Writing Room: Freestyle
Tuesday 15th March 2016: Freestyle.
It’s all about just letting yourself write today. Set a timer for ten minutes.
Using the word ‘block’ as inspiration, write solidly for ten minutes. Don’t think, just write.
It’s up to you whether you read what you’ve written once you’re done.
How did that go?
by 
Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Stranger Than Fiction
Friday 11th March 2016: Stranger Than Fiction
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt: Pick a book you’ve recently read. It doesn’t have to be one that you liked. The plot of this book has suddenly become your character’s reality. What is your character like, how do they react and what happens to them?
by Writing Room: Working on Plot
Tuesday 8th March 2016: Working on Plot.
For today’s writing room, write down eight major plot points on your current work in progress, (you can use a published novel if you prefer,) onto individual cards and lay them in the current order.
Once you’ve put them in order, spend five minutes moving them around and putting them in different orders.
Has this improved the plot sequence of your novel/story? Is there anything you need to add or take away?
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Genie in a Bottle
Friday 4th March 2016: Genie in a Bottle.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt: Your character finds a genie in a bottle. He is granted the usual three wishes. He can only spend the wishes on himself and he must make them. He can’t just decide to change his mind and put the genie back in the bottle. However, there is also a further catch. For every piece of fortune your character bestows upon himself, it means misfortune for someone else.
by Writing Room: Looking Back
Tuesday 1st March 2016: Looking Back.
Today’s workshop is going to be using dialogue. Pick one of your characters from your current work in progress. It doesn’t have to be the main character. It can be the villain. If you’d prefer, pick a character from one of your favourite novels. Using just dialogue, have this character have a conversation with their younger self. Think about the circumstance in which they meet – setting etc. What would they talk about?
If you feel like you want to share your work, post in the comments below.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Knowing Your Enemy
Friday 20th February 2016: Knowing Your Enemy.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
For today’s prompt, write about when your character swaps places with an enemy and they have to work together to get swapped back.
by Writing Room: Betrayal
Tuesday 23rd February 2016: Betrayal.
Today’s prompt: There are two people sat at opposite sides of a table. The setting and whether there are people around them is up to you. One of them has betrayed the other. Write 300/500 words from the person who has been betrayed and then do the same but from the other persons point of view. Do the accounts differ in any way?
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Overhearing
Friday 20th February 2016: Overhearing
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt:
Your character suffers severely from OCD. After hitting his/her head, he/she discovers that they can hear other people’s thoughts and they accidentally hear plans for an upcoming alien invasion.
by Writing Room: Introducing Your Characters
Tuesday 16th February 2016: Introducing your characters.
Today’s Prompt:
Something I am realising as a first time author is getting to know your characters is really important before sitting down to write. Today, write down five facts about your character and use these to write a bio about them. Write it in the first person as though they are telling someone about themselves. Make the facts go beyond their physical features. For example, what song do they like? What’s their earliest memory etc.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Fish Out Of Water
Friday 12th February 2016: Fish out of Water
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: Your character is usually a confident person. However, they suddenly find themselves completely out of water and in a situation they don’t know how to deal with. Maybe they’ve realised that they can’t speak (the charm of their voice is usually what worked for them,) or they go from being rich to poor or lucky to unlucky. Anything goes.
by Writing Room: Confessions Prompt
Tuesday 9th February 2015: Confessions.
Your character is shown into a room. There is a circular table in the middle the room with six chairs around it. Eventually, five other people are shown into the room. These five people along with your character are told to take a seat. They are each told that they are connected and they need to confess what they have done to the people around them. Carry on the story….
by Writing Room: Fictional World
Tuesday 19th January 2016.
Today’s prompt: Fictional World.
Pick a fictional world or a fictional character. When your character wakes up one morning, they find themselves either in this fictional world or sitting next to this fictional character. What are they like? What do they get up to? What happens next….
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Message in a Bottle
Friday 8th January 2015: Message in a Bottle
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: Your character is walking along the beach and cuts their foot on a piece of glass. On closer inspection, they realise that it is from a bottle that is laying nearby. There is a piece of paper with a message on it inside the bottle. Write about what happens next. What’s the message?
by Writing Room: Helping Out
Tuesday 1st December 2015:
Today’s prompt:
Your character works for a secret agency and has a secret identity to match. As a favour, they agree to pretend to be someone’s love interest to help them out at a family gathering and it all gets a little out of hand. What happens? Does the identity of your character get revealed?
by Writing Room: Identity Crisis
Tuesday 17th November 2015: Identity Crisis.
Today’s Prompt:
Your character works as a waiter/waitress in a small greasy spoon in the middle of a busy town. They have no family and only a small group of friends. However, one day a stranger walks into the cafe. They look identical to your main character. Write in third person. Try to write mostly in dialogue. Continue…
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Another Unlucky Day
Friday 13th November 2015: Another unlucky day
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt:
It is Friday 13th and for some, that is unlucky. How about if your character has to keep reliving it but for every mistake he sees coming, another one soon takes its place. Nothing is the same. Why does he keep repeating the day and what does he have to do to escape it?
by Writing Room: A Nice Event
Tuesday 10th November 2015.
