August Writing Prompts
- Katie Zeliger
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
August is a strange in-between place: summer lingers, but change stirs in the air. The energy of back-to-school season is in the air, whether you're actually in school or not. For writers, it can feel like a reset button—a time to refocus, finish lingering projects, or start something bold and new.
Whether you’re returning to a manuscript, drafting something fresh, or simply looking for creative fuel, these prompts are designed to push you past the obvious and into the delicious unknown. Use them as standalone exercises, blend them into your WIP, or commit to one per day for the next 10 days to build momentum.
1. The Letter They Never Sent
Write a scene where your character finds a letter addressed to them—but the sender never intended for them to read it. What truths are revealed? What tension erupts?
2. Back-to-School, But Make It Magical
Set a scene in a mystical or unusual school—but the subject matter being taught is something completely mundane (like taxes, small talk, or emotional regulation).
3. The Last Sunset of Summer
Use sensory language to describe the last summer evening from the POV of a character who’s about to lose something (or someone). What are they holding onto? What do they fear?
4. Genre Flip
Take a current scene from your WIP and rewrite it as if it were a different genre: thriller, romance, satire, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc. What new depth or surprises emerge?
5. The One Rule
Start a story with this line: “Everyone knows you don’t break the one rule. But I did.” Let the fallout unfold.
6. Character Confessional
Write a monologue or journal entry from your antagonist—or a side character—explaining why they think they are the hero of the story.
7. The Object That Changed Everything
Introduce a new object into your story world. It could be a trinket, a letter opener, a mysterious device. Now write how it disrupts your main character’s goals.
8. Moodboard to Words
Search Pinterest or your favorite visual site for an aesthetic that inspires you (e.g., “cottagepunk,” “desert noir,” “regency goth”). Choose one image and write a short story or descriptive scene inspired by it.
9. 30-Minute Timer Twist
Set a timer for 30 minutes. Write nonstop. Your only prompt is: “When the wind changed, so did everything.” Don’t overthink it—just go.
10. The End First
Write the final paragraph of a story you haven’t written yet. Then ask: What would need to happen for this ending to feel earned?
Ready to Share or Take the Next Step?
If one of these prompts sparked something big, a scene, a voice, a story idea, we’d love to see what you’re working on.
Submit your manuscript for review and book a consultation call. You never know where one writing prompt can take you.
Happy writing!
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