Lots of people have ideas in their heads that would make great fiction stories but most never get around to putting their thoughts into action. Mostly, it comes down to not having enough free time and, if we do manage to find the time, we don’t have the energy. Writing bursts are an excellent way to get your writing going when all else fails.

What is A Writing Burst?

If the thought of writing an entire short story or the first few chapters of a novel turn you cold, writing bursts are what you need. All you need to do is find 10 minutes and write without stopping. Write down the subject of your burst, be it a chapter or a plot, and just write. Forget about quality and grammar for that period, all you want is content on the page.

Writing bursts are brilliant for when you don’t have a lot of spare time but you want that feeling that you achieved something. Also, if you are facing a long creative writing session, a writing burst at the start can put you in the right mood. Whatever you produce can be your starter for longer pieces or you can use them to generate some new ideas.

Can I Vary My Writing Bursts?

Yes, you can. If you have already done a few and they are starting to bore you a little, the entire concept around them can be tweaked in any number of ways:

If 10 minutes seems too short, lengthen it; write for 20 minutes, even 30 minutes if you feel you can manage it.

If your ideas don’t seem to have any life to them, find a friend to write with. Both of you use the same prompt for writing and swap what emerges from each of you. Or use a few writing prompts; pick a couple and work out how they could be used together.

If you are working on a longer-length piece of fiction, like a novel, and you’ve come to a grinding halt, pick another burst prompt to get you back on track. You don’t need to use what you write, it can be cut later but you might just find it fits perfectly!

A Short Exercise

Grab a pen and some blank paper; choose one of the prompts from below and write for 10 minutes:

She awoke suddenly in the middle of the night, shivering. The window was wide open; she knew she had shut it before she went to bed.

Every year, on the anniversary, they came back to place flowers on the spot where it happened.

The sky darkened and the rain began to fall, light at first then getting heavier, until it was pouring down hard.

He woke to hear the birds singing. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was starting a hike through the forest.

The garden is overgrown now, full of twisted, aged trees, weeds and bushes covering the paths. Once, it was a well-kept garden, tidy and full of bright flowers.

See how you get on; you might find that you have the beginnings of an excellent short story!