Today’s prompt:
There are many stories that begin with an unpleasant thing or event. How about beginning your story with a nice event? Maybe your character sees someone they have been excited to see? Maybe someone gains something they’ve always wanted? Pick a nice event and write from there. Once you’ve finished, have a read through? Did your story remain nice or did something bad or sinister happen?
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: A Picture Paints…
Friday 6th November 2015: A Picture Paints….
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt:
Use the picture for a story. What does the picture inspire? Maybe your character is meeting someone?
Maybe whenever they take a step forward, the horizon seems to stay at the same distance and everything depends on them getting to the other end?
Where is this? Has your character travelled far to be here?
Have they just appeared here out of nowhere and people surrounding them think they are magic or are they scared of them?
Has your character travelled back in time?
What you choose is up to you. Just have fun.
by Writing Room: Finding Inspiration Prompt
Tuesday 3rd November 2015:
Today’s prompt:
Find some magazines or go through some online news sites/magazines. Cut out or save any pictures or stories that catch your eye and inspire you. Once you’ve got a few, go through and pick three of the articles/pictures that most inspire you. Try and include these three things in a short story.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Favourite Fictional Character
Friday 23rd October 2015: Favourite Fictional Character
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt:
Pick your favourite fictional character. You have suddenly found yourself in their world, surrounded by the characters around them. What if you were transported to middle earth or you suddenly find that you are Harry Potter’s best friend? What if you suddenly found yourself in a post apocalyptic world and you had no choice but to have a baby for an infertile couple?
Whatever character you chose, how would you live their story?
by Writing Room: Changing the Tense
Tuesday 20th October 2015.
Today’s Prompt:
Today is all about changing the tense. Take a page out of your favourite fiction novel. Rewrite the first few paragraphs changing the tense as you go. If it’s past, change it to present and vice versa.
How was it? How has it changed the story. If you want to, try it with a section of a work in progress and see if it helps in any way?
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Carrying on the Story
Friday 16th October: Carry on the Story….
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt:
Use the following first line as a starting point and then try to carry the story on as long as you can.
‘Congratulations, you’ve won.’
by Writing Room: Working Backwards Writing Prompt
Wednesday 14th October 2015.
Today’s prompt:
Begin a story from the last line and work backwards. You can either start something new or use the current project you’re working on (something you’re maybe struggling with?) If you need inspiration for a story, here are some suggestions below:
A wizard, a London flat and the secret of life is revealed.
A gambling addict, train and a character overhears a shocking conversation.
A parent, the dock and a character must tell a lie.
If you’d like to share your work, feel free to leave it in the comments below.
by Writing Room: Continuing the Story…
Tuesday 6th October: Continuing the Story…..
Today’s prompt:
Continue on the story by using the following opening line. Also, your two characters are called Charlie and Alison. The setting and when the story is set is up to you. Don’t think about it, just set a timer for fifteen minutes and write. Once you’re finished, edit it and cut the word count by half. If you’d like to share your story then I’d love to see them in the comments below.
Use the following line as your starting point, ‘There are two times when you need to stay absolutely still. The first time is…’
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Historical Figures
Friday 2nd October: Historical Figures
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: Pick four historical figures (all from different time periods) and place them at a round table. What would they talk about? Write this mostly in dialogue.
by Writing Room: Seeing Things Differently
Tuesday 29th September 2015: A Different Perspective.
Today’s prompt:
Today, it’s all about looking at the well-known stories and seeing them a different way. Place a famous nursery rhyme or fairy-tale into a modern-day setting. What if Jack didn’t fall by accident but Jill pushed him over a cliff? What if Cinderella was the one stopping her step sisters from going to the launch of a new nightclub where the famous young owner would be attending? What if Ariel was trying to bribe herself off an island where she was being held prisoner? There are many possibilities.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Time Travelling
Friday 25th September 2015: Time Travelling.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: Write a story that involves time travel in which you change a significant historical event.
by Writing Room: Rewrite and Edit Writing Prompt
Tuesday 22nd September 2015: Rewrite and Edit…
Today’s prompt:
We all have a list of novels that are our favourites and equally we have a list of ones we didn’t like so much.
Take a scene from either your favourite novel or one you didn’t like and rewrite it in under two hundred and fifty words. If you can’t pick, here is a list of suggestions:
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes.
The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins.
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Once Upon A Dream
Friday 18th September 2015: Once upon a Dream…
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt:
Using a dream you’ve recently had as inspiration, begin a story with the following line “the door to the vault was heavy.” You could always mix up a couple of dreams if you can remember more than one.
by Writing Room: Reworking Writing Prompt
Tuesday 15th September 2015: Reworking.
