What If? 31 Creative Writing Prompts for March

Here’s this month’s selection of What Ifs to help stimulate your writer’s brain. Let’s see what can you do with these! Some are deliberately vague or ambiguous so you can interpret them in different ways.

There’s one for each day of the month. If you need more, you might like our book
The Fastest Way to Get Ideas – 4,400 Essential What Ifs for Writers.

** NEW for 2017 ** We’ll be discussing these What Ifs in our Facebook group each day!
We’ll post each day’s What If in the group first thing in the morning (UK time) and we’ll post our thoughts (i.e. Dave’s thoughts) in the early evening, including how we think you could best turn it a story. We hope you’ll join in too – just leave a comment under that day’s entry.
Our Facebook group is open to everyone. Just go to the group and click on the Join button.

The What Ifs for January and February, including Dave’s thoughts about them, are already in the group. Here are the ones we’ll be discussing during March:

1. you saw your name spelled out in the sky?

2. you had the magic touch?

3. you didn’t have any favourites?

4. you could only taste one flavour?

5. ghosts definitely existed and lived among us?

6. everyone owned at least one bomb?

7. you could only see the colour blue?

8. you owned your own museum?

9. you woke up to find you had a tattoo on your face?

10. your experience was not the same as everyone else’s?

11. your mileage varied?

12. you signed a petition but it had unforeseen consequences?

13. your local undertaker was a notorious crook?

14. you stuck rigidly to your principles?

15. your teaching methods were ridiculed?

16. your grandfather took you to a secret shed and revealed something astonishing to you? (He may be dead, which makes the story more interesting!)

17. you were regarded as an easy target?

18. you were determined to make the list of the top ten most famous people of this century?

19. you witnessed a crime that didn’t happen?

20. you advertised a service you had no ability to do?

21. humans had nine lives?

22. all advertising was banned?

23. you could only write well when you were in pain?

24. you knocked a cyclist off his bike but didn’t hang around to see if he was okay?

25. you were given a second chance?

26. people started dying and the only connection was that they had been reading one of your books when it happened?

27. your home was haunted by a ghost that could see into the future?

28. your child kept inventing things?

29. you felt compelled to investigate an unsolved crime – and then discovered that you had committed it?

30. you could have prevented or avoided the problem but you let it happen anyway?

31. you made more money from failing at things than you did from succeeding?

If you’d like to send in a What If for us to discuss in the Facebook group please email it to: mail@ideas4writers.co.uk or leave a comment in the group.

If you’ve come up with a really great What If that you’re planning to use in a story and you’d like our thoughts on it, but without anyone else seeing it, we can do that too! (There’s a small charge to cover our time – and a 50% discount for lifetime members – see below.) Email us at the address above for more details.

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NEW: Discuss What Ifs in our Facebook Group

Dave Haslett, founder, ideas4writers

 

Hello fellow writers!

If you go to the ideas4writers Facebook group you’ll see an exciting new feature. Each day we’re choosing one of the What Ifs we posted on the blog at the beginning of each month, and we’re discussing it in depth, expanding and enlarging on it, and looking at the story possibilities in each one. I hope you find it useful. It’s certainly stretching my imagination!

The Facebook group is open to anyone who wants to join. Just go to the group and click the Join button and I’ll grant you access the next time I’m on Facebook. You don’t need to be a member of the ideas4writers website or the blog. Your friends can join too – just let them know where to find us. The more people who join, the better the discussions should be, and the more ideas we’ll get for bigger and better stories.

In case the link above isn’t working, the ideas4writers Facebook group is at: www.facebook.com/groups/ideas4writers

WEBSITE UPDATE

If you’re a member of the ideas4writers website, you might have spotted that our forum software has died. We’re going to redesign the site over the next few months, so it seems silly to replace the forum software with something else, only to have to scrap it again when the new site launches. So we’re using the Facebook group as our forum for now, and directing all our members there instead.

