From Writing Groups To Writing Prompts

When COVID-19 crashed into our consciousness back in March 2020, two writing groups I run in County Mayo, Ireland, were instantly crushed.

I began posting prompts and writing exercises on my blog, ostensibly to keep my beginner and improver writers motivated, but also to give myself  a creative challenge. I began by posting 42 daily prompts (with a nod to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams),  naively thinking that was all the time we’d need to get back to normal.

It wasn’t, so I then continued with weekly posts. By the end of 2020 there were 77 prompts and counting, and I’ve promised to continue until I’ve had enough, or someone insists I stop.

The prompts are intended to kick-start all kinds of new writing, short stories, flash fiction, drama, poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction, whatever.