Today’s prompt:
Today, take a story you’re working on (maybe one you’ve been struggling with?) Rewrite a scene where a secondary character becomes the main focus rather than your current hero or heroine. If you’re not working on anything at the moment, pick a favourite novel and rework a scene from there (Harry Potter from Ron’s point of view? Mark’s point of view in Bridget Jones.)
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Investigations Writing Prompt
Friday 11th September 2015: Investigations
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt: Your character is a private eye and does not look like someone who would be one. They have got themselves into an unforeseen situation. Start with the line, ‘You will never get away with it.’
by Writing Room: It’s a Secret Writing Prompt
Tuesday 8th September 2015: Don’t tell anyone, it’s a secret….
Today’s prompt:
Your character is known to be a little bit of a gossip. After begging a friend for days to trust him/her with a big secret, your character accidentally tells the secret; blurting it out before he/she can stop themselves. It all starts to go wrong after that….
If you fancy sharing your story, feel free to post it in the comments below.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Enemy Swap
Friday 4th September 2015: Enemy Swap.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt: Enemy Swap. How about a different beginning of a day for your character. They end up swapping places with their arch-enemy and they need to work together to figure out how to swap back. Can they work together?
by Writing Room: Current Affairs Writing Prompt
Tuesday 1st September 2015 – Current Affairs.
Today’s prompt…
Pick up a newspaper or go online to any news site. Pick a news article that interests you and use that as inspiration for a story. Put in an unexpected twist. Try to write at least seven hundred and fifty words and feel free to share by posting in the comments below if you wish to.
Have fun.
by Writing Room: Another Galaxy Writing Prompt
Wednesday 26th August 2015: Another Galaxy.
Today’s prompt: Your setting is another galaxy where there is a small cluster of planets ruled by a council made up of one person from each.
Some of the planets have a human population and others are not. Your character is part of the council’s secret intelligence agency and you get information that could spell disaster.
Write a minimum of 1,000 words but names, the amount of planets etc is up to you. Have fun. Continue reading
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Mirrors
Friday 21st August 2015: Mirrors
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: Your character is cleaning a room. The relationship they have to that room is up to you whether it’s their room or a relative or friend or enemy. When cleaning the mirror, you find something hidden behind it. Begin with the sentence, ‘it fell to the floor.’ Carry on the story.
by Writing Prompt: Parents
Tuesday 11th August 2015: Parents.
Today’s prompt: When going through a parent’s things, you find a letter to you from them. The circumstances surrounding this are up to you. Could the parent still be alive and the letter unearths something prematurely? Who knows. Try and write a minimum of five hundred words.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: CSI Writing Prompt
Friday 7th August 2015: CSI
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: Your character, male or female is a crime scene investigator and they have just got to a botched crime scene. What happens next?
by Writing Room – Secrets Writing Prompt
Tuesday 4th August – Secrets
Today’s Prompt: Use the following line as your first sentence and then try to write for a minimum of 500 words and a maximum of 1,500 words. You should have at least three characters in your story but what they are doing is up to you.
‘We had all kept the secret but now there was no going back.’
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Childhood Occupation
Friday 31st July 2015.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: Think of the occupation you wanted to do when you were a child. Now give your character that occupation. What if your character woke up one morning and found out he could talk to animals or was due to go up into space or was a fireman? Have fun.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Write it in a Letter
Friday 24th July 2015.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: Tell a love story in a letter. It could be a current love, a long lost love or a relationship between elderly relatives or friends. It could be a series of letters. It’s up to you.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Solving Problems
Friday 17th July 2015.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt: Whilst on a second honeymoon, a devoted family man solves a ten year cold case.
by Writing Room: Swapping Bodies
Tuesday 14th July 2015: Swapping Bodies
Today’s prompt: One day, your character wakes up in someone else’s body. Who is it they’ve woken up as? Where have they woken up? How would their life change? Write across one day and about the experience your character has in this new body? Do they try and go to see the people in their old lives and how do they react? Do they manage to get back to their own body?
Try to write between 500 and 1700 words.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Four People
Friday 26th June 2015.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt: Pick four people (it could be anyone.) Your character is having them around for dinner. What would the conversation be about? Do they all get on? Write this entirely in dialogue.
by Writing Room: Take a Letter
Writing Room is our online writing group.
We post an exercise. Once you’ve written your piece, feel free to post it in the comments box below for discussion. Anyone is welcome to take part and it’s an opportunity to post work plus give and gain feedback.
Today’s exercise: Take a Letter…
Pick a character from a current work in progress or if you’re not working on anything at the moment, pick a character from a favourite book. Get them to write a letter. It could be to their nemesis or it could be a letter themselves to be opened in the future or it could be to their past selves. What would they say? What does it reveal about your character or the plot of your story. Could you use it in either what you’re currently writing or use it to begin a new story?
by Book Club
