Memorable Gifts

What is the best gift your character ever received? What is the worst? What, specifically, made these gifts memorable, and (if they're objects) does s/he still have them?

Avoided Places

Most of us have places we don't like to go. For five minutes, write about a place your character tries to avoid and why s/he stays away from it.

Stressed Out

People often act differently when they're tired or anxious. For five minutes, write about what your character does or says in times of fatigue and stress that s/he might not do or say ordinarily.

Distinct Voices

Write a scene between your main character and his/her closest confidante using only dialogue. Make sure to make each character's voice distinct so it's easy to follow the scene without being told who's speaking.

Favorite Food

What is your character's favorite food? What specific memories, places, or people does s/he associate it with?

Speech Patterns

We all have words and phrases we tend to overuse (often without realizing it). Make a list of the words and phrases that tend to pop up in your character's speech.

Confrontation

If your character had the chance to confront someone, who would it be and what would s/he say to that person?

Escape

We all need a break sometimes. For five minutes, write about what your character does to get away from "real life" for a little while.

Disguises

Thanks to Halloween, I've been thinking about disguises. If you (or your character) could become someone else, at least for a little while, who would that "someone else" be and why?

Secrets

Write about something your character has never told anyone. What would happen if someone else found out about this secret?

Forgotten Object

Your character is a half hour away from home when s/he remembers an object s/he left behind. For five minutes, write about the object that's so important, your character would go back home to get it.

Scent Memory

Memories are often triggered by a familiar scent. For five minutes, write about a memory you (or your character) associate with a specific smell.

Rewriting the Past

Everyone has conversations they wish they could go back and change. Try rewriting a conversation you had with someone, making it play out the way you wish it had.

Omit Needless Words!

As William Strunk, Jr. often said: "Omit needless words!" Take a page of your writing (or someone else's) and cut out any unnecessary words. Try to get as much meaning into as few words as you can.

Reading

Often characters are too busy in stories to have time to read, but their reading habits can tell us a lot about them. For five minutes, write about your character's reading habits and what his/her favorite book might be.

Sleep

Some people only need a few hours of sleep a night while others have to take daily naps. For five minutes, write about your (or your character's) sleeping habits.

Lies

Everyone lies; some people just do it more than others. For five minutes, write about a time when your character wanted to, or had to, lie.

Favorite Place

What is your (or your character's) favorite place? For five minutes write about this place and what makes it so special.

Superstitions

Superstitions can tell us a lot about a person. For five minutes, write about what you (or your character) are most superstitious about.

Speaking Photograph

Find a photograph of someone you don't know. For five minutes write from this person's point of view. Have the person tell us a little bit about him/herself. What does s/he like to do? What makes him/her interesting?

Dreams

Dreams let our minds run free which is why they can be great sources of inspiration for stories. For five minutes, write about a dream you had, putting in as many details as you can remember. Then, go over what you've written and mark any events or scenes from your dream that you might be able to use in a story.

Listening

Training yourself to listen to and remember what other people say can really help with writing. Make a list of at least five interesting things you've recently heard people say. Now mark the one(s) you think could be fun to put into a story.

Objects

Valued possessions can tell us a lot about a person. Think of an object that's important to you (or to one of your characters). Write for five minutes about why this object is special and what you (or your character) would do if it was lost.

Fears

So many stories play out because a person is afraid of something specific happening. For five minutes write about what you (or your character) are most afraid of and why.

What If?

Pick any everyday situation (e.g. making a sandwich) and flip it on its head by asking "What if?" For example, what if I went to make a sandwich and found out that all the bread was gone? In fact, what if all the bread in the world was gone? What would I do then? For five minutes write about your own "What if?"

One day...

Stories tend to begin with a specific incident. Starting with the phrase "One day," write for five minutes about something that happened to you or to one of your characters.

Moody Weather

Weather can have a huge effect on our moods. Write for five minutes about how the weather today has been making you act/think/feel.

I remember...

Many stories are inspired by memories. Starting with the phrase "I remember," write for five minutes about any memory that comes to your mind.