Category: Daily Writers’ Fix

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Daily Writers’ Fix: October 8-12

How to use Daily Writers’ Fix

Monday:

Sight

After a long, international flight, your jet lagged character arrives in her hotel room. Too exhausted to even take off her shoes, she slouches into a chair and stares out the window. What’s going through her mind as she looks at the sights outside?

Tuesday:

Smell

It’s dinnertime in this Parisian apartment building. Focusing on the smells wafting out of the windows, create a series of vignettes about what’s taking place in several homes.

Wednesday:

Sound

Your character takes one last trip to the beach before the sun sets on the final day of vacation. Do the sounds of the waves make her lonely, pensive, happy, relaxed, or anxious? Why?

Thursday:

Touch

The warm water circling your ankles, sand grinding between your toes, fish swimming by–think back to a trip to the beach and recapture that day in as much sensory detail as possible.

Friday:

Taste

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever eaten? Describe the taste and the whole experience in such a way that readers will feel like they’re eating it at that moment, too.

Grab Bag:

Cats roam the ruins of ancient Ephesus, millions of tourists tread the ancient roads of Pompeii. Think about the contrast of the ancient past and the present and write down five possible story ideas that come to mind. Don’t worry about developing them right now, just write down everything that comes to mind, then file them away for a future date when you’re feeling stuck.

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Daily Writers’ Fix: October 1-5

How to use Daily Writers’ Fix

Monday:

Sight

Place your character in a new setting, using her observations of signs to show the reader where she is.

Tuesday:

Smell

The smell of salt water, ocean breezes, dried-out kelp strewn across the sand… What are your character’s maritime memories or associations? A waterbound escape? A grueling job? Flashbacks to a happy childhood vacation?

Wednesday:

Sound

No shoppers laughing and talking on cell phones, no workers taking a smoke break, no cars honking at pedestrians. Why is this street silent and empty?

Thursday:

Touch

Reflect on travel today: past trips you’ve taken, places your character wants to visit, the significance of a journey. Can you make your writing even more vivid by using the sense of touch in your descriptions?

Friday:

Taste

The flavors of fall

Using this photo, phrase, and sense to get you started, spend 10 minutes freewriting today, then review what you’ve written and see if it sparks any ideas.

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Daily Writers’ Fix: September 24-28

How to use Daily Writers’ Fix

Monday:

Sight

Despite your first impression, these aren’t dog prints. They’re cat prints. What part of your world do you need to look at more closely?

Tuesday:

Smell

Step inside this photo and take a deep breath. Breathe in all the smells surrounding you–the salt water, the smoke from the distant barbecue. Capture a portrait of a late summer or early fall evening using your sense of scent.

Wednesday:

Sound

Close your eyes. Not changing anything about your surroundings, just listen. Sit back and take it all in, noticing all the sounds around you, no matter how slight they may be. Maybe you hear the dishwasher in the other other room, the lapping of ocean waves outside your waterfront hotel room, or the laughter of children at the park down the street. Maybe there’s an argument in the apartment down the hall, or you’re surrounded by silence.

What moods do the noises around you suggest? Write a short story, poem, or scene that captures these sounds and moods.

Thursday:

Touch

Soft feathers? Coarse fur? Sharp claws? Write about your character’s favorite pet.

Friday:

Taste

Your character is sitting under this umbrella. Why is he there, and what is he doing? And of course, what is he eating or drinking?

Grab Bag:

Vividly colored leaves, foggy mornings, hot cocoa–what suggests autumn to you? Develop your list into a poem or scene rich with detail.

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Daily Writers’ Fix: September 17-21

How to use Daily Writers’ Fix

Monday:

Sight

Stretch your ability to describe visual appearances today. Using the photo above–or any other photo with contrasting textures and colors–spend 10 minutes freewriting about the temperatures, moods, and emotions their appearance brings to mind. Don’t worry about it making sense or sounding great–just write! When you’re done, set it aside for a while. Revisit it tomorrow with fresh eyes. Do you like the sound of any phrases or descriptions you came up with? Share them here in the comment section.

Tuesday:

Smell


Today just write, using the sense of smell and the photo above for inspiration or just writing whatever is on your mind. Set the timer for the length of your choice and don’t stop until the time runs out.

Wednesday:

Sound

What do you hear in this photo? Absolute silence? The sound of children playing in the background? Work your descriptions into a scene, short story, or poem.

Thursday:

Touch

Get your character’s hands dirty today. Describe the feel of the dirt in the gardener’s hands, the dough between the fingers of the baker, the wet clay in the hands of the artist. This might relate to your character’s hobby or something he’s cooking, or maybe it’s a way to add texture to a scene you’ve already begun.

Friday:

Taste

It’s a late summer day at sunset. What is (or was) in your character’s glass? Does it matter to your scene? It might if she’s rolling the last sip of wine around in her mouth while mentally replaying and processing a conversation or argument from earlier in the day.

Today, use a common, potentially-mundane fact like a beverage to illuminate part of your character’s personality.

Grab Bag:

It’s your turn. Look at this photo from all angles. Look at the color, the light, the shadows, the textures. What scenes does it bring to mind, what emotions? Come up with five writing prompts based on this photo. Save them in a running list of writing prompts either on your computer desktop or on a piece of paper you keep at your writing space. Better yet, type them in the Comments section below and share your inspiration with others!

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Daily Writers’ Fix: September 10-14

How to use Daily Writers’ Fix

Monday:

Sight

What’s peeking through the grass? What is he/she/it looking for?

