• Home
  • About
    • About Treefall Writing
    • About Melinda Tognini
    • Comments Policy
  • My Books
    • Many Hearts, One Voice
    • Tales From Our Home
    • Other Publications
  • Writing Comps & Opportunities
    • Opportunities for Young Writers
    • Writing Opportunities for All
  • Work with Me
    • Workshops
    • Mentoring & critiquing
    • Oral history
    • Working in schools
  • Blog
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Family history
    • Young writers
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
    • About Treefall Writing
    • About Melinda Tognini
    • Comments Policy
  • My Books
    • Many Hearts, One Voice
    • Tales From Our Home
    • Other Publications
  • Writing Comps & Opportunities
    • Opportunities for Young Writers
    • Writing Opportunities for All
  • Work with Me
    • Workshops
    • Mentoring & critiquing
    • Oral history
    • Working in schools
  • Blog
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Family history
    • Young writers
  • Contact
scroll down for more
young writers

7 Creative Writing Prompts for a New Year

Melinda Tognini January 7, 2020 No Comments

It’s a new year, and potentially a new decade, depending on your definition of when one begins and ends. My hope for you is that you’re able to kick creative year off to a good start, especially for those of you on school holidays and with time to spare.

However, I am also aware that life sometimes makes that difficult, such as the loss of a loved one, or the occurance of catastrophic events such as the current bush fires in Australia. If that’s you, then I hope you can extend some grace to yourself at this time. If you’re like me, though, and it’s simply your own procrastination in your way, then I hope these prompts will help you to simply begin.

1. Random words

Use the following random words in a piece of creative work, whether that be a poem, story or piece of artwork:

  • new
  • annual
  • kookaburra
  • hope
  • tea

2. Images

Create a piece of work prompted by this image:

Image is of a person standing on a wooden jetty looking out over a lake at sunset
[Image by enriquelopezgarre from Pixabay.]

3. A Line from Poetry

“If you wake at midnight, and hear a horse’s feet,
don’t go drawing back the blind, or looking in the street.”

Write the story of a character who doesn’t listen to this piece of ‘advice’. What happens next?? (This line of poetry comes from ‘A Smuggler’s Song’ by Rudyard Kipling).

4. Observation

Head out and sit in a place where there are other people. Create a list of brief descriptions of the people you observe. Choose two or three, and make up a reason they are here: Where did they come from, and why have they arrived here? Is it to meet someone? For work? For fun? Just passing through?

5. Objects

Select an object that is important to you. Write the biography of that object: how did you come to have it? Who gave it to you? Why is it important to you? Where do you normally keep it? What memories do you have that includes that object?

6. Lists

Create a list of places you’ve lived or visited. Be specific. It could be somewhere on the other side of the country, or the world, but it could easily be the park at the end of your street, or the BMX track you helped make as a kid, or the set of a school play you’ve involved in. Select one as the setting for a story, whether that be fiction or non fiction. Alternatively represent that setting in a piece of music or art work.

7. Current Reads

Pick up the current book you’re reading. Turn to page 42. Select the sixth sentence. Use this sentence as the beginning of a new story. Alternatively, include it in a poem, song or piece of artwork.

Over to You

Now it’s up to you: just begin.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Previous MAD Kids #1: Emilie on Saving Dogs and Sharing the Dignity
Next 7 Tasks for Memoirists and Family Historians to Kick Start the Year
Melinda Tognini

story-gatherer & mentor

Related Posts
Creative Writing Prompts: April March 31, 2025
Creative Writing Prompts: February February 4, 2025
Creative Writing Prompts: January January 7, 2025

Your comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsletter Signup

Sign up here to receive regular writing resources, research tips and creative prompts, as well as reading recommendations and MAD links.

 

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Privacy

Read my full privacy policy here , but essentially I promise to keep your information confidential and not pass on your details to any 3rd parties. Ever.

Blog Categories

  • Reading
    • Reading recommendations
    • 6 Degrees of Separation
    • Stories that matter
    • My story
    • Five Faves
    • Reading
  • Writing
    • Writing
    • Writing prompts
    • Writing quotes
    • Writing resources
    • Creating space for your story
    • Family History
    • Young Writers

What I’m Reading

goodreads

Australian Society of Authors

asa_logo_col

Latest Comments

Apologies for the late reply! I shall go check out your post - even the title is intriguing!
In 6 Degrees of Separation: From Orbital to Imperfect
I haven't read any of the books on your chain (though am reading Orbital currently) but love the clever links... And now adding Writer Laid Bare to my TBR.. my post is here - https://www.ladyinreadwrites.com/two-roads-diverged-in-the-words-with-trivia-twists-too/
In 6 Degrees of Separation: From Orbital to Imperfect
You're welcome! Thank you for being so generous with your time in answering my questions as well as all the incredible work encouraging creatives everywhere!
In Reflect. Simplify. Create: In Conversation with Amanda Viviers

Recent Posts

  • The Distance Between Dreams: In Conversation with Emily Paull
  • Creative Writing Prompts: April
  • Creative Writing Prompts: February
  • 6 Degrees of Separation: From Dangerous Liaisons to My Place
  • Creative Writing Prompts: January
  • 6 Degrees of Separation: From Orbital to Imperfect
Melinda Tognini (c) 2023 | Site by ICTECH