Welcome to summer writing prompts, the fourth seasonal prompt post on this here blog. I’ll certainly continue posting prompts every quarter, but we may stray from the seasonal theme. I’m not sure what direction we’ll go; I might have to wait for the inspiration to strike.

I said last time that summer didn't really scream a genre to me and that hasn’t changed. What summer does scream to me is being outside and gallivanting. Summer is soaking up the sun, heading to the cottage for the weekend, playing sports… 

So, we’re switching up the format again! For summer, I've decided to group our writing prompts by setting instead of by prompt type. Within each setting I’m going to follow my Instagram posting scheme: three things, start with this line, and something else (like a photo, a writing restriction, or inspiration from your life/ surroundings.) 

(Keep your eyes peeled for the Canadian tidbits because how could I not with this dropping on July 1st)

At the beach

These three things: An oyster shell, an abandoned kayak, red sand.

Begin with this sentence: Lorraine was hoping for a quiet day at the beach. School isn’t out yet, and it’s unseasonably warm, but somehow the beach is still crawling with children.

It’s time for people watching: use the people around you to come up with characters. Who are they when they’re not at the beach?

While camping

These three things: A howl, a burnt hot dog, the northern lights.

Begin with this sentence: The sounds of a night out camping calm my spirit: the fire crackles, the peepers sing, tiny paws skitter through the under brush while owls hoot overhead.

A camping bottle episode: It’s raining. Your characters are tent camping, write a story (or a significant scene) where they don’t leave the tent.

On the water

These three things: A storm cloud, something floating, a circling bird.

Begin with this sentence: I’d been paddling for hours and I still couldn't see Lake Ontario’s shore.

Experience it: Grab or rent a canoe or kayak, go out on the water and pay attention to what’s around you and what it makes you think about. When you get back to shore, write about the experience. Focus on the sensory and/or your interiority.

(If paddling isn’t available to you any boat (a ferry maybe) works, if even that is unavailable, simply use your imagination to sit at the center of a lake, bobbing on the water)

At the BBQ

These three things: A plaid shirt, a rare steak, pink and purple lemonades.

Begin with this sentence: “Where are the nanaimo bars?” Jane’s face was red, from the sun or the stress I couldn’t be sure.

A perspective: Write a story that follows a BBQ host who has some control issues. Nothing can go wrong, consider every thought that crosses their mind. Consider envisioning this story as a single camera shot where the character’s eyes are the camera.

In the field

These three things: The wrong jersey, citrus slices, a set of crutches.

Begin with this sentence: It always stresses me out to know that an ambulance sits at the kids’ lacrosse tournament.

Inanimate object: be the ball (or birdie, or disc). What does it feel like to be thrown/kicked/hit? What do the people using you think of you? How do they treat you? What happens before the game? After?

Whether warming up for your regular writing session, shaking loose the writer’s block, or simply having a little fun (or maybe joining me in a writing challenge?!), I hope these prompts provide a spark. I’d love to hear what ideas grow from these seeds, and if you want someone to take a substantive gander at your short story or take a line level comb through your short story or novel don’t be afraid to reach out!

Jerrica is a writer and editor who inspires up-and-coming writers to create compelling fiction and creative nonfiction works while providing them with the confidence to do it themselves or ask for a helping hand when they need it. She enjoys speculative fiction, horror and gut-wrenching emotion with a side of food & drink and the cozier things in life.