1000 Creative Writing Prompts by Bryan Cohen

Writer’s block has never really been much of a problem for me, but I do know people who wrestle with it every day. This book may well be one of the best answers I’ve ever seen. There are seven chapters with a hundred categories scattered among them, and each category has ten questions. Answering these questions is an excellent way to get the juices flowing. One of them might even help you though a difficult point in your story. Heck, it might even be the spark of the next big blockbuster. You never know until you try.

In an effort to showcase the book, I thought I’d do something of a self-interview by answering a few of the questions.

Chapter 1: Time and Place

The Past

#9. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from studying your own past experiences? Would you consider teaching that lesson to others? Why or why not?

Probably the most important lesson I learned was how to be strong, how to be my own person. After suddenly being shunned in first grade for a reason I never learned, I had to do my own thing, walk my own path. At some point I determined that it wasn’t my fault, whatever it was, so I took on the attitude that I’d be anyone’s friend, I’d help anyone, but they had to ask me first. If they didn’t want to be my friend, fine – their loss. It might sound cold, but it’s not, not really. You see I wasn’t cold to anyone. I wasn’t mean to anyone. I treated everyone I met like I would want to be treated if our positions and circumstances were switched. I guess you could say I live by the Golden Rule.

Would I teach this if I could? Sure, but the Golden Rule has been around for a long time, and it’s very simple. Treat others as you would have them treat you. There you go, lesson taught.

Why would I teach this? Because if everyone did this, just imagine what our world would be like.

The Present

#23. It’s been said that to be happy, you have to live in the moment. Do you agree with that statement? Why or why not? How well do you think you live in the moment and why do you believe that?

Living in the moment is something I think I do all the time. The past is past and to be learned from but not to be agonized over. It’s pretty much the same for the future. You can’t agonize over tomorrow; all you can do is do the best you can today with tomorrow in mind. Tomorrow will get here soon enough.

The Future

#31. What are you most looking forward to in the immediate future and why? What are you looking forward to in the next couple of years and why?

Ever since I published my first book, I have looked forward to the next book coming out. It has always been a thrill to know someone I never met is reading my books. In the very near future, I of course have another book coming out, and this coming summer will see my trilogy out in full. That one has been a long journey, but then begins the next one. I thought once I might get used to this feeling, but it doesn’t look like it, and frankly, I don’t want to. Yay for more books waiting in line so I can feel this yet again.

Chapter 2: People and Creatures

Teachers

#233. Did you ever have a teacher who had no idea what they were doing? What was it that made the teacher so clueless? How did having a teacher like that make you feel and why?

In college, I wanted to go into the computer field. I was very logical about my decision, computers were up-and-coming, and they would be going places. However, I needed more math. The math class I signed up for had a teacher who was incredibly well versed in her field, but she had no clue how to teach what she knew. She’d scrawl these equations across the board and that’s the way it was. She never explained why it was that way. It left me in the dust. Asking for help was no better. her inability to teach, quite literally cast my future adrift. With a teacher like that, the computer field was out of reach. Now I had to figure out what to do next, and I didn’t have a clue.

Chapter 3: The Body and the Brain

Dreams

#383. Think back to all of your most memorable dreams and single out the scariest recurring dream you ever had. What do you think it symbolized? If you had complete control over the dream, how do you think you would have conquered such a fearful night of slumber?

I have recurring dreams all the time. They are usually steps in solving some kind of puzzle. They also might not necessarily take place in the same location. These kinds of recurring dreams are seldom scary, but I have had a few very vivid dreams that would startle me awake; those, most of them, ended up in one or another of my books in one form or another. Probably the scariest one was of an asteroid destroying the moon. That too is in a book, in fact, that occurrence sculpted the entire world of that book. Imagine, Earth with no moon. The only control one can have in such a dream is the decisions of what to do next. Survive.

Chapter 4: Concepts

Good and Evil

#510. Would your morals change if you were in a life or death situation? What would be different if you or your loved ones were at risk and why?

Your morals are what define you, and maybe best in a life and death situation. However, there needs to be priorities. In a life and death situation, you must protect yourself first. With yourself safe, then you can save those most important to you. It’s very logical. Get yourself killed and there’s no protecting your loved ones.

