Jeremiah Jones (1693–1724)

I’m a novelist and so read this through that filter, but as Cohen & Jones point out in the Preface, song-writers, teachers, bloggers, parents working with their children, poets, dramatists… can all make use of the prompts using their own filters. I found dipping into the book is also an ideal start to a groggy day’s Morning Pages, that initial ten minute ‘write and do not stop’ to get the creative juices flowing. C&J cover this concept in the Preface, too, as a neat spur to readers’ thought processes.

Could some of the prompts be used to kick-start an entire novel? Oh yes, that’s why it’s taken me a while to finish the book, as on more than one occasion I spent an hour or two letting my imagination extrapolate from a prompt. Many of them set up a sentence or two of a scenario and then start asking questions. Questions – what if? – are the lifeblood of fiction, and the authors understand that this is implicit in the creative process. There are no bald four word phrases here.

There are seven chapters in the linked Table of Contents: Time & Place, People & Creatures, Body & Brain, Concepts, Money, Love & Entertainment, Mixed Bag… and a bonus ten of Words. Each is further broken down into sections, which I would have preferred listed in the Table of Contents, but this is a small quibble.

From the absurd to the deadly series, C&J have it covered. An ideal accompaniment to any writer’s digital or physical shelf. Highly recommended.

Note: I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review because I am the author of "Reading A Writer’s Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought To Finished Story".
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I am really enjoying this book. I can flip through and find a prompt to fit my mood, or needs. I teach sixth grade Language Arts, and find this to be a great source for writing prompts for my students. I chose two of the prompts, numbers 200 and 881 and put them on the board. I wanted them to have a choice. Listening to the share their writing with their group was fun. They were really enjoying it. I've already picked a prompt for our mythology unit. The great thing about this book is that I can take any prompt and modify it for me or my students. It is a great way to jump start writing. Want to know what prompts 200 and 881 are? Get the book and find out.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.… (más)