Tuesday:

Smell

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Chardonnay, root beer, lemon soda, or water… what are you drinking right now? Exercise your sense of smell by turning off your tastebuds for a few sips and trying one or both of these prompts:

  • Using only your sense of smell, and without telling what you’re drinking, see if you can write a description that would make anyone instantly know what’s in your glass.
  • Does the smell tell you anything about where the individual ingredients came from? Does it take you to a lush vineyard or a refreshing spring? What about a noisy factory or a flavor lab? Spend five minutes freewriting about this, starting with smell and then going wherever your imagination leads.

Wednesday:

Sound

Think of a voyage, whether it’s one you’ve taken or an imaginary one. Describe it in detail, making sure to include key sounds that help place your reader in the setting.

Thursday:

Touch

One of your primary characters knows exactly where he’s going. Or does he? Does he tighten his grip on the wheel when familiar terrain suddenly looks foreign? Does he stomp his foot on the brake pedal as he approaches an unexpected roadblock? Explore an obstacle or a case of bad directions, not forgetting to use the sense of touch to ground your character in his setting and heighten emotion or tension.

Friday:

Taste

Today’s challenge: Brew a pot of tea and savor it until you’ve come up with 30 words or phrases to describe its flavor or the feel of it on your tongue. Now that your creativity is warmed up, use your list to create a full-bodied description that will make your readers crave a taste.

Grab Bag:

Consider twilight. What feelings and moods come to mind? Do they differ if you place yourself in Paris’ bustling Place de l’Opéra or at a remote Eastern Washington cabin surrounded by trees and no electricity? Tell a story that takes place at twilight, using the setting of your choice. Or, if you’re writing a novel, could thinking about twilight in this way add color and texture to a chapter that otherwise seems stalled?

Grab Bag Bonus:

The most brilliant of stories–fiction or non-fiction–come from nothing more than a seed. Devote at least part of your writing time today to pulling out your collection of writing ideas and see if you can find new potential in old seeds. Does time give you a new perspective on a topic, making a previously disregarded idea now seem bursting with life? Does a character sketch you never fully developed suddenly fit perfectly in the story you’re writing now?

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Daily Writers’ Fix: September 3-7

How to use Daily Writers’ Fix

Monday:

Sight

Who’s watching you from the outside?

Tuesday:

Smell

Catch of the day

Spend 15 minutes freewriting, using the sense of smell, photo, and phrase to get you started.

Wednesday:

Sound:

Describe the sounds surrounding this tree.

Thursday:

Touch:

The cold paint cans in her hand, the texture of the wall or appliance serving as a blank canvas–your character is doing some home improvement. What emotions does she feel as she holds a can in her hand for the first stroke? Is she covering up past memories, good or bad? Is she starting a new phase of life? Is she reinventing herself?

Friday:

Taste

Summer is on its way out. But before it fully gives way to the full bounty of apples, squash, and stews, among other fall foods, capture your summer memories by describing the tastes of the last three months.

Grab bag:

What is your pet thinking about right now?

Grab Bag Bonus:

The Old Man and the Sea, Murder on the Orient Express, The Darjeeling Limited, and even Snakes on a Plane–think of stories that revolve in large part around some form of transportation. Come up with an idea for a short story at involves transportation, whether by car, plane, or train, or on horseback or foot. Start an outline or rough draft today. If you like where it’s headed, keep working on it in the coming days and weeks. If not, file it away with other works in progress. You never know when it might spark another idea.

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Daily Writers’ Fix: Weekly Edition #1

Daily Writers’ Fix is back, and with a new format! We’re sticking to our unique brand of writing prompts, pairing a photo and prompt with one of the five senses, but this time we’re giving a week’s worth of daily writing inspiration all at once–starting today. Check back each Monday for writing prompts to last the work week, with occasional Grab Bag options for weekends (follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or RSS so you never miss a post!). For instructions on how to use Daily Writers’ Fix to the max, click here. And as always, we’d love to read what you come up with–leave a comment and share a snippet!

Monday:

Sight

Some people find objects in the clouds. Your character searches for them in shadows. What does he see here, and why does it frighten him?

Tuesday:

Smell

What’s cooking in your character’s kitchen right now?

Wednesday:

Sound

A chill runs up a secondary character’s spine as she sits on the bow of a boat listening to the gentle lapping of waves at dusk. Describe that sound in such a way that your reader will literally feel the same chill.

Thursday:

Touch

Tree climbing, fantasy tree houses, enchanted forests–everyone has a tree story. What’s yours? Return to your childhood and describe the feeling of bark on your hands as you climbed a tree. Or make a wildly enchanted forest seem believable by describing the feel of things your readers can relate to such as branches scraping one’s skin, fallen leaves crumbling under one’s feet, or the feeling of the sun shining through a break in the trees.

Friday:

Taste

It’s all about the weather. You hear it from the meteorologist on the TV, make small talk about it, complain when it gets too hot or too cold. Weather can set the tone for your scene, too. But can you write about the weather without actually saying “It’s cold”? For today’s Daily Writers’ Fix, skip forward a few months and imagine breathing in the chilly winter air through your mouth. What does it taste like? Describe it in a paragraph and see if you can use this sense to make your readers feel the chill without actually telling them it’s cold outside.

Grab Bag:

Create a short story or poem using all of the following words. And don’t forget to share what you come up with by leaving us a comment!

Stowaway
Top ten
Luminescence
Vital signs
Too late
Ephemeral
Fleeting
Daughter
Grandma
Roses
Saffron
Broken mirrors
Smoke and mirrors

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Daily Writers’ Fix: Touch

The cold paint cans in her hand, the texture of the wall or appliance serving as a blank canvas–your character is doing some home improvement. What emotions does she feel as she holds a can in her hand for the first stroke? Is she covering up past memories, good or bad? Is she starting a new phase of life? Is she reinventing herself?

Republished from Nooks & Cranberries, September 2010.