Aside from all the good reasons for pampering your readers every now and then, the playbook originates from a deeper, personal need.

As someone who writes for a living, I know that producing fresh, compelling content is tough when you’re under pressure. And there’s a lot of emphasis (hence pressure) on “content” lately.

For a sharp pen, you need a sharp mind.And a sharp mind starts with exploration, wonder and fun.

The objective of the Writing Inspiration Playbook is just that. It is designed to help you explore different styles, themes, and suggestions in a pressure-free environment.

Inside, you’ll find fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and business writing prompts. Some include additional instructions on format, length or content. Others are minimal, to let your mind roam free.

With 53 prompts, you can easily plan a weekly writing session for a full year. Or you could just use the playbook as a “first-aid kit” when you’re up against a personal challenge.

Remember: this is all about exploring your creativity.

Play along – and have fun!

Alessandra Martelliwww.alessandramartelli.com

“The only joy in the world is to begin. It is good to be alive because living is beginning, always, every moment. When this sensation is

lacking—as when one is in prison, or ill, or stupid, or when living has become a habit—one might as well be dead.”

Cesare Pavese

How do you feel about beginnings?

Jot down the first thoughts that come to mind. Then, choose one:

Write a diary entry detailing a significant “beginning” from your past (e.g. a new job; marriage or moving in with your partner; your first holiday on your own).

Write a short story (1,000-2,000 words) revolving around a “beginning”, and how the leading character reacts to novelty.

You have the once-in-a-lifetime chance of a 15-minute conversation with your favourite author (or film director). You can only ask three questions, though.

How could you get the most out of it? What would you ask?

Write your three questions, detailing what aspects or nuances of the author’s personality, production or philosophy you’d like to investigate with each one.

It’s 1608, and you’re visiting the Frost Fair. Describe your day, based on all your senses.

A few prompts to get you started:

✓ What would you eat or drink? How would that taste?

✓ How would you be dressed? Style, colours, materials, …

✓ Which sounds/noises would you hear?

✓ What about the scents/smells?

✓ Which shows or attractions would you enjoy the most?

Need more help to describe what you see, taste or hear? This sensory words infographic is just for you!

Up for a challenge? Write a short story (1,000-2,000 words) starting with …

“No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be a heroine.”

Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen

Before you start, consider the following:

✓ Genre (science fiction, crime, humour, …)

✓ Setting (time and geographic location)

✓ Plot type, and specific plot devices

✓ Characters (protagonist, antagonist, supporting characters)

No rules, no restrictions. Write to your heart’s content.

Today is all about exploring the many unusual connections our brains can make.Associate BRAVERY with all of the following – and more, if you dare!

Be bold – but motivate your answers with a short, meaningful “because”.

BRAVERY is ______________ because ______________________

• An object• An animal• A sound• A vehicle• A colour• A sport

• A painting• A person you know well• An emotion• Someone you admire• A tactile sensation• A social venue

• A valuable item• A city or landscape• The main character

of a book / movie

The structure of traditional limericks is strictly formalised. In a nutshell:

✓ A limerick consists of five lines. The rhyme scheme is AABBA. The first, second and fifth line have 3 feet of 3 syllables each; the third and fourth line have 2 feet of 3 syllables each.

✓ The content of limericks is typically nonsense or humorous. The first line introduces the main character, and a place – the city/country of origin of the character, or the city/place where the story is set.

Write a limerick featuring the following words:

Snake – bore - scrawny

Opening line

Mrs. Gerasi’s sofa boasted a pungent smell of cats and cheese puffs. I had knocked on her door with no idea of what I could say or do to get what I needed. But it was too late to bail out now.

Closing line

Just a few more miles, and I would have crossed the border.

What happens in between?Write a short story (750-1,500 words).

As the CEO of a mid-sized company, you just approved a price update for several of your products. Write a memo to your team, detailing:

✓ the timeline of the price update;

✓ the rationale of the update;

✓ guidelines for relevant communications with clients and partners.

