The cold, dark days of winter have certainly hit here which means less time running around outside and more time reading and writing. So, I’ve put together some winter writing inspiration which pulls on the weather, holiday traditions and I've decided to add a little fantasy bend to some of them. Autumn had mystery and horror vibes and so I decided I’d keep the genre spin alive with this season’s writing prompts. 

Not as minutely organized as Autumn, below you’ll find five styles of prompts with my favourites “three things” and “start with this sentence,” some characters and some strange, perhaps magical, items. 

Just like last season, I'll be running some writing sprints and chatting between them about what I write based on these winter writing prompts. Join us live on January 15th at 1pm, or catch the video after and join us through time and space.

Three things

One of my favourite styles of writing prompt, just three random things. You can put these into your story literally, or you can pull on their vibes and bring them in more metaphorically. Even though these may seem on the nose for the season, consider how you can spin them in another direction without losing all the winter aesthetic.

1. An icicle, decorated sugar cookies, and blue candles.

2. Mistletoe, argyle stockings, and pinecones.

3. Fireworks, a cuckoo clock, and a feast.

A person who…

This prompt style invites you to explore interiority. What emotions are at the forefront in this situation? How do they handle it? Do they try to hide what they’re feeling or is it obvious to everyone?

4. ... just received the one gift they’ve been waiting for all year.

5. ... is counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to the new year.

6. ... has been invited to a traditional holiday celebration which they know nothing about.

Start (or end) with this sentence

No changes allowed! (Or do, who’s gonna know?) Start (or end) with one of these sentences. Think about what conflict may exist based on the implications of these thoughts or events.

7. “Blessed Solstice!” she said as she handed me a gift basket containing a small orange, a handful of sweets and a sachet with crystal and leaf bits in it.

8. The queen’s blizzard is upon us.

9. Grapes, kisses and other midnight traditions, what good do they really do?

A twist on a classic character

Everyone has considered writing from the perspective of the reindeer, Santa or an elf but what about these not-quite-classic characters? What’s their story, who are they?

10. Frosty the snowman’s partner.

11. A sentient gingerbread person.

12. The back-up sleigh team.

A strange item

Is it a curse or a blessing? These usually mundane items have a bit of a trick up their sleeve. Is it known to the characters before they interact with it? Is there a dark side to its magic? 

13. A bell that, when rung, summons snow.

14. A bottomless gift bag.

15. A party hat that provides the answer to a single question about the next 365 days.

Whether warming up for your regular writing session, shaking loose the writer’s block or simply having a little fun, I hope these prompts inspire you. I’d love to hear about what kinds of stories you tell, 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.