A Roll of the Dice
In the spirit of taking chances, roll two six-sided dice. Whatever number comes up, write down the first word you can think of with that many letters. Repeat six times. Incorporate these six words into a story or scene and see where it takes you.
“Creativity by its nature has to do with gambling, taking chances, insinuating yourself into darker corners that haven’t been explored.”
— Diane Ackerman, Writer’s Digest September 1997
Writing Prompt: A Roll of the Dice
In the spirit of taking chances, roll two six-sided dice. Whatever number comes up, write down the first word you can think of with that many letters. Repeat five more times. Incorporate these six words into a story or scene and see where it takes you.
If you don't have dice on hand, you can roll a pair of virtual dice at random.org/dice.
If you're feeling adventurous, take it to the next level: Add another die and roll 10 times. Note that your words could feasibly end up being 18 letters long. Find a list of 18-letter words here. (Or if you're a DnD player like me and you're willing to raise the stakes even farther, you could use a 20-sided die to select your words.)
Post your response in 500 words or fewer in the comments below.
Jess Zafarris is the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications for Gotham Ghostwriters and the former Digital Content Director for Writer’s Digest. Her eight years of experience in digital and print content direction include such roles as editor-in-chief of HOW Design magazine and online content director of HOW and PRINT magazine, as well as writing for the Denver Business Journal, ABC News, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. She spends much of her spare time researching curious word histories and writing about them at UselessEtymology.com. Follow her at @jesszafarris or @uselessety on Twitter.
