50 Writing Prompts 2021-2022

These are prompts I came up with in my sixth year of judging "The Writer's Cramp" .

You are free to use any of them if they will help you in your writing. I also include the number of entrants who tried writing to my prompt.

1. Please use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"Time in a Tapestry"

The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given April 6 - 7, 2021 = 3 Entries


2. Please use the following as the LAST line of your story or poem, and please bold it for judging convenience:

"sharpest knife in the drawer."

Pick "Comedy" as one of your genres - have fun!

Given April 13 - 14, 2021 = No Entries


3. Please use the following as the TITLE of your story or poem:

"Howling at the Pink Moon"

The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given May 4 - 5, 2021 = 4 Entries


4. Please use the following as the TITLE of your story or poem:

"A Cat Named Casper"

The genre is up to you - have fun!


Given May 11 - 12, 2021 = 1 Entry


5. Please use the following as the TITLE of your story or poem:

"Common Sense Shortage"

The genre is up to you - have fun!


Given May 13 - 14, 2021 = 3 Entries


6. Please use the following as the opening line of your story or poem. Please BOLD it for judging convenience:

"The tulips were late that year"

The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given May 18 - 19, 2021 = 3 Entries


7. Please use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"Freedom in the Distance"

The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given May 25 - 26, 2021 = 4 Entries


8. Please use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"White Summer Moon"

The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given June 1 - 2, 2021 = 4 Entries


9. Please use the following phrase (Hemingway inspired) as the title of your story or poem:

"All That Will Never Be"


The genre is up to you - have fun!


Given June 8 - 9, 2021 = 6 Entries



10. Please use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"The Empty Summer"


The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given June 15 - 16, 2021 = 3 Entries


11. Please use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"Lunch Counter Memories"


The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given June 22 - 23, 2021 = 3 Entries



12. Please use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"The Bookstore Cat"

The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given June 29 - 30, 2021 = 4 Entries



13. Please use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"The Last Telephone Booth"

The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given July 6 - 7, 2021 = 1 Entry


14. Please use the following movie title as the LAST line of your story or poem:

"Remains of the Day"

Please BOLD the line for judging convenience.

The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given July 13 - 14, 2021 = 5 Entries



15. Please use the following as the Title of your story or poem:

"No Running of the Bulls"

Write it from the point of view of one of the bulls please.

Please pick "Animal" as one of your genres - have fun!

This refers to the Cancellation again this year of the Running of the Bulls, a tradition that happens (almost) every July in Pamplona, Spain. This festival was immortalized in Ernest Hemingway's Novel, The Sun Also Rises.

Here is info on the tradition where bulls chase humans through the streets of Pamplona, during the second week in July:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_of_the_bulls


Given July 20 - 21, 2021 = 2 Entries


16. Please use the following as the Title of your story or poem:

"Time is a River"


The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given July 27 - 28, 2021 = 4 Entries


17. Please use the following as the Title of your story or poem:

"The Calico Cat Cafe"


The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given August 3 - 4, 2021 = 3 Entries



18. Please use the following as the Title of your story or poem:

"Forgotten Medals"


The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given August 5 - 6, 2021 = 4 Entries


19. Please use the following as the ENDING of your story or poem, BOLDED for judging convenience:

"doomed to remember a boy."

Note: This prompt is inspired by the first line of John Irving's classic novel, "A Prayer For Owen Meany"


The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given August 10 - 11, 2021 = 3 Entries


20. Please use the following as the title of your story or poem:


"Fading Summer"


The genre is up to you - have fun!

Given August 31 - September 1, 2021 = 3 Entries


21. Use this line from Hamlet (later part of a Simon & Garfunkel song) as the TITLE of you story or poem:

"The Rest is Silence"

The genre is up to you ~ have fun!


Given September 14 - 15, 2021 = 1 Entry


22. Use the following as the Ending of your story or poem:

"He didn't notice the rain."


Please BOLD the line for judging convenience!

The genre is up to you ~ have fun!

Given September 16 - 17, 2021 = 3 Entries


23. Use the following as the Title of your story or poem:

"Sunrise Over Autumn"

The genre is up to you ~ have fun!

Given September 21 - 22, 2021 = 3 Entries


24. Use the following as the Title of your story or poem:

"Cat in the Window"

The genre is up to you ~ have fun!