When the new website launches, the forum will be at the front of the site, not hidden away in the members’ section, so everyone will be able to use it.

DAVE’S NEWS

I hope you’ve made a great start to your writing in 2017. I have huge plans for the year, and I’ve made a big wall chart with all the projects and timelines I’ll be working on. It looks … scary. But just about doable with a lot of work (and no procrastinating).

You might know that I get most of my ideas while I’m out walking, so when I saw the Walk 1,000 Miles in 2017 challenge, I immediately signed up for it. As I write this I’ve just completed the walk for day 9 and my total so far is 33 miles (8 miles more than the target) so it’s going well – I could even afford to take a couple of days off. Snow is forecast for the end of the week, which might limit the walks for a few days. (But I’ll believe it when I see it – it rarely snows here.)

I’m planning to do some longer walks over the summer. There are about 50 walking routes through the Blackdown Hills, about 20 minutes from here, that I haven’t explored yet. I’m also part of a walking group, but they only walk on Wednesday evenings between May and August.

If I’m walking on my own (which is most of the time – the rest of the family are not walkers!) I take my phone and headphones with me and listen to podcasts to keep me company. They help the miles fly by, and don’t inhibit the flow of ideas. I have Evernote on my phone, so it’s easy to note down (or speak) each idea as it occurs, or take a quick photo, and file it in the relevant section.

The podcasts I listen to are: The Creative Penn, the Sell More Books Show, Write 2B Read, and a new one called the Book Launch Show. I also download and listen to the Radio 4 shows The News Quiz and the The Now Show when they’re on – but they’re not on at the moment.

I must leave you now as it’s 9 pm and I have a chapter to write before bedtime. I hope to connect with you in the Facebook group. Or I’ll see you here this time next week with 50 Newsworthy Anniversaries in July 2017 for you to write about.

What If? 31 Creative Writing Prompts for January

Happy New Year! Here’s this month’s selection of What Ifs to stimulate your writing brain. Let’s see what can you do with these! Some are deliberately vague or ambiguous so you can interpret them in different ways.

There’s one for each day of the month. If you need more, please take a look at our book
The Fastest Way to Get Ideas – 4,400 Essential What Ifs for Writers.

NEW for 2017: You can discuss these ideas further in our Facebook group!

What if…

1. you worked for a secret government department that rewrote history?

2. our only form of transport was motorised roller skates?

3. the schools in each community were at war with each other?

4. fathers brought up children?

5. you built a time machine that appeared to work, but it took you back to events that had never happened or forward to events that would never happen?

6. humans communicated by singing like birds?

7. students decided what they should be taught in school?

8. you were meant to write a new version of Planet of the Apes but you misheard it as Planet of the Grapes?

9. you were unable to fall in love?

10. you never wrote another word?

11. your guardian angel told you everything you must do and must not do?

12. your guardian angel was an idiot?

13. your guardian angel was at war with someone else’s guardian angel?

14. inanimate objects were thrilled when you used them correctly, but deeply upset when you didn’t?

15. everyone had their own personal alphabet?

16. there was always enough time?

17. you had too much spare time on your hands?

18. you had too much money?

19. you were too intelligent?

20. you were too beautiful or too handsome?

21. your writing was considered ‘too perfect’?

22. you went for a walk and never came back?

23. you did all the things that signs said you were not allowed to do?

24. people recognised each other by their smell alone?

25. everything was free?

26. you sent fake news reports to your local newspaper to make your community sound more interesting than it actually was?

27. you tried to make your community more attractive to a certain type of people?

28. you decided to create a monument that would baffle future generations?

29. you achieved your goal of playing games for a living?

30. you were debating whether or not to bring a child into this world?

31. you were at a TV studio where a (supposedly) real-life show was being filmed, and you discovered the secret scripts?

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What If? 31 Creative Writing Prompts for December

Hello! Here’s this month’s selection of What Ifs to stimulate your writing brain. Let’s see what can you do with these! Some are deliberately vague or ambiguous so you can interpret them in different ways.

