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Writing prompts

Drafts, edits, rewrites. For when the words exist but refuse to line up.

• creative Choose Between First Person and Third Person for Your Story

  Choose the right point of view for your story before you write yourself into the wrong one.

• creative Restart a Creative Project That Has Gone Stale

  Work out whether a stalled creative project is worth restarting or worth letting go.

• creative Plan a Long-Form Non-Fiction Piece Before You Start Writing

  Plan a long-form piece properly before you write yourself into a cul-de-sac.

• creative Build a Complex Character Through Contradictions

  Build a character whose behaviour is surprising and inevitable at the same time.

• creative Decide Whether to Abandon or Rewrite a Failed Creative Draft

  Work out whether your failing draft deserves a rewrite or an honest ending.

• creative Reframe Getting Stuck in the Middle of a Draft

  Diagnose why your draft stalled and work out what to actually write next.

• creative Reframe Creative Self-Doubt About the Quality of Your Own Work

  Work out whether your self-doubt about your creative work is useful or just noise.

• creative Critique the Structure of a Non-Fiction Essay

  Find out whether your essay's structure is carrying the argument or undermining it.

• creative Critique the First Chapter of a Novel Draft

  Get a straight read on whether your first chapter is actually working for a cold reader.

• creative Compare Two Ways of Structuring the Same True Story

  Choose between two ways of structuring your true story before you commit to one.

• creative Plot a Three-Act Short Story From a Single Idea

  Build a working three-act structure from an idea before you start writing.

• creative Choose a Title for a Piece of Writing

  Get five title options and a straight recommendation instead of agonising over it.

• creative Write a Personal Essay About a Specific Experience

  Turn a personal experience into an essay that means something beyond you.

• creative Write a Book Synopsis for a Query Letter

  Write the query letter synopsis that gets your manuscript read rather than passed.

• creative Learn to Read Like a Writer

  Learn to read analytically so good books teach you how they work.

• life Write an Annual Letter to Yourself You Will Actually Want to Reread

  Write an annual letter to yourself that is honest enough to be worth rereading next year.

• creative Explain What Show Do Not Tell Actually Means, With Examples

  Understand what show do not tell actually means instead of just hearing it repeated.

• creative Write a Product or Service Description That Does Not Sound Like Everyone Else's

  Write a product description that sounds like a person talking, not a spec sheet.

• learn Critique an Essay Draft for Academic Rigour and Argument

  Get a rigorous read on whether your academic essay is actually making its argument.

• life Write a Eulogy That Captures the Person Rather Than the Occasion

  Write a eulogy that is specific enough to honour who the person actually was.

• creative Critique a Poem for Form, Imagery, and Emotional Impact

  Get a close reading of your poem that tells you what is working and what to fix.

• self Write a Letter to Your Future Self in Five Years

  Write a letter to your future self that will mean something when you open it in five years.

• creative Write an Opening Line That Makes a Reader Stay

  Get five opening line options and a clear view of which one is doing its job.

• self Write a Personal Manifesto for How You Want to Work and Live

  Write a personal manifesto that is specific enough to actually guide decisions.

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