darren r hill

the creative minimalist

Tag: journal prompt

The Path a Friday Fiction Writing Prompt
A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring a path to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

I am lost. I don’t know which way to go. Wait. Is that a way forward? Have I found a path?

Writing Prompt Expanded

Finding a direction in life can be its biggest mystery. We look for direction and answers in philosophy, religion, pleasure, or pain. There is almost no limit to potential answers and solutions and therefore, roads to travel. As such, we can find ourselves, confused or even lost. This may be a temporary or seemingly permanent state of being.

This prompt is all about a path. In the previous paragraph, the path would appear as a metaphor, however, it could be a literal path as well. In fact, I might go so far as to suggest that the best metaphors are ones we literally live out. Being lost in the forest whilst looking for life’s meaning could be the revelation we really need. Let’s explore the way ahead, our path, in this writing prompt.
- Why do you think there is a path?
- How does the realisation of a path change your feelings?
- What do you have to do to follow this path?
- What are your hopes or fears if you follow this path?
This is fiction, but like all these prompts it can be used for personal reflection. The path is a powerful metaphor and one I return to quite often. It has been my creative prompt word this week too. And, as so often, given me plenty to think about and explore.

As always these writing prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, something a little more grandiose, or for time in your journal. If you do write something, please share it or a link, in the comments, use the hashtag #ffwp or tag me @darrenrhill. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

Original forest path image by jplenio from Pixabay

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

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12 March 2021
Grow — Weekly Creative Prompt
It’s time for another weekly creative prompt word. These weekly words, or prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some focus to our creative work.

The other day I was driving and the sun was out, it felt like a lovely spring day. On the side of the road, I saw some daffodils. They were the first flowers I had seen in the wild this year in fact, the first flowers I had seen anywhere since last year. But there they were, new life by the side of the road. Spring is often associated with new life, new beginnings, and new developments. Therefore…

This week’s creative prompt word is:

Grow — germinate and develop:

grow is a verb, often used with objects and other words to create more complex phrases and sentences, basically, it can create and develop them

Let the prompt inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:
- writing fiction
- art journaling
- songwriting
- journaling
- photography
- painting
- composing
- blog posts
- art therapy
- anything that could use a little nudge to begin
I now have ‘grow’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. Furthermore, I can already feel it bringing new life to ideas and developing others that have been on hold during the wintertime. Spring is hereabouts, what can you grow?

As mentioned before, this isn’t a ‘challenge’ but the prompts can be used that way if you want. If you do create anything using them, I would love to see or hear about it. Leave a link in the comments below or tag me @darrenrhill or #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

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28 February 2021
Prognosis fear — Friday Fiction Writing Prompt
A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring fear to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore. Warning: this prompt may trigger deep emotions if you have or are dealing with illness. You may want to avoid it.

The doctor glanced one final time at the computer monitor, as if for confirmation. She then turned to me and said…

Writing Prompt Expanded

This Friday Fiction Writing Prompt is all about the narrator’s reaction. It is linked to my weekly creative prompt ‘fear’. So often, as we wait for something we spend our time worrying about what will happen, we fear the outcome. This is a learned response, however, without all the facts our fear is often unfounded. We go to the doctor because we don’t know. The doctor is the one who can interpret the situation correctly.

The doctor is about to speak:
- What do they say?
- What is the reaction?
- Is it positive or negative news, or even something else?
- Are the words for the narrator or another member of the family?
- What is the emotional response?
Writing this prompt in the first person allows you to really get under the skin of your character. There is an emotional scene in the TV series Breaking Bad. Walter White is told that he has terminal lung cancer. The doctor is talking, but Walter isn’t listening to the words. Walter is focussed on a sauce stain on the doctor’s coat. That’s Walter’s reaction to the doctor’s words. What will the reaction be in your fiction?

This may trigger very personal memories. Don’t attempt to use this prompt if that is so. However, it can be a good way to begin exploring your feelings and emotions, of the past and perhaps the future. Do seek professional help and guidance if you want to explore this further.

