10 Words to Kickstart Your Creative Engine

How would you tie the following 1o words together in a short story?

Doughnut
Philosophy
No-Brainer
Apartment
Heaven
Premiums
Trucker
Freedom
Every other Friday
Scaffolding

This is what other writers did with the words.

If you read either Writer Dad or Blogger Dad, then you’ve probably already read about the Creative Copy Challenge, the latest site to join the Collective Inkwell family.

A month or so ago, Shane Arthur, the unofficial proofreading sheriff of the Internet, approached Sean about starting a website which offered writing prompts to encourage writers. The idea: one of extreme simplicity – post 10 words and let writers run with them to create short stories. Well, I love a good writing prompt challenge, so I was all over it.

We got to talking, exchanging ideas and pretty soon, Creative Copy Challenge was born. Though just a month old, the site is gaining some steam and is really catching on with writers. The stories can be as short or as long as you decide. So far we’ve had entries spanning just a few words above the required 10, all the way to novella.

The speed at which everything came together is remarkable, and a fine example of what is possible in the online space. Authors who wish to build a community can look at this model. In less than a month, and with only seven prompts, the Creative Copy Challenge has managed to foster quite a community.

The sixth challenge, posted last Friday, now has over 100 comments.

You’re a writer, which means it’s your job to write. Day in, day out.

Yet we all have days when inspiration is in short supply. Fortunately, the Creative Copy Challenge offers an instant solution. Hop on over, respond to the prompt, and flip the switch on the right side of your brain and get back to writing.

As some of our longtime readers may recall, we did a few story prompts last year and had a lot of fun with them. Given the success of Creative Copy Challenge, it’s apparent that a lot of people enjoy these. We’ll be relaunching our own series again soon, using an even blend of visual and written prompts which are sure to get your juices going.

In the meantime, subscribe to the Creative Copy Challenge and get the 10 word prompts delivered directly to your inbox, twice weekly.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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