New to memos?

This handout by the OWL at Purdue will help!

Ten years later, he made it back to his home town … only to find it deserted. The shops were open, but the shelves were dusty and utterly empty. A lonesome bus was slumbering in front of the silent school. The town hall fountain was silent – the basin, a green slimy playhouse for a solitary rat …

Your favourite city, 2756 AD

Imagine a future version of your favourite city (or your home town). Note down everything that comes to mind in 10 minutes. Then, write one of the following:

A cyberpunk flash story (750-1,000 words) starring your future self

A travel journal entry (800-1,200 words) in the voice of a visitor from Mars

A summary of the setting, consider: buildings and infrastructure; public and private transport; form of government and military activity; people (occupations, lifestyle, clothing, …); social activities; environment.

Write a brief profile of the character shown in the image.

Decide on the following:

✓ Name

✓ Age and physical appearance

✓ Family and relationships

✓ Occupation and skills

✓ Style and habits

✓ Quality and flaws

✓ Goals and motivations

✓ Social behaviour

✓ Moral values

✓ What makes him angry, stressed out, sad? How does he react to this?

In its traditional form, a triolet is a stanza poem of eight lines in which:

✓ the rhyme scheme is ABaAabAB;

✓ The first, fourth and seventh lines are identical; and,

✓ The second and eighth line are identical.

Write a triolet inspired by spring.

Feeling stuck?

Browse the Spring board for inspiration!

“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity—I mean the true simplicity of a rightly and nobly ordered mind

and character, not that other simplicity which is only a euphemism for folly.”

Plato

It is often said that simplicity is hard to achieve. What do you think?

Would you say that simplicity is underrated or overrated today?

Note down your thoughts. Then, choose one:

Write a reflection piece (700-1,000 words) analysing a situation where simplicity would have helped you achieve a goal (or overcome an obstacle) more easily.

Write a “compare and contrast” essay (700-1,500 words) on SIMPLE VS SIMPLICISTIC.

No rules, no restrictions. Write to your heart’s content.

Yesterday, John overheard a conversation between his boss and the office manager. John knows that something big is going on, but he can’t tell anyone …

Write a dialogue between John and one of his colleagues.

As the conversation switches to work-related stuff, John is increasingly uneasy and vague. The secret is killing him …

A perfect opportunity to bring ambiguity or embarrassment into play.

Last night, Carlo Messeri saw something he shouldn’t have seen. Now, as his old car shrieks along narrow dirt roads, Carlo regrets his decision. Escaping the red car that is chasing him would have been easier on a highway…

Up for a challenge? Write a short story (1,000-2,000 words) starting with …

“Everyone my age remembers where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about the contest.”

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline

Before you start, consider the following:

✓ Genre (science fiction, crime, humour, …)

✓ Setting (time and geographic location)

✓ Plot type, and specific plot devices

✓ Characters (protagonist, antagonist, supporting characters)

Describe the core tasks of your job to a junior colleague. Are you a freelancer or small business owner? Imagine talking to a mentee.

Remember to explain the relevance of each task in the overall process, and the risks / potential pitfalls associated with each step.

Today is all about exploring the many unusual connections our brains can make.Associate FOCUS with all of the following – and more, if you dare!

Be bold – but motivate your answers with a short, meaningful “because”.

FOCUS is ______________ because ______________________

• An object• An animal• A sound• A vehicle• A colour• A sport

• A painting• A person you know well• An emotion• Someone you admire• A tactile sensation• A social venue

• A valuable item• A city or landscape• The main character

of a book / movie

It’s 1976 and you’re at Wat Khung Taphao, a famous temple in northern Thailand.

Who are you? Why are you there? Are you alone? What’s going on?

What happened next? Why is the photo damaged?

Opening line

In the morning, you could catch a glimpse of the African coastline from the beach. Seagulls had yet to start their shrill concert, and the breeze filled the shack with the calm rumble of the sea. A slice of heaven – or so they say.