Chapter 5: Money

Money

#745. Contrary to popular belief, the wealthiest people don’t tend to live extravagantly. In reality, they live well below their means and save up, while those who appear to be the wealthiest are often riddled with debt. How do you think you and your family might be able to live this truer definition of wealthy? If you came upon a lot of money, would you be prone to spend it quickly like these other seemingly affluent folks?

Money is what it is, but I live in the wilderness of Alaska in a little house in the middle of nowhere. Frankly, I can’t see myself changing much. With money, however, might come a new house – this one is starting to have unfixable issues. Money might also see me being able to have a few more book signings as well. It’s not easy coming and going from here. It’s about as expensive just to go to town as it is to hop a flight to some city half way across the country.

Chapter 6: Love and Entertainment

On the Road

#891. Where have you always wanted to travel and why? What’s the first thing you would do when you got there?

I’ve always wanted to go to Scotland and England. I’ve always wanted to explore all those old castles I see pictures of.

Chapter 7: Mixed Bag

Air Travel

#937. Have you ever taken a helicopter tour of a city or island? If so, write about your experience about seeing the world from a much different view.

I work at a fishing lodge and one of our guests would come in his own helicopter. He brought his brothers to go fishing but he loved flying better. He’s taken me on more than one ride, but my first is probably my most exciting. I’m not sure what it is about helicopters, but I think it’s the rotor overhead. I’m not one to get airsick but in a helicopter I tend to feel dizzy. Like I said there’s no reason for it, I just need to steel myself for the feeling. This guy flies with a smooth and sure hand, no funny business – all safety. It’s an awesome experience. I’d fly with him every chance I got. I wish I could afford lessons – he teaches too.

Writer's Block or Procrastination

So exactly what is writer's block? According to Wikipedia, it can be as minor as a temporary interruption in productivity or as bad as a complete abandonment of writing altogether. The writer can simply run out of inspiration, or it can be that the work is simply beyond the writer's ability; I've run into that one a time or two. There are also as many coping strategies as there are writers having this problem. You need to fish around and find what works for you.

I discussed my first confrontation with this issue here. Ultimately I went back and rewrote that part, and the story continues to flow now. The interruptions are still in place, and even more have been added, to include a paid editing project I've been working on lately. So Druid Derrick may be my biggest project; it is also my longest ongoing project. But I hope to have it finished one day relatively soon.

So, do you have a block sitting right in the middle of your writing? I think it happens to all of us at some point and to some degree. I have found that the myriad of distractions in our lives can be the biggest blocks, taking the form of a type of procrastination. I know, ever since I got internet and started promoting my books and socializing, my disturbance-free window for new creation is very small. Many of my writer friends lean on music to inspire them and maybe help set the mood; I happen to find the noise distracting. My husband is one of those people that simply has to have some kind of noise going in the background. If not the radio, then the TV as soon as the generator is running. Since the TV is sitting directly in front of me, only the width of the table away, it's quite a distraction. Given the opportunity, I get up early and write before anything else gets turned on (and before my husband gets up). Sometimes I'll get up in the middle of the night when an idea won't let me rest.

I like to give my stories their own life, and a life needs attention just like any child you're trying to raise to a strong, self-sufficient adult. If you don't give this life enough attention, it will be less than it could be. Also, as a 'life', sometimes you might want to go in one direction but your story simply insists on going another way. My advice is to listen to your story. Most of the time, it really does know best. It's another way of saying 'listen to your subconscious mind'. If you're not comfortable with a scenario, change it. If you are still stuck, shoot the idea at anyone, me if you like, I'm a good sounding board. More often than not, either an idea will ring true with you, or the mere act of asking will turn on the light in a dark room and a new idea will occur to you all of your own.

My issue with Druid Derrick was something of a redundancy. At first a traditional Christian marriage that would make her parents happy, and then a druid marriage my character would see as far more binding. I did all the research. I had it all planned out, but it was like my character had simply dug in his heels and refused to go forward with it. There is also the issue of redundancy, and though the ceremonies would be drastically different, there was still the issue of getting married twice. What was the point? What was the real value to the story? Through the course of this story, it became my window into today's druid society, but though a druid ceremony would have been interesting, in truth, Derrick's wife is a very secondary character and the second ceremony would have been overdoing it. It's still something that might happen, but really I don't think so. There's already a lot of things planned for this book, and this particular issue has been semi-permanently shelved. You never know, a birth is expected, Derrick might want to cement his relationship over that. We'll have to see. At the moment, he's still learning how to socialize. He's reached a point in his druid life where he can no longer afford to hide, nor does he need to; he's a big boy now.

