Written by Emily Harstone September 4th, 2014

Writing Prompt: Words from Another

For this prompt I want you to grab a book off your shelf, it should be a book that is written by someone who has a writing style that is very different than your natural style. It can be a book you have read or one you have not. It could be a book of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.

Browse through the book till you find a page that appeals to you. Then pick up to ten words or phrases from that page. Phrases should contain no more than 3 words.

Write down all these words and phrases at the top of the page that you are working on. Now start to write. You can write a short story, flash fiction, or poem. Incorporate the words you wrote down into the piece in the order you wrote them down. This is one of my favorite prompts. You end up writing about different things then you normally do, when you are incorporating another person’s language into your own writing.

 

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