Hunter Emkay
Apps that provide writing prompts - sentence starters, character names, randomizers, ideas; and inspiration to take us out of a writer's block.
Simple writing challenges, with a large database of ideas the user steps through in a timed writing exercise. Use your own writing journal or anything else to write in.
IPhone, iPad and Android.
Similar to Writing Challenge but for students, with age appropriate trigger words.
iPhone, iPad and Android
Similar to sister apps Writing Challenge - Creative Sparks and Writing Challenge for Kids, but Ideas for Writing contains larger passages of ideas to inspire writing. Like the other two, however, there is no text editor in-house to the app, meaning you can write to the prompts on any notebook or journal you have on you.
Four categories, and a countdown timer with text editor. Large extra packs of prompts available as in-app purchase.
IOS
Story Dice is a creative tool to prompt ideas for plot, character, and setting. This idea generator can be used effectively for both written and oral storytelling. * * * * *
Great for playing writing games with my family.
The now famous Story Cube dice. I have these in physical and digital form, good fun to prompt writing adventures for myself and family.
Also available for Android.
Free app by the National Council of Teachers of English. Perhaps it's meant to be for kids, but this app is brilliant for mixing up words on a digital board (or refrigerator) while working out your snappy titles for content. Magnetic poetry too.
Simply a large database of lists of names, occupations, personality traits such as phobias, hobbies, and a brief plot introduction. Helpful in selecting names and some profile work for characters.
It would be more helpful if you could edit and add your own lists or append to the existing lists.
From writing,com, this is a powerful and attractive character profile generator. Randomly generated through 19 different profile characteristics. You can store your favourite prompts, and store notes.
IOS, Android and Kindle Fire - find the links from writing.com
By writing.com. Like the Character Prompts app, random generators produce prompts under scenes, headlines, sketches and other elements. Store your favourites, make
IOS, Android and Kindle Fire - find the links from writing.com
Fun prompt app that uses a spinner mechanism to randomise on four elements pre-populated: character, plot, scenario and resolution. But better yet, you can create your own elements lists and put these to a spinner.
iOS
Simple prompts but with some powerful features - a text editor to start you off, and some statistical data to watch how long you've been writing for. Send the resulting text files through to other apps like Evernote etc too.
iOS
An inspirational and motivational tool for writers and non-writers alike. Hundreds of free prompts to help inspire you to write, in categories from creative, animals to crime or events. 500+ free prompts plus a purchaseable addon pack.
Android.
The free educational version of writing.com's Writing Prompts app.
Combining word lists with writing prompt templates to create some interesting starter ideas. Some nice backgrounds also.
IOS
Promises not your average writing prompts.
IOS
Simple dice with words - but, and, as, so, or, if. Useful for creating a logline or one sentence.
IOS
Based on the best selling Creative Whack Pack card deck, the app supplies 84 cards as creative inspiration.
IOS
Randomly generates a creative prompt from three words. A very nice UI, and better yet - you can edit and add to any of the words.
IOS
Shake the iPhone for a set of random words.
IPhone only.
Three spinning wheels to combine plot/conflict, theme/ setting and subject/location.
iOS
Use your own photos as background. The app generates some words on strips which can be arranged into prose.
iOS
A series of questions, and database of generators for scenarios and muses.
IOS
Not just for writers, this free multi-activity app has won accolades all over. Activities and questions allow you to analyse where you've become stuck in anything from work to personal relationships. And it's fun.
IOS
This app runs through a 21 day coaching course providing a series of exercises for enhancing our creativity. Nice visuals.
IOS
