Found these from 2018, used with my writing group at the time (maybe). Struck me they are ideal writing prompts for lockdown, when getting out is difficult … try them.
- Close your eyes for a few moments and think of the room or place around you. Think of all the details you would include in any description and make a mental note of them. Open your eyes and, without looking around, write down what you thought of.
- Now look at your surroundings and write a paragraph (no more than 150 words) describing them, picking out at least three things that you haven’t noticed recently – things you didn’t think of when you closed your eyes.
- Try the same exercise on a different, but still familiar, place (or room). You can also try it with familiar characters in your life – describe them in their absence and then take note of the things you didn’t recall.
- Think of the details of a short journey – say to the shops, to work or even to another part of your home – a journey that you make regularly. Jot these details down. Now make the journey, making a point of looking for things that you haven’t noticed recently. Write a paragraph about the journey using the new details.
- Write a paragraph describing a simple action that you do every day – for example, washing, cooking, shaving, putting on make-up, feeding the cat. When you next perform the action, notice everything about it and afterwards note down details that weren’t in your original paragraph.
Alternatively, find some wonderful photos and describe. We’d really love to see any of your descriptions of the following, or if you have children currently off school, maybe they’d like to have a go at writing descriptively … same idea applies. Take a look at the image. Close your eyes and think about it. Write a description without revisiting. Then compare your writing to the reality.