There’s one for each day of the month. If you need more, please take a look at our book The Fastest Way to Get Ideas – 4,400 Essential What Ifs for Writers.

What if…

1. they evacuated Earth and you were one of the few who stayed behind?

2. you told someone you felt sorry for them, but didn’t get the reaction you expected?

3. you used a work skill outside of work?

4. you used something you’d learned in school that you thought you’d never have a use for in real life?

5. you defended the indefensible?

6. you were tricked into saying something in another language that didn’t mean what you thought it did?

7. your toilet was really hungry?

8. your toilet ate you?

9. vehicles only went where they wanted to go?

10. you had a secret identity – online, in the real world, or both?

11. you had your own think-tank?

12. you were hugely respected?

13. you were renowned?

14. you had a bit of a reputation?

15. you had a pair of glasses that enabled you to see ghosts?

16. you ended up in another country, with no idea how you’d got there?

17. your case was to be heard by the Supreme Court?

18. you had never lasted a full week (or even a full day) at any job?

19. you became an Olympic gold medalist?

20. NASA needed your expertise?

21. one of the intelligence services summoned you to join them for a month-long secret mission?

22. teenagers started using your name as rhyming slang for the latest swear word?

23. a product that your family had used for generations was revealed to be toxic – which perhaps explained their early deaths?

24. it was free to get in but you had to pay to get out?

25. you changed the main thing about yourself?

26. parents decided what their children should be taught at school?

27. you escaped into the fictional world of a novel but couldn’t get back out again?

28. every war had turned out the opposite way?

29. we all stopped learning at 8 years old?

30. the general public was paid to solve crimes?

31. Earth was the only planet and the Sun was the only star?

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What If? 31 Creative Writing Prompts for October

Hello! Here’s this month’s selection of What Ifs to stimulate your writing brain. Let’s see what can you do with these! Some are deliberately vague or ambiguous so you can interpret them in different ways.

There’s one for each day of the month. If you need more, please take a look at our book The Fastest Way to Get Ideas – 4,400 Essential What Ifs for Writers.

What if…

1. there was no oil on Earth?

2. there were no precious metals on Earth?

3. there were no precious gems on Earth?

4. all humans were deaf?

5. you were sued for more money than you were worth?

6. someone carried out a threat they had made against you?

7. you were bullet-proof?

8. you could stop bullets from being fired?

9. you were seconds away from launching your new book on TV/radio when the government sent a message to say they were banning it?

10. they had the wrong man (or woman)?

11. you didn’t know it worked like that?

12. you were regarded as a medical oddity?

13. people thought you were weird?

14. you shunned all medicines and pills?

15. you thought you were ready, but you weren’t?

16. you were prepared for anything … except that?

17. the one person you thought you could trust let you down?

18. it ended in a fist fight?

19. someone died at your workplace today?

20. you had to deliver a baby?

21. you had to perform surgery?

22. you failed to notice the hidden camera?

23. you made a list of impossible things and set about doing them?

24. you were a doctor to the dead?

25. the hospital called to say there had been a terrible mistake?

26. the police groaned whenever your name was mentioned?

27. your company was forced to recall a product you had produced?

28. your new product/invention saved people millions, but put an entire industry out of work?

29. they couldn’t wait to see what you had in store?

30. you were embarrassed at the way you used to be?

31. you were embarrassed at what you had become?

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What If? 30 Creative Writing Prompts for September

Hello! Here’s this month’s selection of What Ifs to stimulate your writing brain. See what can you do with these! Some are deliberately vague or ambiguous so you can interpret them in different ways.

There’s one for each day of the month. If you need more, take a look at our book The Fastest Way to Get Ideas – 4,400 Essential What Ifs for Writers.

What if…

1. you were actually a toy?

2. textbooks were written by people who’d failed their exams?

3. the fog cleared and everything was different?

