WRITING PROMPTS | PROMPTLY WRITTEN
Prompt Yourself: Weekly Prompts January 8–14
Prompts to tempt your muses
Welcome to the 54th week and my first prompt post for 2024 of Weekly Prompts here at PW! Since many of you are starting to follow your new year’s resolutions, let’s base this week’s prompts on the advantages and disadvantages of ‘new’. New material things, new perspective, new motto, new relationships, new baby. Everything about ‘new’. 😁❤❤
Having said that, I just want to also start posting in my every prompt post the names and stories of those who responded to my prompt post as a way of saying thanks. Thank you all for taking the time.
Last prompt post, responder:
More Than Just A Wedding Guest by Isaac Ong
Ways To Show Our Significant Other Appreciation Libby Shively McAvoy
The Quintessential Partner by izzibella Beau
Parting At Dawn by izzibella Beau
Two Merry Old Souls Who’ll Be Mates Forever by Caroline de Braganza
Resume of a Manipulative Marriage by Caroline de Braganza
Exist As Always by Tas (they/them)
The Consequences of Manipulation by Libby Shively McAvoy
If you responded but didn’t see your post here, please let me know in a comment or via private note. Sometimes, we miss things.😁
Ok, back to prompts
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 first cry of a new baby
2. Waking up in a new city
3. The first morning in a new home
4. The uncertainty of a new relationship
5. The bittersweet feeling of a new job
Tuesday Twosome
1. Conceptual Theme — New Relationships
Twosome —Balancing Excitement and Uncertainty
2. Conceptual Theme — New Job
Twosome —Opportunities for Growth and Fear of Change
3. Conceptual Theme — New Home
Twosome —Creating a Fresh Space and Missing the Old
4. Conceptual Theme — New Baby
Twosome —Joy of Parenthood and Lack of Sleep
5. Conceptual Theme — New Technology
Twosome —Convenience of Innovation and Learning Curve
Wednesday’s Either/Or
1. Either “Buying New Gadgets” or “Sticking with Old Ones”
2. Either “Starting a New Hobby” or “Perfecting a Current Skill”
3. Either “Making New Friends” or “Deepening Existing Friendships”
4. Either “Trying a New Diet” or “Sticking to Known Healthy Foods”
5. Either “Taking Up a New Sport” or “Improving in a Familiar One”
Thursday’s Thoughts
1. ”New friendships refresh the soul, but maintaining them requires effort.” — John Smith
2. “Every new beginning comes with its own challenges.” — Sarah Johnson
3. ”New technology can simplify life but also detach us from simple pleasures.” — Laura Martinez
4. “Trying new foods is a delight to the taste buds but a gamble for the stomach.” — Maria Hernandez
5. "A new year offers a clean slate and a reminder of time passing.” — Elizabeth Moore
Fiction Friday
Use any or all of the following concepts for a story:
1. A woman buys new shoes that magically take her to places reflecting her deepest desires and fears.
2. A man starts a new job and discovers unexpected facets of his personality.
3. A family moves into a new house and encounters its mysterious past occupants.
4. A teenager gets a new phone that reveals secrets about her friends.
5. A writer gets a new laptop and starts receiving messages from an unknown source.
Random Words Saturday
With 2 or more of these words, explore the joys and challenges of embracing something new in your life. It could be a new job, a new city, or even a new hobby. Everything about your new. What emotions and experiences come with these changes? Are there feelings of excitement, uncertainty, growth, or fear? Use these words to express the complex mix of feelings that ‘new’ brings into our lives.
- Change
- Fresh
- Begin
- Unknown
- Growth
- Challenge
- Opportunity
- Adventure
- Transition
- Learning
- Adjustment
- Exploration
- Novely
- Risk
- Renewal
- Discovery
- Shift
- Start
- Unfamiliar
- Journey
- Optimistic
Spiritual Sunday
1. Reflect on the advantages and drawbacks of moving to a new community for spiritual reasons.
2. Look at how starting a new exercise routine can affect your health and motivation.
3. Examine the pros and cons of changing your personal style.
4. Reflect on the advantages and challenges of adopting a new mindset.
5. Analyze the effects of a new cultural experience on your worldview.
Bonus Prompt — Write a poem, flash fiction story (500 words or less), or essay about a character who gets a new haircut and experiences a boost in confidence and a fear of judgment.
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 them here.