I genuinely believe that anyone can be a writer with a bit of encouragement and practice. The hard part for most people is figuring out where to start. At least, this is the impression I get from talking to people who have a story they want to tell but don't think of themselves as writers. There's a common pattern to these conversations. They'll come up to the table at a book fair and then start to tell me the idea they have for a novel, or all about the interesting family history they want to put down on paper, or the topic that they know inside and out and could absolutely write a book about. The coversation always ends with some variation of “but I can't write that, because I'm not a writer.“
My response to that is typically something akin to “you're not a writer yet.” Because they've already done the important part: coming up with the idea. Everything around that is just nuts and bolts. And yes, those nuts and bolts can be difficult and time-consuming, especially for people whose ideas are for book-length things. But there's no credential you need to earn or secret password you need to learn to join the writer club. You become a writer when you start writing, and everything after that just comes down to persistence and honing your craft. Writing also really is one of those things that it's never too late to start. Frequently, when I'm doing book fairs and other author events, at least one of the fellow writers there didn't write their first book until after they retired from their first career. And some of those folks now have half a dozen or more books on their tables, and have built themselves very successful second careers as authors, even if they'd never done a lick of creative writing before their 60th birthday.
I've been thinking about this particularly lately because I've been teaching a few workshops for those kinds of people who don't think of themselves as writers. So I figured I'd put a few of the prompts I developed for those courses up here in case they're useful for other folks out there who are writing curious but aren't sure exactly where to start.
Prompt 1: Family stories
When I talk to people who want to learn how to write, a common reason they give is that they want to record family stories and maintain that history and legacy for future generations. Even if that's not your reason for wanting to write, it can be a rich well to dip into for story ideas. Family stories come loaded with emotion, relationships, and history, all things that give them instant depth and complexity. They also check that classic writerly advice of writing what you know. This is something you've either lived through or that's a part of your family's identity, potentially one of those stories that gets repeated over and over as part of the family lore. And because these stories are so personal, that also imbues them with the kind of authenticity that makes characters feel three-dimensional and worlds feel lived in.
You might have a family anecdote leaping immediately to mind that's something you want to put down on paper. If so, set a timer for 10 minutes and aim to keep your pen moving for the entire time. Try to write the story exactly as you would tell it if you were telling the story to a new friend or partner who is learning about your family for the first time. Using that kind of conversational tone will help it to retain that feel of authenticity that I mentioned as one of the strengths.
If you don't have an immediate thought of a family story you can write, set a timer for 2 minutes and brainstorm a list of things that you see as defining your family. This could be its heritage and history, how you act together, foods you always eat, traditions or heirlooms that have been passed down, etc. Once you have that list, think about what family stories come up that encapsulate several of those defining traits, then set your timer and write one.
Prompt 2: Geek out
The coolest thing about fiction for me is the way it gives me this window into a world I couldn't possibly have ever experienced myself. Stories about niche areas of knowledge scratch this itch for me in a very satisfactory way. It's intriguing to get a glimpse into a world that you never even knew existed, much less knew the inner workings of.
Embracing your own unique areas of expertise as the foundation of your story can give your readers this same kind of experience. Partly because of that same authority factor I mentioned in the last prompt. There's a confidence that shines through when someone really knows a subject they're talking about. The reader feels like they're in good hands, and is able to just sink in and enjoy the story. It also enables you to use specific terminology and provide tangible sensory details. And, just as important, you're more likely to be having fun if you're writing about something that you find super interesting. Just like the confidence of knowledge, that kind of enjoyment comes through and makes the story more entertaining.
So to start this one, think about where you have particularly extensive knowledge or strong skills. And don't think you have to stick to things that feel like obvious topics for stories—in fact, I would say you can get the most interesting stories by writing about things that don't often get featured in fiction. This could be everything from what you do for work to your favorite hobbies to a TV show you have near-encyclopedic knowledge of.
Once you've brainstormed this list, pick one of those areas of expertise and:
Come up with a character who is also an expert in that area. Figure out their basic details: what's their name? How old are they? Where do they live? What do they do for work, and for fun?
Think of 3-5 scenarios in which this expertise would be beneficial for the character.
Think of 3-5 ways that expertise could cause problems or be a source of conflict. For example, if being an expert in accounting means their extended family treats them like a personal CPA, or if the money the character spends on their LARP-ing frustrates their frugal spouse.
Once you have all that groundwork in place, write a story that starts with a conflict that was caused by the character's expertise, and resolves with one of the scenarios you brainstormed where that same expertise is beneficial.
Prompt 3: Literary cover
I might be slightly biased here as someone who used to play professionally as a musician, but I've always found that music can be a great source of storytelling inspiration. A lot of the things that make songs fun to listen to are found in good stories, too—they evoke emotion, have a strong pace and rhythm, and give the person listening to or reading it a feeling of movement or progression from the start to the end.
Many songs can be mined even more directly for storytelling material. They often include places, characters, and events that can be repurposed into fiction. Think of it like doing a cover of a song you like, but instead of recording a new version of it, you're shifting it from one medium to another.
So to start off, think of what song you'll cover. This exercise will be easiest if you pick a song with lyrics, but you can also draw inspiration from an instrumental piece—it's just going to be more abstract and require you to generate more of the details.
Once you've picked your song, give it a close listen and jot down notes on the key details for you. This includes any characters or places featured in the song, any major plot points in the song's narrative, recurring or strong imagery, and more intangible details like how the song makes you feel. For the final step, re-combine these into a story version of the song.
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