4. it was closed to you but open to everyone else?

5. there was no wind?

6. there was a school where you could learn to do the impossible?

7. you were 3 seconds from disaster?

8. everyone would be calling you a hero tomorrow?

9. you would be on all the front pages tomorrow?

10. someone from your distant past was taking revenge on you?

11. you decided that 15 years was long enough?

12. everyone had forgotten by now?

13. you wrongly assumed that everyone had forgotten?

14. anything less than top marks was unacceptable?

15. top marks were unacceptable?

16. you were the victim of reverse discrimination?

17. it was well outside the margin of error?

18. the predictable became unpredictable?

19. you were recruited to work on a secret project that your boss knew nothing about?

20. a secret project you had been working on for years was finally revealed to the public?

21. the design/recipe had been changed without your knowledge?

22. you tried to publish a book that contained a banned sequence of words – but no one would publish it, nor would they tell you what the words were?

23. you were blacklisted because of your (real or supposed) religious or political convictions?

24. foreigners took over your neighbourhood, and they wanted you out?

25. every attempt you made to become a better person was thwarted?

26. you had more money than sense?

27. an alien walked past you in the street?

28. the animals all started speaking English?

29. it was the modern custom to greet people by yelling at them as loudly as possible?

30. everyone started muttering to themselves?

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What If? 31 Creative Writing Prompts for August

Hello! Here’s this month’s selection of What Ifs to stimulate your writing brain. See what can you do with these! Some are deliberately vague or ambiguous so you can interpret them in different ways.

There’s one for each day of the month. If you need more, take a look at our book The Fastest Way to Get Ideas – 4,400 Essential What Ifs for Writers.

What if…

1. you couldn’t remember anyone’s face?

2. you couldn’t remember anyone’s name?

3. you were petrified of the unknown?

4. it was the beginning of the end?

5. something had gone wrong with your insurance payments, but you didn’t find out until you needed to make a claim?

6. you got two words confused with each other, but they meant the opposite thing (e.g. always and never)?

7. you used the wrong homonym (e.g. no instead of know) and it had major consequences?

8. you became the head of a new religious order?

9. you formed your own political party?

10. you launched a coup?

11. anyone who touched your nose died (possibly because you killed them)?

12. no one was sure whether you’d actually gone through with it?

13. you always left them wanting more?

14. your message was open to interpretation?

15. you had a heart of glass?

16. you liked to toy with people’s emotions?

17. you and a rival repeatedly ousted each other from a position you both desired?

18. you took in a lodger?

19. every time you checked the calendar it was tomorrow already?

20. you conspired with a friend to get what you both wanted?

21. you conspired with an enemy or rival to get what you both wanted?

22. the authorities denied it had happened?

23. you needed a licence or a certificate to show you had passed a test – for everything?

24. your home was disintegrating but the local authority and/or insurance company prohibited you from doing any work on it?

25. your local newspaper only contained one new story each week?

26. newspapers, magazines and books contained as many repeats and re-runs as TV?

27. a computer dating system went badly wrong?

28. all government decisions and laws were determined by an online referendum that everyone could take part in?

29. healthy food was free?

30. a celebrity came to work with you?

31. a celebrity applied for a job with your company but was less well qualified than another candidate?

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What If? 31 Creative Writing Prompts for July

Hello! Here’s this month’s selection of What Ifs to stimulate your writing brain. See what can you do with these! Some are deliberately vague or ambiguous so you can interpret them in different ways.

There’s one for each day of the month. If you need more, take a look at our book The Fastest Way to Get Ideas – 4,400 Essential What Ifs for Writers.

What if…

1. you misled someone in order to get their permission?

2. she was there again this morning?

3. she didn’t turn up for the meeting?

4. you hated everyone?

5. you could no longer work with your colleagues?

6. no one had ever heard of you?

7. you could choose to have an extra birthday each year?

8. you could choose to have an extra birthday at certain periods in your life?