As always these writing prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, something a little more grandiose or some personal journal time. If you do write something, please share it or a link, in the comments or tag me #ffwp or @darrenrhill. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

Original medical image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest
26 February 2021
Fear — Weekly Creative Prompt
It’s time for another weekly creative prompt word. These weekly words, or prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some focus to our creative work and journaling.

A few weeks ago the weekly creative prompt word was ‘hope’. Hope is seen as positive, and yet so many times we tag it to something we don’t want to happen ‘I hope x or y doesn’t… etc’. In these situations, we betray the emotions that are really running through our minds. Therefore…

This week’s creative prompt word is:

Fear — an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm:

I admit to being a little fascinated by the concept of fear, the fact that so many of the threats are created by my thoughts. Something I try to deal with quite often as I journal.

Let the prompt inspire you in any area of creativity and journaling that you are interested:
- writing fiction
- art journaling
- songwriting
- journaling
- photography
- painting
- composing
- blog posts
- art therapy
- anything that could use a little nudge to begin
I now have ‘fear’ written on the board above my computer, although, I have added a smiley face next to it. The prompt is not to instill fear but to explore how fear is linked to the unknown and what-ifs and maybes. Fear is no more a reality than hope, and yet so often I let it control my thoughts and actions. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey and journaling this week. Furthermore, I can already feel it impinging on how I can begin to overcome fear and be positive and proactive.

As mentioned before, this isn’t a ‘challenge’ but the prompts can be used that way if you want. If you do create anything using them, I would love to see or hear about it. Leave a link in the comments below or tag me @darrenrhill or #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest
21 February 2021
Friday Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the Full Moon
A Fiction Writing Prompt to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

The cloud drifted aside. The light grew gradually. The moon was full. That meant…

Writing Prompt Expanded

The moon orbits the earth and plays a vital role in life on our planet. Its influence can be seen through the gravitational effect on the tides. However, I often wonder what effect this satellite has on our bodies, considering that they are approximately 60% water. This week’s creative prompt is full. It was partly inspired by the knowledge that there was a full moon yesterday. So, that’s why we are here thinking about the full moon.

The challenge in this writing prompt is to decide what effect the moon will have, or, if you are journaling, does have. There are many legends, myths and stories concerning the full moon. For millennia people have been guided by the moon. I use the lunar cycle as a time to set and achieve goals. Here are a few ideas that might trigger your creativity:
- Werewolves or other creatures of the night
- the power of crystals and/or magic
- an unknown energy influence from the moon
- the dangers caused by a high tide
- the timing of a harvest, or fishing trip
I hope this writing prompt enables you to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Inspiration is sometimes thought of as a lightbulb. When lit we are creative. Here is a prompt that contains the light itself, it may be the lesser light in our sky, but it has a significant influence.

As always these writing prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story or something a little more grandiose. If you do write something, please share it or a link, in the comments, use the hashtag #ffwp or tag me @darrenrhill. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

Original moon image by Gerhard G. from Pixabay

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest
29 January 2021
Hope in myself

This week I have had the word ‘hope’ above my desk. It is my creative prompt for the week. The creativity has been a bit scarce, so I’m not certain if it has helped.

However, I did open the journal and write and doodle and think around ‘hope’. It was, as always, an interesting time, exploring an idea and concept in the journal. The ability to step back and think about things is the reason I journal. And the blank page is the ideal place to just explore and see where an idea or thought will take me.

Today I ended up realising that my biggest hope at the moment should be to believe in myself. I should believe in my abilities and skills and creativity. To believe in myself is to actually be myself, my true self; to believe and be.

Sometimes this feels so close. All I need to do is climb over a little ledge before me. At other times it feels like I need to cross a chasm. And it is a chasm that feels too wide. In fact, so wide I can’t really tell if there is another side, it is obscured in the darkness or by the mist.

But I hope. I hope that I will believe in myself. That I will be. And I hope that you can be the person you need to be. Explore what you hope for in your journal, you never know how close your hopes might be to being realised. Take care my friends x.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

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16 January 2021