Writing Prompts

Sometimes you need a prompt that’s a bit more than just a word or two. “Oddly specific” prompts are great for improv, devising, and playwriting because they instantly spark students’ imaginations...

Stories about cherished toys and stuffed animals (plush toys, stuffies, cuddly toys, soft toys, etc.) are abundant: Winnie the Pooh, The Velveteen Rabbit, Paddington, Corduroy, Calvin and Hobbes,...

Not sure how your character is feeling? Not to worry, fret, or flounder. Below you’ll find 50 emotion prompts, and another 50 in the download at the bottom of this article. Use these prompts when...

Sometimes you need to brighten up your playwriting and scene work with a splash of colour. Try assigning small groups of students each a colour and seeing how many of those prompts they can include...

Character Prompts“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one. ~ James Froude” Students often miss connecting character development as part of the writing...

I was teaching at a private school last week during their playwriting unit. One of their pre-writing exercises was to create an “Inspiration File” the point of which was to find, create, give...

The most interesting characters come alive in the smallest details: a favourite food, a favourite type of music, a fear of spiders, an allergy to plums, a scar from a fall at two years of age, a...