One of the biggest challenges every one of my clients has faced is what I call Blank Page Paralysis. This refers to the first few moments of a writing session when you sit, staring at a blank screen, waiting for inspiration to hit. Hoping inspiration will hit. Desperately trying to force inspiration to hit. We’ve all been there. Something about a blank page can feel so daunting. It’s as if you have been thrust back to the beginning of your writing experience, no matter how far you might have come, and asking yourself how to write a single sentence.

I believe this issue stems from a barrier to entry. Imagine you are staring at a wall, knowing your creative flow is waiting on the other side. Starting a writing session can sometimes feel like you are throwing yourself at that wall, causing damage as you attempt to break through to the other side.

Instead, what if you were able to find a door? Better yet, what if you could make one? This is the process of learning to access your creative flow, and I have good news…there are hacks to doing it! Besides the circumstantial elements to limit distraction e.g. finding a quiet space, putting in your noise-cancelling headphones, and switching your phone to silent, is another option to find a door in that wall… Writing Prompts.

They may sound boring, but using a daily prompt to start your writing session can be a great method to bypass blank page paralysis and get straight into your creative flow. The key is to start with something completely unrelated to your project that has zero stakes attached. No one is going to read your response, so you can literally write like no one’s watching.

Below I have compiled a list of 30-Daily Writing Prompts to help you on your writing journey. Why not use these as the basis to a One Month Writing Challenge? Your response might be a sentence, a paragraph, or even a page. There are no rules, just have fun!

30 Daily Writing Prompts

1. You receive a package in the post containing three objects: a watch, a pebble, and an empty notebook. Who sent them and how might they be connected?
2. Deep within the pages of an old dusty diary you discover a secret. What does it say?
3. You have an imaginary friend named Bubbles, describe them to me!
4. Finish the sentence: Failure is a good thing because…
5. Invent a mythical creature based on three real-world animals mixed together. What is it called and what does it look like?
6. You receive a letter from the future. What does it say?
7. If you could have a conversation with the ocean, what would you say and what questions would you ask?
8. Write a slogan for the story of your life.
9. Design your very own perfume. What does it smell like? What does the bottle look like? Can you give it a name?
10. You look through a telescope and discover a new planet, give it a name and describe it.
11. What are three things you’re grateful for today?
12. Write a one-paragraph story about a bunny rabbit’s day in the forest.
13. You’re hosting your dream dinner party. Put the ambiance into words by describing the food, music, decor, etc. How would guests describe the night in one word?
14. Create a band. Who are the members? What is the music genre? What do they look like?
15. Choose a date that is important to you. What does that day mean to you?
16. If you starred in your very own fairytale, what would it be called and what would be your story?
17. You’re walking along the beach when you come across a treasure chest with your name written on the top. What’s inside?
18. Finish the story. Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a very old and very kind King. He spent every day caring for his people and ruling the kingdom until one day when something very unexpected happened…
19. You wake up one day and discover you have the ability to fly. What is the first thing you do?
20. You are standing under a beautiful and perfect waterfall, enjoying the crystal clear water and bright sunshine overhead. Through the flow, you see a cave behind the waterfall. What do you find inside?
21. A wizard gives you a wish-granting potion. What does it look and taste like?
22. Write a response to the question: Where are you right now?
23. If you had a store, what would it look like and what would you sell?
24. You wake up to find you’ve travelled to the future. What year is it and who do you meet?
25. Invent a pair of sunglasses that when put on, change the way you see the world.
26. You find an ancient treasure map. Where does it lead?
27. You discover a new species of flower. Describe it.
28. There is a cracked hourglass, a faded newspaper clipping, and a copper coin on the table in front of you. What is their story?
29. As the clock struck midnight, an unexpected visitor appeared at your door carrying an important delivery. What is it?
30. Finish the sentence: My favourite thing about writing is…

Writing prompts are something I’ve been implementing into my process for a long time. I find the biggest perk is the lack of care I can put into my answers. When I know no one will read them, not even myself, the pressure is instantly taken away. Instead of feeling the stress of judgment, I’m left with only the freedom to write whatever comes to mind. What’s interesting is that once I access that mindset, I take it with me. It might sound counter-intuitive to approach your work with such a blasé attitude, but I’ve learnt over time to trust my instinct. If the words are pouring out of me then I’m not going to stop them to check for perfection. Redrafts and proofreading will come later.

Writing isn’t easy. For anyone. Each session requires us to unlock the path from mind to hand no matter if we’re writing a fairytale or scientific paper. It’s a skill to trust the process and commit to our own words. Don’t let the fear of judgment stand in the way of success. If you’re still looking for tips on how to write, you can find more tips here: Can Anyone Write.

If you find yourself struggling with self-doubt and persistent blank page paralysis, you might find it helpful to start working with a coach. You can learn more from my post What is a Writing Coach, or to speak one-on-one, why not reach out to book a free consultation?

For now, if you’ve found this post whilst trying to start a writing session, I‘d love to invite you to write a response to Prompt 1, you can leave it in the comments below or keep it to yourself. Are you ready to commit to the one-month challenge?

Good luck writing.