Most writing prompts are designed to help you write. These are designed to help you say the things you've been carrying.
There's a difference. The first kind is about craft and output. The second kind is about unlocking something that's already there, waiting to be said.
Here are the prompts our members come back to most. They're organized roughly by how deeply they tend to go.
To get started (lower stakes, but still real)
- —Describe a summer from your childhood. Don't summarize it — be there. What did it smell like?
- —Tell them about a meal you'll never forget. Who made it? Who was there?
- —What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you get there? How do you feel about that?
- —What's something funny that happened to you that you've always wanted to tell someone?
To go deeper (the stuff that matters)
- —What's a mistake you made that you'd want them to know about — and what you'd want them to take from it?
- —Is there something you wish you'd said to someone you've lost? Say it here.
- —Describe a moment when you were really, truly scared. Not physically scared — scared in the deep way.
- —What do you believe in — really believe in — that most people around you don't?
To say the hard things directly
- —What do you want them to understand about the distance between you? Not to argue it — just to say it, as honestly as you can.
- —What's the most important thing you've learned about love? Not the pretty version — the true version.
- —If you could say one thing to them right now, knowing they were listening, what would it be?
- —What do you hope they know about you even if they never read a single thing you've written?
How to use these
Pick the one that makes you feel the most resistance. That's usually the one with the most in it.
Write for ten minutes without stopping. Don't edit as you go. Don't try to make it good. Just get it out of your head and onto the page.
Then save it. Even if it's not ready to share with anyone. Even if you don't know what to do with it. Save it.
That's enough for today.