Writing prompt: Every word counts

This is the sixth in a series of short writing prompts inspired by Stephen King's "On Writing":

p. 62-65: While in a college writing group, Stephen King discovered--and regretted the fact--that most young writers consider writing to be instant magic messages. Inspiration, these poets believe, is not to be questioned and does not need to be worked on. King and his future wife, Tabitha, however, believe writing to be a combination of inspiration and hard work. Write four lines of poetry quickly--the first thing that comes to your mind. Saving this first draft, work hard on another draft. Substitute words. Look for more lyrical or intense language. Try breaking the lines differently. When you’ve worked your four lines thoroughly, set the first and second draft aside. Go back later and see which poem you prefer.

Writing prompt: Good writing requires editing

This is the fifth in a series of short writing prompts inspired by Stephen King's "On Writing":

p. 56-57: When a teenaged Stephen King began stringing (freelancing) for a local newspaper, he had an editor work a sports story of his pretty hard, removing extraneous adverbs, clauses and hyperbole (exaggeration). King was in awe, happy he’d finally been challenged by real editing. How would you like your work edited? What in your writing style do you think might be crossed out or improved?

Writing prompt: The big put-down

This is the fourth in a series of short writing prompts inspired by Stephen King's "On Writing":

p.44-50
In eighth grade, Stephen King created a self-produced book based on the B-grade horror film “The Pit and the Pendulum” and sold it to his schoolmates. At the end of the day, he was called into the principals office and reprimanded for writing “junk.” He admits to having felt ashamed for years afterward about what he wrote: horror and science fiction stories, complete with sex and gore. In his memoirs, he writes the following: “If you write. . .someone will try to make you feel lousy about it, that’s all.” Write about a time someone tried to make you feel lousy about writing, or something else you tried to do.

Write about your childhood reading passions

This is the third in a series of short writing prompts inspired by Stephen King's "On Writing": 

Stephen King describes his first experiences reading as well as the movies and TV shows (also stories) that grabbed him as a kid and captured his imagination. He started with comic books, then war and animal adventure stories. Later, he explains, "Horror movies, science fiction movies, movies about teenage gangs on the prowl, movies about losers on motorcycles_this was the stuff that turned my dials up to ten." What books, or movies and shows, turned up your dials when you were younger? It's a good idea to think, and write about, your early literary love affairs because—as in the case of King—it might be a good predictor of what you want to write. It might also be an insightful predictor of what you're good at writing. 

Writing a character sketch

This is the second in a series of short writing prompts inspired by Stephen King's "On Writing":

King's portrait of his large, volatile babysitter, "Eula-Beula," is a character sketch. Many writers use character sketches regularly as writing exercises.  They write about someone they know or knew. Sometimes they quietly observe a stranger and describe their appearance and behavior as well as the personality and biography these things seem to indicate. Pick someone interesting and describe them "to a T." Change their names and a few details if you are concerned that your assessment is too personal or too brutally honest. An interesting character sketch that draws the reader in can help you craft or describe characters as a larger work, or stand on its own as flash fiction (a very short story, usually ranging between 100 and 1,000 words). 

Creating an autobiographical vignette

This is the first in a series of short writing prompts inspired by Stephen King's "On Writing":

Stephen King remembers and presents his childhood as a series of snapshots. A specific experience you relate about your life, a snapshot, is called an autobiographical vignette. Pick an event from your growing-up years—standing up to a bully, your first kiss, the time you wet your pants at school, a visit to a relative who inspired you to love reading—and write it up. It can be happy, sad or both. Writing about ourselves is  a great experience because, so long as we are willing to mine our memories, this is material we know well. Write enough autobiographical vignettes and you're on your way to having written an autobiography.