creating a conflict of interest.
5. An adventure of a couple eloping in a foreign country and the cultural challenges they face.
Random Words Saturday
With 2 or more of these words, think about how different things can mix together during the journey of falling in love and getting married. This could include all the ups and downs you feel as a couple — like happiness, sadness, excitement, and stress. Imagine what each of these feelings might be like in the lead-up to your big day.
- Unity
- Promise
- Trust
- Laughter
- Dance
- Friendship
- Support
- Respect
- Memory
- Faith
- Magic
Spiritual Sunday
1. What role does forgiveness play in a marriage?
2. What does ‘soulmate’ mean to you in a spiritual sense?
3. In what ways can we support our partner’s spiritual journey?
4. How can we use the challenges of marriage to deepen our spiritual understanding?
5. Discuss the balance of individuality and unity in a marriage
Bonus Prompt — Write a poem, flash fiction story (500 words or less), or essay about a couple wants to get married in a special way that shows how unique they are as individuals. They want their wedding day to be true to themselves and not follow traditional rules. This can bring some exciting experiences and emotions, but it also means facing challenges and obstacles along the way.
There you have it. A week’s worth of prompts to tempt your muses. We look forward to reading your submissions. Don’t forget to mention me so I won’t miss reading your story.
Bella loves to write about life, psychology, and relationships. Click here to receive an email that guarantees you’ll get Bella’s newest stories delivered straight to your inbox.
Don’t forget, there are Writing Sparks available in the Monthly Theme by ADEOLA
And if you missed last week’s prompts by Dr. Casey, you can find it here.
