10 writing prompts for the helpless romantic
I suppose I should start by telling you a little secret: I am bit of a helpless romantic. Ever since being very young, I’ve been dreaming of gallant farmers (I know, random) and dramatic plots. I’ve learnt to harness this trait now, and it now serves me in my writing, not dragging me into long day dreaming sessions. So, why don’t we look at some writing prompts for the helpless romantic?
Writing prompts should be short, but intriguing. Something that pulls us in. They should set off a story in our mind, and make our creativity race. Writing prompts shouldn’t be an entire story in themselves. They should simply inspire us to create something of our own. I hope these next prompts can do just that for you.
1:
“As she stood by the window, there was that old feeling: that perhaps he would appear down the road again, stop at her window, and ask her to ride with him – if only one more time.”
2:
“I didn’t know what it was like to be loved, and when I did, that word did not register in my mind.”
3:
“I was simply the daughter of a man who tended the gardens. How ironic, that the roses would one day be plucked for me.”
4:
“As she stood by the door, he longed to go to her, to ask her to stay. If only the doors hadn’t closed so fast on their love.”
5:
“Something in his eyes told her he was waiting for her to speak, but what to say to the King’s son?”
6:
“Her eyes overcame me, and from that moment, I never saw her the same again. She wasn’t simply someone from the other side, she was someone I loved from the other side.”
7:
I came to her at midnight, by the clock, like we’d agreed. But when I saw Margarite I knew something had happened.”
8:
“As they closed the car door on her, I gasped through the blows as I found her eyes before they disappeared…forever?”
9:
“He and her were as unmatched as the earth and sky. He of the red clan, and her the blue. Love has never followed colours though, but hearts.”
10:
“Our footsteps thundered down the marble halls as those black figures chased us. Somehow, it made no difference that they were there. I knew he would find a way.”
Each of these prompts have hundreds, or thousands of possible stories. Will you be the one to write one?
What if I’m not looking for a story idea?
Not only are writing prompts helpful when searching for a new story idea, I think they can be used through all stages of the writing process. Thus, if you have already written your first draft, these writing prompts can be used through the editing process.
Developmental editing involves so much writing within it. Adding scenes, lengthening dialogue, etc. Writing prompts are useful when trying to come up with alternative scenes, or adding entire new chapters.
I am finding that during my developmental edits, there are lots of times when I need inspiration and new ideas, possible routes that I can go with my plot. I changed out some repetitive scenes for something new. Every time I was questioning what to replace something with, or what to add, I had to come up with entire new scenes. This can get tricky, especially if you are doing lots of it (trust me, editing an entire book is not for the faint of heart!).
While we can always come up with our own scene ideas, sometimes we need some help (or would simply like some help). Furthermore, writing prompts are fun, and can give us new ideas that we wouldn’t have come up with on our own.
Because I would like to be honest with you, I will say that I have not yet used writing prompts in my developmental editing. The idea sort of came to me as I write this post. Don’t worry though, I have an entire new round of edits coming up where I can try it out and test this tip!
What should I do with these prompts?
If you are wanting to start writing a brand new book, these prompts could be a great way to inspire some idea regarding your project. Stay tuned for future posts, there is one coming up soon all about what to do when you get a new story idea. I’m going to teach you all about what to do with that idea, and also where to go next. I’ll try link it here when it is published. If you need some advice right now, check out Abbie Emmons on Youtube. She is a great teacher who I really enjoy.
Saving these writing prompts as pins on Pinterest is a great way to save the inspo for later. You could also take one of the prompts and turn it into your lock screen. Motivation every time to you open your phone (and a great reminder to write each day). Simply reading through the prompts and being inspired in this moment might be all you need.
I hope these prompts have made you want to write that book of your dreams. One the helpless romantic in you longs for. I know that for me, seeing writing prompts on Pinterest growing up really sparked that passion for story in me. Even though I haven’t used those prompts in my writing, just seeing them was to intriguing. Let’s all create beautiful things together.
If you would like to learn more about writing, feel free to browse more blog posts here , or contact me if you have any questions. You can also find me on YouTube at The Windy Wildflower, or the podcast at The Windy Wildflower Podcast. We talk about writing, songwriting, and being a Christian creative in all these places. I also have a free writing resource you can grab on this website here! Join me on the journey of learning to glorify God with our creativity and making dreams a reality.
Till next time,
Nika