What is your strategy for dealing with Writer's Block. Do share; it might help someone else.

My Writer's Block

Since Druid Derrick is unfinished, I haven't talked about it much. Not since March before last has there been a post about this story. In fact, there hasn't been much work on anything new for quite some time. Promoting my book, being social, building a fan base (I hope), not to mention my personal life and a couple Facebook games I spend way too much time playing, tend to get in the way of actual writing.

I have thought about this book a lot, in fact one scene plays through my mind over and over. When I get there it will pour out of my mind like water from a faucet. But first I have to get there. You see, I have a dilemma. Writer's block, to me has always meant that I'm trying to push my character in a direction he really doesn't want to go. Should I continue to claw my way past this, or should I do some rewriting and make some rather major changes?

My character is in a relationship that started out as a measure to protect her life. Though there is plenty of love, anything close is, and always will be, impossible. To further her protection, she needed a name change and a location change. To hide the danger from her family and friends they got married, but my character isn't a Christian so I thought it only proper they have a Druid Joining as well. This is where I'm having my problem.

Since the relationship, marriage not withstanding, will always be distant, should I go ahead with the Druid Joining or not? Or should I go back and rewrite the whole relationship, tone down the love or even make it only a friendship, make her an object of protection only and no marriage at all? That means I'll have to think of another way for her to have a name change and another reason for her to move to the other side of the country.

Derrick goes to great lengths to be neutral in all things. He sees it as his duty to protect his grove and all the secret, sentient citizens within his reach - the centaurs village, the entrance to the dwarf and gnome caverns and the dryads that people his grove among others. With a few exceptions, humans are not included under his protection. One woman and her daughter are the majority of those exceptions. A police detective and his partner are tolerated, but only if they don't intrude too far or push too hard.

Shortly before this latest relationship, the one that's giving me so much trouble, Derrick has been going through an emotional roller-coaster, and maybe it's too much for too long. I suppose I could have him simply change his mind. What do you think? There is a spell on his place still in effect that prevents anyone from telling lies. It would work on him too.

Currently, I've decided to read through another of my works, and then I think I'll read through the last part of this one and see what I can do. Any suggestions would be most welcome. I would even really welcome someone who has the time to read through the whole thing and give me some feedback. There's nothing like another pair of eyes behind a different brain.

Writer's Block - What are Your Solutions?

I never really understood writer's block. There are so many different definitions. For me, it sounds like the writer ran up against a big blank wall and they simply can't write their way around it. I've never had much of a problem with the issue. The closest thing that qualifies are the minor stumbling blocks of how do I get my character from point A to point B. But, where a straight path won't do, a crooked path will, and sometimes my character has to go way around the issue to get to point B and beyond.

Where do you come up with the ideas for your next book? When you finish with the manuscript that has consumed all your free time for months if not years, what do you do next? This too is no problem for me. I give myself a rest for a day or two, or as long as I can stand it, and then I go to my 'Ideas' folder and pick one to work on. Where do these ideas come from? You may laugh, but I have really quite vivid dreams and many of my current manuscripts were generated from them in one way or another. Ever since I have started to jot those dreams down, I have accumulated over 25 assorted scenes and ideas. Some of them have seen some development, but most of them are merely the dream as I've been able to paint it on the paper.

Images, information and knowledge can sometimes be difficult to convey into words but I do my best. Last night was one of those nights. I was woken at around 4:30 rather abruptly after feeling a knife rammed into my back. There was no going back to sleep after that, so I got up and wrote down the dream. For your enjoyment, here it is. It needs a little fleshing and maybe some names, but then it's only an idea at this point. I look forward to your comments.

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Pixies

As man expanded into space they left their fantasies and fairytales behind, or at least they thought they did until they ran across a race that called themselves Pixies. That wasn’t exactly the right word, but it was as close as the human tongue could get to pronouncing it.