Closing line

A black hat, my favourite book, some cash. Time to go.

What happens in between?Write a short story (750-1,500 words).

In a calligram, the words and lines of a poem are arranged in a way that creates a visual image the reflects the theme (or contents) of the poem. Calligrams might or might not follow a rhyme scheme, and there is no set rule as to their theme or topic.

Write a calligram inspired by summer.

Feeling stuck?

Browse the Summer board for inspiration!

As kids, we all dreamed of discovering an uncharted island, an unexplored valley or a new world. Today, you actually did.

Write a sketch story, written in the voice of an explorer. The setting: your El Dorado. Consider the following for inspiration:

✓ What would the landscape look like?

✓ Are there any human communities or traces of an ancient civilization?

✓ What do the houses or buildings look like?

✓ Do the locals understand you?

✓ What about the local flora and fauna?

No rules, no restrictions. Write to your heart’s content.

Your dream client / employer is hiring … and you’re a perfect match for one of the openings. Write a cover letter focusing on your core skills and strengths, to persuade him to contact you for an interview.

Maximum length: 4 paragraphs

Feeling stuck?

These cover letter tips will help!

“Someone told me that creativity is just learning to do something with a different perspective.”

Ben Carson

Create a word tree exploring the idea of creativity, its many associations and nuances.

Start with broader concepts (larger branches), then dig deeper into each (smaller branches and leaves).

Natalie is slowly walking down the road. Her clenched fists reveal anxiety – even though the instructions were rather simple.

Keep the stone wall to your left. Keep away from the purple bushes. Check the position of the Dragon Star every fifteen minutes.

You are Sarah, 16, a high school student and member of the local volleyball team. You met Lars, your boyfriend, at the winter ball last year – and you’ve been dating ever since.

Write a letter to your best friend, who lives far away.

Start with a few casual updates, then focus on the “news of the week” – an awkward or embarrassing situation two people you know (e.g. your boyfriend, a teacher, a teammate) experienced. Don’t forget to add your own opinion on the incident, and how it will affect your school/private life in the near future.

Up for a challenge? Write a short story (1,000-2,000 words) starting with …

“The telephone was ringing wildly, but without result, since there was no-one in the room but the corpse.”

War in Heaven, by Charles Williams

Before you start, consider the following:

✓ Genre (science fiction, crime, humour, …)

✓ Setting (time and geographic location)

✓ Plot type, and specific plot devices

✓ Characters (protagonist, antagonist, supporting characters)

In recent years, the term micropoetry has come to describe a poetic composition short enough to be fit for microblogging sites or Twitter. In its most succinct form, it’s a poem in 140 characters (or less), with no set rhyme scheme or form. Now that Twitter has become a little more generous, so-called twitterature can be up to 280 characters.

Write a micropoem about SILENCE.

Special: focus on one rhetorical figure. Maximum length: 280 characters.

Feeling stuck?

Browse the Silence inspiration board!

It’s 1888 and you are in Skagen, Denmark. Someone invited you over for lunch.

Who was it? Why are your tablemates toasting? Is it someone’s birthday? What is the occasion else? What caught the little girl’s attention? Is she trying to sneak out?

In your country, a recent law has banned all forms of beauty contests for children under 16 years old.

Do you agree with this measure?

Write a short speech (5 minutes or less) that clarifies your opinion, including supporting arguments to persuade an audience of people with the opposite opinion.

Not sure about what your speech should cover?Check out this step-by-step tutorial on Write Out Loud.

Today is all about exploring the many unusual connections our brains can make.Associate ELEGANCE with all of the following – and more, if you dare!

Be bold – but motivate your answers with a short, meaningful “because”.

