Ever since I started posting flash fiction in 2021, I’ve had a hankering to make my own prompt journal, and I am absolutely thrilled that my time has finally come.
I’m the kind of writer who has a notebook for absolutely everything. There’s something special about picking up a favorite pen and getting to unleash my brain on a contained blank spot in a guided journal. Maybe it’s a holdover from childhood; I used to love guided journaling activities when I was a kid. Whatever the reason, this is the Fantasy-writer version of all the books I filled out with sparkly gel pens when I was twelve: a 220-page prompt journal with fifty prompts and a whoooole lotta blank space.
If that’s the sort of thing that appeals to you, here are some more details about the prompt journal:
First off, it comes in both soft and hardcover, and looks like this:
Aaaaand here’s a quick description:
Short fiction writing prompts for fantasy writers—or anyone who wants to polish their craft while having fun.
Fifty Fantasy Prompts is a go-to, no-stress, no-pressure writing exercise to keep in your toolbox. Flash and short fiction writers can use the prompt journal for inspiration; novelists and epic writers can use it for warmups, character studies, a way to try out new styles . . . or a reason to set the big WIP aside for an afternoon while still working on craft.
The prompt journal is a fun way to get words flowing, and when it comes to using it, there are no rules.
Set a timer and stream-of-consciousness write. Use each prompt to craft a series of drabbles, or a little gem of flash fiction. Insert your own characters to work on their narrative voices or play with POV. Write fanfic. Try out any voice or style you like; the only thing you ‘must’ do is write.
You’ll find three types of prompts in this book:
- Plain ol’ written prompts that state a premise or ask a question
- “Quote” prompts in which one or more characters engage in dialogue
- Word-based prompts, which challenge you to incorporate two or three specific words into whatever you write
The prompts have a general Fantasy flavor to them, though some are more specific than others. Several blank pages follow each prompt, hopefully giving you enough space to explore it in a brief (flash) piece.
(If you need more than that, great—the prompt did its job inspiring you, and now you have a short story on your hands!)
Feel free to jump around, cherry-pick, work backwards, or approach the prompts in any way or any order you see fit. Remember: the only goal is to flex that writing muscle and get words on the page. So grab a pen, pour a cup of your favorite beverage, and let’s get started.
Interested in the prompt journal? You can get a copy right here.