Pixies were the embodiment of playful trouble, and like their ancient namesake, they could accomplish thievery and pranks of all sorts with a sprinkling of pixie dust and a mischievous giggle. It was because of pixies that humans developed jetpacks that guided with a mere thought and eye lenses that saw into the infrared as well as sound waves.

Pixies, however, were a small agile people, and even with such advancements, catching them was nearly impossible. Pixies were like small children that had been stretched. They were fine boned to the point of looking fragile, and yet lithe and tough like a cat. Their pointed ears and slanted purple eyes completed the picture, making anyone who saw them wonder about the truth of fairytales.


Three men chased three pixies across a planetary landscape, the pixies always just within sight, their giggles leading the men on. These pixies had raided the same outpost many times. Their pranks were never life threatening, and what had been stolen had always been recovered eventually, usually undamaged, but such impunity had to be stopped, and so the chase covered miles each time.

The chase came to a river, as each man burst from the underbrush, a pixie giggled, sprinkled a pinch of sparkling pixie dust, and created a tiny speeder and leapt off into the sky, the human in hot pursuit. The third pixie waited for a second longer, watching, smiling, as her pursuer came close. Then she turned to dive into the water, feigning a near stumble. This time she’d let him catch her; she had long hungered to feel his strong arms around her. She was the reason the raids had gone on for so long. He was the reason she kept coming back.

She got her wish. His jets on full thrust, he caught her in midair. Spinning, he kept her from escaping into the water. She wrapped her arms around him and her legs too. She buried her face in his neck feeling the course stubble of his unshaven chin and the hot pulse in his neck. She pulled herself as close as she could, a hand feeling up the back of his neck, her fingers finding their way into his sweaty hair.

She made a grave mistake though. She didn’t understand human anger. Furious beyond reason, the man ended the chase by plunging a knife into her back. Only then did the man realize all the things that had gone before. She tipped her head back and looked up at him, her mouth open in surprise, now rimmed with blood, her purple eyes gone dark with confusion.

“Why did you let me catch you?”

She gasped a wet breath. “Because I love you.” And then she went limp.

He pulled the knife out and threw it away, then he hastily brought them back to the sandy riverbank, giving no thought to a safe landing, they tumbled and rolled, her limp body clutched in his arms, tears causing the sand to stick to his face.

They had only just come to rest when he heard a wailing cry from above. He spotted one of the other pixies streaking in to land with a sparkle of pixie dust as his speeder vanished, leaving him running across the sand toward them without so much as a bump.

He knelt down beside them as the man attempted to disentangle himself from the fragile creature he had just killed. The pixie touched the blood on her back and looked up at the man. “What have you done?”

The man could only shake his head. One by one, the others landed and gathered around as the pixie produce a small pouch in a shower of pixie dust, and from it sprinkled red pixie dust onto the wound. “If she will live for another minute, she may still survive,” he said as he carefully straightened her limbs and lovingly fingered her hair into order.


She opened her eyes to the glow of a campfire. A soft blanket was tucked up under her chin and around under her head and she felt hot. Sitting across the fire from each other was the slight pixie and the man.

For the first time in her life, she felt a profound sorrow. The pixie loved her with all of his heart. She knew this to the depths of her soul. But she had flirted with a human - a match that could never be.

She rolled over and sat up, pushing the blanket away and breathing in the cool night air. Off to the side she spotted the pile of plunder they had taken this time. The game was done; it wasn’t fun any more. At her movement both men looked at her; the others had already left. She went to the pile and with a wave of her hand and a scattering of sparkling pixie dust that lit the pile for a moment, she added her plunder to it.

The men’s eyes never left her, she had to choose and there really was only one choice. She went and stood beside her childhood friend, resting a hand on his shoulder. She gazed across the flames at the human she’d been able to touch just once. “We won’t bother you again.”

The human stood, as did the pixie; their standoff would not easily pass. “I’m sorry.”

The pixie turned to lead her away but she hesitated. With a parting sigh she said, “Blood is a time for sadness.” Then she followed her companion into the darkness.

The man watched them go, the thin moonlight making them possible to follow only because of their motion, then there was a brief burst of pixie dust sparkles, and they were gone.