ELEGANCE is ______________ because ______________________

• An object• An animal• A sound• A vehicle• A colour• A sport

• A painting• A person you know well• An emotion• Someone you admire• A tactile sensation• A social venue

• A valuable item• A city or landscape• The main character

of a book / movie

Sonnets are a popular form of poetry, with many regional variants and standards.Traditional Italian sonnets:

✓Consist of 14 lines (hendecasyllables) , divided in 2 quatrains plus 2 tercets

✓Follow an ABBA ABBA CDE CDE rhyme scheme.

The quatrains typically present an argument (or a scene), while the finaltercets propose a resolution (or reflection). The ninth line marks the transition (called volta) by changing the tone, stance or focus of the poem.

Write a sonnet with references to autumn.

Feeling stuck?

Browse the Autumn board for inspiration!

Write a brief profile of the character shown in the image.

Decide on the following:

✓ Name

✓ Age and physical appearance

✓ Family and relationships

✓ Occupation and skills

✓ Style and habits

✓ Quality and flaws

✓ Goals and motivations

✓ Social behaviour

✓ Moral values

✓ What makes her angry, stressed out, sad? How does she react to this?

Opening line

“So you want to know my secret, uh?”“Come on. How bad can it be?”“OK, I’ll tell you”, gasps Camie. “I hate frogs.”

Closing line

The clock tower is just around the corner.

What happens in between?Write a short story (750-1,500 words).

Up for a challenge? Write a short story (1,000-2,000 words) starting with …

“The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us.”

The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

Before you start, consider the following:

✓ Genre (science fiction, crime, humour, …)

✓ Setting (time and geographic location)

✓ Plot type, and specific plot devices

✓ Characters (protagonist, antagonist, supporting characters)

No rules, no restrictions. Write to your heart’s content.

You are a detective and – guess what – a woman hired you to find out whether her husband is having an affair. Luckily, the client mentioned a certain Sylvia – the potential “other woman”.

Meeting Sylvia “by chance” would be easy. She:

✓Walks her dogs in the same park every morning;

✓Goes to the gym on Tuesdays and Fridays;

✓Takes Spanish lessons every Monday evening.

Choose one of the settings, and describe how that meeting would go. What “casual” questions would you ask as an icebreaker? What information would you try to get?

Your favourite character (from a book, comic book or movie) found a way to sneak out of her world and into your own. Over the last few days, strange things happened in your town. What is she looking for, what does she want? What could you do to help her – or to send her back to her rightful pages?

Write a letter to your boss, requesting an increase in salary. The letter must include three supporting arguments.

OR

Write a F.A.Q. page that addresses the top 3 questions your customers ask regarding your product or service.

North Sea, October. The strong Atlantic currents make it pretty difficult for Douglas Kierson to dive – but today is his last chance. The research project is almost over, and Douglas will go back to Australia soon. He had no luck so far, but a gut feeling is telling him to try once more. After 15 years of research, it’s a no-brainer.

27 February, 1824.

We should have approached Malaga three days ago, but the ocean is all we see. The sails and ropes are in bad shape, and the winds are no longer favouring us. Captain is in a terrible mood. Last night, he had a fight with Rudy …

Complete the journal entry. Consider the following for inspiration:

✓ Why is the ship off track? Was it a storm, an ill-timed detour, bad luck or …?

✓ What was the official excuse for the fight? What is the actual reason?

✓ Who is writing the journal? Is it a crew member, the helmsman, the captain himself?

“The great enemy of integrity is not falsehood as such but … the attractiveness of foreign truths, truths that belong to others.”

David Norton

Integrity is defined as a person’s adherence to a set of strong moral principles.

How does integrity shine through the behaviour and attitude of a person?

Note down your thoughts. Then, choose one:

Write an aphorism on integrity.

Write a fable revolving around a situation that puts the leading character’s integrity to the test.

Today is all about exploring the many unusual connections our brains can make.Associate WISDOM with all of the following – and more, if you dare!

Be bold – but motivate your answers with a short, meaningful “because”.

