prompts,  writing tips

January Writing Prompts 2024

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Happy New Year, writers! It’s time for some January writing prompts.

To help you kick off the New Year with a writing streak, check out these 31 writing prompts. You all know how much I love to focus on character development, so for these January writing prompts, I want you to write about your character in these specific situations.

Let me know what you think!

January Writing Prompts

Write your character…

  1. …making New Year’s Resolutions.
  2. …failing their new year’s resolutions.
  3. …building a snowman.
  4. …getting into a snowball fight.
  5. …receiving a package in the mail they didn’t know was coming.
  6. …living in a house where the heat has gone out.
  7. …going to the hot springs in the middle of winter.
  8. …experiencing snow for the first time.
  9. …learning to play an instrument.
  10. …losing something important in the snow.
  11. …having a cold.
  12. …adopting a new pet.
  13. …moving into a new home.
  14. …on a date with someone new.
  15. …getting into a fight with their best friend.
  16. …holding a friend’s new-born baby.
  17. …baking cookies.
  18. …as a little kid on their favorite holiday.
  19. …learning to dance a new style.
  20. …painting outdoors.
  21. …playing soccer with neighborhood kids.
  22. …going on a road trip.
  23. …shopping for new clothes.
  24. …on a college campus.
  25. …shoplifting.
  26. …buying a car.
  27. …doing a craft or art.
  28. …out with a dead phone.
  29. …interviewing for a new job.
  30. …fighting with their neighbor.
  31. …gardening.

What prompts are your favorite? I’d love to see what you create from these prompts, so leave a scene in a comment below!

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Get my free Character Profile Training!

Another great way to beat the tropes is to have round, relatable, and realistic characters. In under 15 minutes, this training will teach you how you should actually look at the character profile, and what to do with the information in it when it’s complete.

How does the information in the profile translate to the story you’re writing? Why do we need to know everything about our characters’ lives? And how does this tool help us write better stories?

If you’ve got less than 15 minutes, I’ve got the answers. Let me send this training to you!

    Get my free Character Profile Training!

    Another great way to beat the tropes is to have round, relatable, and realistic characters. In under 15 minutes, this training will teach you how you should actually look at the character profile, and what to do with the information in it when it’s complete.

    How does the information in the profile translate to the story you’re writing? Why do we need to know everything about our characters’ lives? And how does this tool help us write better stories?

    If you’ve got less than 15 minutes, I’ve got the answers. Let me send this training to you!

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      I’m Michelle. I’m a short story writer who holds a Bachelor’s degree in creative writing. I teach the foundations of creative fiction writing to writers just starting out, looking to get published, or somewhere in between. I’m bringing my teaching practice online so I can reach more writers just like you, and we can all grow our craft together. Plus, you won’t need to sit through four years of school and go into student debt just to be able to write a decent story if you stick around here.

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