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.