Writer’s block—it happens to the best of us. But sometimes, all it takes to get the words flowing again is a little inspiration. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just beginning your creative journey, these writing exercises will push you to think outside the box and experiment with new storytelling techniques. Get ready to reignite your creativity and break through the barriers holding you back!
Try all the writing exercises below or choose the ones that resonate most with you—there are no rules, just writing!
1. Using Nonfiction to Spark Your Fiction
Some of the best fiction is rooted in reality. Nonfiction books—whether memoirs, self-help, or investigative journalism—offer valuable insights, details, and emotions that can add depth to your stories.
Think about a nonfiction book that deeply impacted you. Maybe it’s Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, which teaches negotiation tactics that could inspire tense dialogue in your novel. Or perhaps it’s The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck, which explores personal transformation and could help shape your protagonist’s journey.
Exercise: Choose a nonfiction book that strikes you. What lessons does it offer? How could you weave those lessons into a fictional story? Write a scene where a character grapples with one of these ideas in their own life.
2. Overheard Conversations
Next time you’re in a public place—a coffee shop, a park, or a train—listen to the conversations around you. Even a few words can spark an entire story.
Imagine you’re at a Chinese restaurant, and at the table next to you, a woman tells a man that her mother is coming to town and wants them to meet. He replies without hesitation, “I’ll be busy that day.”
Exercise: Write a story about this couple. Who are they? What is their history? Why does he immediately shut down the idea? Is there tension, humor, heartbreak? Let their conversation guide you.
3. The Advice That Changed Your Life
Advice is powerful—it can shape our decisions, beliefs, and futures. Sometimes, a single phrase sticks with us forever.
Exercise: Think of one piece of advice that changed your life. Who gave it to you? Why did it resonate? Now, write a scene where your character hears this advice for the first time. How do they react? Do they accept it or fight against it?
4. A Warning from the Future
What if you could glimpse tomorrow’s troubles before they happen? Imagine checking your email and finding a message from yourself—24 hours in the future. The email warns that something bad is coming, and you have one day to stop it.
Exercise: Write this scene. What does the email say? Do you believe it? What actions do you take? Is the warning vague or specific? Play with suspense and urgency to build tension.
5. The Inner Thoughts of Others
If you could hear the thoughts of any group of people or animals, who would you choose? Would you listen to politicians to uncover their secrets? Animals to understand their instincts? Strangers on the street to glimpse hidden lives?
Exercise: Choose a group and write a scene where your protagonist suddenly gains this ability. How do they react? Do they enjoy it or find it overwhelming? What unexpected truths do they uncover?
6. Blood in the Garden
You step outside into your garden and freeze. Blood is everywhere. The vibrant red stains the green leaves, the earth, your hands as you touch the ground.
Exercise: What happened? Is it animal blood? Human? Was there a fight, an accident, a supernatural event? Write the scene as if you’re experiencing it in real time—focus on sensory details, emotions, and the rush of discovery.
7. Writing in Second Person
Most stories are written in first or third person, but the second-person perspective (“you”) forces a different kind of storytelling. It creates immediacy, putting the reader inside the character’s skin.
Exercise: Write a short scene in the second person. Maybe “you” are being chased, receiving a mysterious letter, or reliving a childhood memory. The unfamiliar style will push you to write in a new way.
8. Your Darkest Secret
Everyone has secrets—things we’ve done, thoughts we’ve had, moments we wish we could erase. Some are small embarrassments, others are buried deeper.
Exercise: Write about a secret—yours or an imagined one. Maybe it’s something a character did as a child that still haunts them. Maybe they witnessed something they were never supposed to see. Let the fear, guilt, or relief spill onto the page. You don’t have to share it with anyone, but write with honesty.
9. Writing from the Perspective of an Inanimate Object
What if your story’s narrator wasn’t human? A haunted mirror, a forgotten love letter, a stray dog’s favorite stick—each object holds stories.
Exercise: Choose an inanimate object and write from its perspective. What does it see, hear, and feel? What secrets does it know? This unusual viewpoint can reveal unexpected stories.
10. The Impossible Choice
Your character faces an impossible decision—two options, both with heartbreaking consequences. Maybe they must choose between saving a loved one or a hundred strangers. Maybe they must tell a painful truth or protect someone with a lie.
Exercise: Set up this moral dilemma in a short story. Make both choices equally compelling and difficult. What does your character decide? Do they regret it? Play with emotion and tension.
Final Thoughts
Writing exercises like these help unlock new ideas, deepen storytelling skills, and break through creative blocks. Some prompts will lead to full stories, while others might simply get your mind moving—but all of them will make you a stronger, more imaginative writer.
