One creative prompt could be to imagine you are a peasant during the French Revolution. Describe your daily life, the fear of the guillotine, and how the political unrest affects you. This allows for a vivid exploration of a historical event from an ordinary person's perspective.
One great free write prompt for fiction could be 'A character discovers a mysterious door in an old attic.' This immediately sets a scene full of potential. The character could be anyone - a curious child, an old homeowner, or a nosy neighbor. And the door? It could lead to a magical world, a time - locked room filled with secrets from the past, or a portal to another dimension. It gives the writer a lot to work with in terms of creating a story.
In fiction, the writing style can be very flowery and imaginative. Authors use a lot of literary devices to bring their fictional stories to life. In nonfiction, the style is more matter - of - fact. It's about presenting information clearly. For example, a fiction novel might use long, detailed descriptions of a made - up city, while a nonfiction history book will focus on presenting historical facts in a concise way.
One good prompt could be 'Imagine a world where time runs backwards in a novel. How would the characters' lives be different?'. This can lead to really unique storylines as it flips the normal concept of time.
Some of the best story prompts for writing fiction are those that can create immediate conflict. For example, 'Two people who must share a secret but don't trust each other'. This can lead to a lot of tension and drama in the story. 'A character trapped in a place they can't escape' is also a strong prompt. It forces the writer to think about how the character will deal with the situation, what their internal thoughts are, and how they might attempt to break free. And prompts that deal with moral dilemmas, like 'A decision between saving a loved one or doing the right thing for the many', can result in very thought - provoking fiction.
One prompt could be 'Describe a character who has a unique quirk and build a short story around how this quirk affects their daily life.' For example, a character who can't stand the color yellow. Every time they see it, they freeze. This could lead to all sorts of comical or tense situations in a story.
The 22 elements of non-fiction writing include:
1. A clear, consensual theme can guide the development of the story.
2. Character: It portrays characters with flesh and blood, distinct personalities, and profound images that resonate with readers.
3. Setting: describe the background, setting, atmosphere, etc. to let the reader feel the atmosphere of the story.
4. Event: describe the events, scenes, and process of the story so that the reader can understand the plot of the story.
5. Conflict: describe the conflicts within the story, the conflicts between the characters, etc., which make the reader feel nervous and exciting.
6. Meaning: Through the characters, events, and environment in the story, express the meaning and values conveyed by the story.
7. Meaning and Symbol: Through the symbolism in the story, express the meaning and values conveyed by the story.
8. Conversation: Through the dialogue between the characters, inner monologue, etc., show the character's personality, thoughts, emotions, etc.
9. Conversation and Plot: The dialogue and plot complement each other to form the ups and downs and rhythm of the story.
10. Emotions: Through the emotions and inner experiences of the characters, express the emotions and values conveyed by the story.
Meaning and Symbol: Use the symbols in the story to express the meaning and emotions conveyed by the story.
12 Character and Character Relationship: Description of the relationship between characters, interactions, etc. to show the character's personality, thoughts, etc.
Character and Plot: Character and Plot complement each other to form the ups and downs of the story, rhythm, etc.
Character and theme: express the theme of the story through the thoughts and actions of the characters.
Character and environment: Character and environment complement each other to form the atmosphere and situation of the story.
Character and Psychology: Show the character's inner experience, thoughts, etc., reveal the character, etc.
Character and Plot: Character and Plot complement each other to form the ups and downs of the story, rhythm, etc.
Character and theme: express the theme of the story through the thoughts and actions of the characters.
Character and Symbol: Through the symbolism of the characters, the theme and emotions conveyed by the story are expressed.
Character and dialogue: The dialogue between characters, inner monologue, etc. show the character's personality, thoughts, emotions, etc.
Character and Plot: Character and Plot complement each other to form the ups and downs of the story, rhythm, etc.
Character and Meaning: Through the thoughts and actions of the characters, the meaning and emotions conveyed by the story are expressed.
For this, 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' by Rebecca Skloot (nonfiction) and 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald (fiction) are good choices. In 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks', Skloot uses a narrative nonfiction style that tells the story of Henrietta Lacks in a very engaging way. Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' has a very lyrical and descriptive writing style. Comparing them, you can see how nonfiction can be made as engaging as fiction through storytelling, while fiction uses more creative language to build its world.