Given September 28 - 29, 2021 = 4 Entries



25. Use the following as the last line of your story or poem:

"October framed the season."

Please bold it for judging convenience!

The genre is up to you ~ have fun!

Given October 5 - 6, 2021 = 2 Entries


26. Use the following as the TITLE of your story or poem:

""Ghost of a Different Time""

The genre is up to you ~ have fun!

Given October 19 - 20, 2021 = 0 Entries


27. Use the following, BOLDED (for judging convenience) in your story or poem:

black cat
cupcakes
ominous clouds
haunted house on Halloween
squeaky front door

The genre is up to you ~ have fun!

Given October 26 - 27, 2021 = 0 Entries


28. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"November Lighthouse"

The genre is up to you ~ have fun!

Given November 2 - 3, 2021 = 2 Entries


29. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"The Broken Clock"


The genre is up to you ~ have fun!

Given November 9 - 10, 2021 = 4 Entries


30. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"The First Snow"

The genre is up to you ~ have fun!

Given November 16 - 17, 2021 = 1 Entry


31. Use the following as the ending line of your story or poem:


"...if only we had the choice"


Please type it in bold for judging convenience.

The genre is up to you ~ have fun!

Given November 23 - 24, 2021 = 1 Entry


32. Use the following as the Title of your story or poem:


"Music of the Past"


Pick "Music" as one of your genres and have fun!

Given November 30 - December 1, 2021 = 5 Entries


33. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"The Holiday After"

Given December 7 - 8, 2021 = 1 Entry


34. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"Stars in a December Sky"

The genre is up to you.

Have fun!

Given December 14 - 15, 2021 = 2 Entries


35. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"Longest Night of The Year"

The genre is up to you.

Have fun!

Given December 20 - 21, 2021 = 1 Entry


36. Use the following Movie title as the title of your story or poem:

"It's a Wonderful Life"

Pick "Holiday" as one of your genres.

Have fun!

Given December 21 - 22, 2021 = 1 Entry


37. Use the following (BOLDED) as the last line of your story or poem.

"just a cat in the rain on New Year's Eve"


Please pick "Holiday" as one of your genres.

Have fun!

Given December 28 - 29, 2021 = 2 Entries


38. Use the following as the title of your story or poem.

A Year to Forget

Given January 4 - 5, 2022 = 2 Entries


39. Use the following as the title of your story or poem.

"Red Bird in Snow"

The genre is up to you!

Have fun!

Given January 11 - 12, 2022 = 5 Entries



40. Use the following as the title of your story or poem.

"January Tornado"

The genre is up to you!

Have fun!

Given January 18 - 19, 2022 = 2 Entries



41. Be sure to include a groundhog as a character in your story or poem.

Use the following as the title of your story or poem.

"Shadow on the Snow"

Please select "Animal" as one of your genres.

Have fun!

Given Feb. 1 - 2, 2022 = 4 Entries


42. Use the following as the title of your story or poem.

"Cheeseburger in Paradise"

Please select "Food/Cooking" as one of your genres.

Have fun!

Given Feb. 8 - 9, 2022 = 4 Entries



43. Use the following as the title of your story or poem.

"Paw Prints on My Heart"

Please select "Animal" as one of your genres.

Have fun!

Given February 15 - 16, 2022 = 3 Entries


44. Use the following as the title of your story or poem.

"Winter Roses"

Please select "Home/Garden" as one of your genres.

Have fun!

Given March 1 - 2, 2022 = 2 Entries


45. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:


"The Last Umbrella"

The genre is up to you.

Have fun!

Given March 8 - 9, 2022 = 4 Entries



46. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:


"Turn the Page"

Pick "Writing" as one of your genres.

Have fun!

Given March 15 - 16, 2022 = 6 Entries




47. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"Garden Past Remembering"

Pick "Home/Garden" as one of your genres.

Have fun!

Given March 21 - 22, 2022 = 2 Entries


48. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:

"An Irresistible Invitation"

Please select Romance/Love as one of your genres.

Have fun!

Given March 26 - 27, 2022 = 1 Entry


49. Use the following as the title of your story or poem:


"A Most Insincere Apology"


Have fun!

Given March 29 - 30, 2022 = 3 Entries


50. Use the following as the LAST line of your poem or story:

"Distant times were calling me."

Please Bold for judging convenience.

The genre is up to you!

Have fun!

Given April 2 - 3, 2022 = 2 Entries