WISDOM is ______________ because ______________________

• An object• An animal• A sound• A vehicle• A colour• A sport

• A painting• A person you know well• An emotion• Someone you admire• A tactile sensation• A social venue

• A valuable item• A city or landscape• The main character

of a book / movie

Click on the images above, and have a look at the product pages (for a vest and a backpack). Consider the target audience for each item. Note down your thoughts.

Then, write a compelling product description (75-120 words, no bullet points) for each.

Feeling stuck? This quick how-to will help!

The term “monorhyme” connotes a passage (or a complete poem) where all lines feature the same end rhyme - i.e. all lines rhyme with the last word of the first line. Even though a monorhyme looks easier than complex rhyme schemes, creating one that doesn’t sound bland or childish is tricky.

Write a monorhyme poem (at least 10 lines) about winter.

Feeling stuck?Browse the Winter board for inspiration!

Write a mystery (or horror) story featuring the following:

✓ A world map;

✓ Lilies;

✓ A lighter.

The above-mentioned elements should play a relevant role in the story. Word count limit: 2,500 words.

Illinois, 1956. The night train is slow, and noisy. It smells of smoke, sadness, and sweat. You read a bit, but then the lights go off … and you realise that the girl sitting next to you is quietly crying. A lady travelling on her own, on this damn route, crying? Now, that’s something you just cannot stand …

Opening line

I knew that the man was bad news. I knew his plan was going to fail. But when you’re desperate, any glimpse of hope goes.

Closing line

And there I was. Empty-handed, hungry, walking down a desolate road in the night.

What happens in between?Write a short story (750-1,500 words).

Up for a challenge? Write a short story (1,000-2,000 words) starting with …

“The towers of Zenith aspired above the morning mist; austere towers of steel and cement and limestone, sturdy as cliffs and delicate as silver rods.”

Babbitt, by Sinclair Lewis

Before you start, consider the following:

✓ Genre (science fiction, crime, humour, …)

✓ Setting (time and geographic location)

✓ Plot type, and specific plot devices

✓ Characters (protagonist, antagonist, supporting characters)

No rules, no restrictions. Write to your heart’s content.

Pages 4 & 58. Image by Oberholster Venita. Source: Pixabay

Page 7. Title page from The great frost: cold doings in London, except it be at the lotterie. With newes out of the country. A familiar talk betwene a country-man and a citizen touching this terrible frost and the great lotterie, and the effects of them. Printed at London: For Henry Gosson, 1608. Attributed to Thomas Dekker Dekker (approx. 1572-1632). STC 11403, Houghton Library, Harvard University. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Page 9. Image by Michael Gaida. Source: Pixabay

Page 14. Image by Peter H. Source: Pixabay

Page 16. Image by Quico Vicens-Picatto. Source: DeviantArt

Page 19. Image by James DeMers. Source: Pixabay

Page 21 & 47. Image by Free-Photos. Source: Pixabay

Page 25. Old Sermon Hall in a Monastery of Wat Khung Taphao. By Tmd. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Page 27. Ismal lion, calligram. By Ishvara7. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Page 29. Image by Hans Braxmeier. Source: Pixabay

Page 32. Image by Dina Dee. Source: Pixabay

Page 36. Hip, hip, hurra! Kunstnerfest på Skagen. By Peder Severin Krøyer . Source: Wikimedia Commons

Page 40. Image by ractapopulous. Source: Pixabay

Page 43. Image by Bond Supanat. Source: Pixabay

Page 45. Image by Lothar Dieterich. Source: Pixabay

Page 54. Night on El Train. By Edward Hopper. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Page 57. Image by HK1993. Source: Pixabay

Concept and prompts by Alessandra Martelli.

Quotations have been duly annotated with the names of the authors.

Design & DTP: Alessandra Martelli

This eBook is distributed free of charge.

Please do not sell, upload on file sharing platforms or redistribute it.

Thank you.

Alessandra MartelliYour communication alchemist