9. you could skip a year?

10. you could fast-forward through the boring bits of your life?

11. you could rewind/replay part of your life?

12. someone committed a crime against you while you were on a reality TV show being filmed by multiple cameras?

13. you won a Nobel Prize?

14. you were nominated (possibly by yourself) for every prize you could find?

15. no one could be that lucky?

16. no one could be that unlucky?

17. no one was scared of it?

18. everyone was afraid of it?

19. everything took care of itself?

20. you couldn’t see the point?

21. you shrank by an inch per year once you reached 30 years of age?

22. you agreed to play a small role in a student’s film – but the film became an absolute blockbuster?

23. everything electronic burst into flames if you went near it?

24. you clicked on an innocent-looking link on a reputable website and it got you arrested?

25. you were asked to identify a body?

26. you were asked to take part in a police line-up?

27. you appeared in court as an expert witness?

28. the thing you’d been dreading turned out to be far worse than you’d expected?

29. the thing you’d been looking forward to turned out worse than you could ever have imagined?

30. you had no imagination?

31. you could only remember things if you sang them?

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What If? 30 Creative Writing Prompts for June

Hello! Here’s this month’s selection of What Ifs to stimulate your writing brain. See what can you do with these! Some are deliberately vague or ambiguous so you can interpret them in different ways.

There’s one for each day of the month. If you need more, take a look at our book The Fastest Way to Get Ideas – 4,400 Essential What Ifs for Writers.

What if…

1. you were always formal?

2. people gave you their opinion?

3. you had a duty?

4. someone else was responsible for your progress?

5. someone else was responsible for your problems?

6. it was payback time?

7. you didn’t want to hurt their feelings?

8. you wanted to hurt their feelings?

9. you wanted to ruin their chances?

10. the person described in the news reports sounded an awful lot like you?

11. it was all you ever did?

12. you didn’t know why?

13. you didn’t say anything that hadn’t already been said?

14. your membership was refused?

15. your application was turned down?

16. they said they were full but you knew they weren’t?

17. you decided to sort it out yourself?

18. someone kept signing you up for things?

19. everything you started writing turned into something else?

20. the machines took over?

21. it was time for action?

22. you had nothing to say?

23. you had nothing to do?

24. your hands started shaking?

25. you couldn’t let it happen?

26. you did it because you could, and for no other reason?

27. you liked to use your size to your advantage?

28. you laughed inappropriately?

29. someone bought you?

30. you decided to backpack around the world?

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What If? 31 Creative Writing Prompts for May

Here’s this month’s selection of What Ifs to stimulate your writing brain. What can you do with these? Some of them are deliberately vague or ambiguous so you can interpret them in different ways!

There’s one for each day of the month. If you need more, take a look at our book The Fastest Way to Get Ideas – 4,400 Essential What Ifs for Writers.

What if…

1. you could only sleep standing up?

2. the more money you had, the poorer you were?

3. this was the afterlife and we were all dead?

4. there was a year in which not a single person died?

5. someone offered to work for you for free?

6. the concept of time no longer made any sense to you?

7. the concept of money no longer made any sense to you?

8. you found something really strange down the back of the sofa?

9. tomorrow will be yesterday, the day after that will be next Wednesday, and the day after that will be today again?

10. something that didn’t happen happened?

11. there was nothing happening?

12. there was always something happening?

13. the pressure was building to a dangerous level?

14. you exploited every resource?

15. you needed closure?

16. you had a nagging feeling?

17. you had unfinished business?

18. you never left anything unfinished?

19. you always left something unfinished?

20. you’d missed out?

21. you felt that the beginning of your life was wrong?

22. you were cornered?

23. someone was waiting for you?

24. someone was watching you?

25. someone was planning your downfall?

26. someone was planning to marry you?

27. someone was under your bed?

28. someone else was living in your house?

29. someone else was living in your body?

30. you needed to make sure no one else was around?

31. you were always informal?

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