86 Images & Questions Writing Prompts [CREATIVE WRITING #2]

Draw an image and a question from two decks of cards, look at the scene and answer the question, and start writing! Endless stories and possibilities await you in this writing prompt tool for creative writers.

Short stories, novels, screenplays and other forms of creative storytelling all begin with one thing: an idea. Writing prompts are a fun activity to spark creativity, but they can easily become a little bland. This deck of 86 cards make writing prompts fun again — by using images and questions instead of text prompts to get you in the flow!

86 Images & Questions Writing Prompts is an agile creative writing tool. The box contains a booklet and 86 individual cards; 50 unique images of all genres, and 36 inspiring questions.

The idea is simple: Pair an image with a question at random and start writing! You'll be amazed at the exciting ideas you'll come up with.

WHO WOULD ENJOY THESE CARDS?

This tool is a fun writing exercise for aspiring and published authors, writers of short stories and poetry, writing groups, creative storytellers, your secret journal, or anyone who loves creative writing and storytelling. If you enjoy writing you will have a great time with this deck of cards!

• Hobby Writers: For your next short story, to spark ideas for novels and screenplays, or as a fun free-form writing exercise in your journal.
• Authors: If you're working on a novel or screenplay, the cards can be used to come up with new characters, plot twists, scenes and subplots; add meat to the bone if your current story or outline is lacking in content.
• Writing Groups & Classes: Teachers and writing group members can use the cards as a light activity or even focus entire sessions around them.
• Storytellers: Even if you're not a writer, the cards will spark your imagination and help you come up with interesting stories on the fly.
• Kids: A child's mind is a creative mind, and with these cards your kids are sure to have a fun time! (Though you might want to take some of the less kid-friendly cards out first).

THE IMAGES & EXAMPLE USES

Each image has been carefully hand-picked for variety in theme and art style, and with creative writing in mind. It's as much about what you see in an image as it's about the events and characters you don't see — only your imagination is the limit!

Here's what you do: Shuffle the images and questions into two separate decks, draw one card from each at random, look at the image and answer the question, and start writing!

There are images of all genres, including fantasy, romance, comedy, sci-fi, action, dystopia, drama, and more!

Beside the basic use described above, the printed booklet included with the cards suggests a number of other creative uses:

1. Combine More Cards: You can create entire scenes and storylines by using multiple images and questions. Imagine a seriers of images that must be linked together in a story, or one image with multiple questions tied to it instead of just one.
2. World Building: Sort through all the cards and pick a handful that you believe fit your current story in theme and setting. Use them as inspiration for new locations, events and scenery within the imaginary world you are creating.
3. Character Development: From the specific people and beings you find in many of the images, to those that are outside of the frame but who your imagination can come up with. Add new characters to your existing story.
4. Character Subplots: Put your existing characters into new and exciting scenes and situations. Use this to add meat to the bone as you outline or write your story.

In total there are over 600,000 combinations if you combine any three images and questions! Use more and we're talking millions of potential stories to tell. The only limit to what you can do is your own imagination and creativity.

THREE TYPES OF QUESTIONS

The 36 questions have been written and picked based on their ability to spark your imagination. Any question should work with any of the images, and you're bound to get a wealth of ideas and emotions as you play around with them.

The questions are divided into three categories:

Questions that present some sort of external or internal conflict. Examples include:

• Who is the murderer?
• What happened moments later that caused a panic?
• What is their plan to escape?

Questions that present mystery to the scene/image. Examples include:

• Are they really from Earth?
• What is the secret message about to be delivered?
• What do they hear and how do they react?
• Who is watching them?

General yet inspiring questions like:

• Who is their true love?
• Where are they going?
• What would you ask them at a job interview?

NOTE: The questions are designed to leave room for imagination, rather than to give you a fixed scenario the way traditional writing prompts do. The images set the scene, the questions dictate the direction your story will take. The term "they" is used, which can mean either "he" or "she", or a group of characters — it's all up to you!

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

My name is Johan and I'm an author, journalist, and storyteller. I've always been a writer, and also freelance as a creative writing editor and translator. Yes, writing is my passion!

I'm also a hobby board game designer, which might explain my fascination for physical decks of cards.

The 86 Images & Questions Writing Prompts was born from my own dislike of standard writing prompts in text format, and the idea of using cards to create this tool for writers evolved naturally. I started playing around with images and soon realized that you can present pretty much any question or scenario to any type of photo or image for wildly different imaginative results.

The deck presented on this page is the result of this realization. It's a writing tool I use a lot myself, and which is now available to you too. I'm constantly amazed at the clever, fun, exciting and sometimes bizarre combinations that appear from a random draw of cards, and the endless stories that pop into my head just by playing around with them.

THE CREATIVE WRITING TOOLBOX

The 86 Images & Questions Writing Prompts deck is part of my series The Creative Writing Toolbox. It's a series of decks of cards with different purposes, all aimed at helping aspiring authors, writers and storytellers tell better stories. At the moment, the series includes two published decks: the 86 Images & Questions Writing Prompts, and my 50 Steps to Writing a Novel. The latter is an educational tool that gives you an extensive overview of the entire process, from planning and writing, to editing and publishing.

Future decks are planned as part of the Creative Writing Toolbox, including Character Development Questions and World Building in Fiction. If you'd like to be notified of the release of new decks, please feel free to drop me an e-mail: jozii89 [at] gmail.com.

ABOUT THE GAME CRAFTER

The 86 Images & Questions Writing Prompts and other tools of the Creative Writing Toolbox are sold as print-on-demand on The Game Crafter, the website you are currently on.

The Game Crafter is aimed at board game designers, but their tools and high-quality components are ideal for a product like the 86 Images & Questions Writing Prompts. Though this deck is not a game, the cards are durable, beautifully printed, and can handle being shuffled and used time and time again.

BUY THE CARDS — PRINT-ON-DEMAND

Print-on-demand means that a copy of the product is printed each time an order is placed. For this reason, delivery times vary from 1-6 weeks depending on where in the world you are.

Though The Game Crafter ships worldwide they are located in the US. Note that import fees may apply if you live outside of the US.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?

The 86 Images & Questions Writing Prompts includes 86 cards and 1 booklet in a small box:

• 50 unique images
• 36 inspiring questions
• 1 booklet
• 1 small box to hold all components

Are you ready to get creative? Then get this creative writing tool today!