L.A. Story (writing prompts!)

Also: inspiration from Francis Ford Coppola, The Enablers Monologues at Echo Theater, and my new book is #1! (Pre-order if you haven't yet!)

Apr 18, 2025

Your Daily Creative Inspiration

For today’s inspiration, here’s a truism from Francis Ford Coppola.

“It’s true I rewrite a lot . . . my talent is I just try and try, and try and try again, and little by little it comes to something that I think is okay.”

That’s really the key, isn’t it? If you don’t like what you’re writing, keep writing it until you like it.

Your Daily Writing Prompt

Today’s prompts were inspired by the movie L.A. Story.

EXERCISE #1: “My name is Harris K. Telemacher. I live in Los Angeles and I’ve had seven heart attacks...all imagined.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Freewrite about your most neurotic habits or characteristics. Where do you think they come from?

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, pick a character from your work-in-progress and freewrite about at least three things they’re neurotic about – then use one of those neuroses in a monologue.

EXERCISE #2: “I C PEOPLE N TROUBLE & I STOP THEM. L.A. WANTS TO HELP U.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about the most selfless person you know? How do they make the world better and what could you learn from them?

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a scene where your main character is in some sort of trouble and they turn to another character for help.

EXERCISE #3: “If I can roller skate in all the major museums in the world, then I can say I’ve done something really wonderful with my life.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: What are your weirdest, most unique interests? What are the strangest things that bring you joy?

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a scene where two of your characters confide in each other and bond over embarrassing things they love.

EXERCISE #4: “I’m just a little raw and sometimes a song or lyric can just catch you and rip you apart.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about a song that you feel deeply connected to and why you find this song so meaningful.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a scene between two of your characters where they listen to a song together. Include a moment of crying, a moment of physical contact, and a repeated question.

EXERCISE #5: “You look fabulous in those.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write a eulogy for a piece of clothing you no longer own that you miss. Write about fun or meaningful experiences you had while wearing it.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a scene where an important item of clothing belonging to your main character is destroyed.

EXERCISE #6: “Let your mind go and your body will follow.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about your relationship with your own body and what activities make you feel most connected to it.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a conversation that takes place while two characters are engaged in some form of physical activity – working out, jogging, playing a sport, whatever.

EXERCISE #7: “The pain, the lying, the complications...I’m losing control. It’s everything I’ve been trying to avoid.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about a time when you discovered someone had lied to you – dig deep into all of the pain and complications it caused.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a fight scene where your protagonist catches someone else in a lie.

EXERCISE #8: “Ordinarily I don’t like to be around interesting people because it means I have to be interesting too.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about five things that you find interesting about yourself.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, make a list of all the characters in your story and then freewrite about one or two things that makes each one of them interesting.

Your Daily Recommendation

If you’re in Los Angeles, check out The Enabler Monologues at The Echo Theater Company. It’s a night of monologues written in the voices of people who enabled our current administration and honestly, it’s harrowing, funny, and a great call to action. I wrote a monologue for the evening, along with a long list of incredible writers including Stephen Laughton (who conceived the evening), David Lindsay-Abaire, Jessica Goldberg, Hamish Linklater, and a truly insane group of actors like Alan Ruck, Jeff Perry, Amy Landecker, Leo Marks, Hugo Armstrong, Drew Droege, and so many more. I saw the show the other night and I was blown away. There’s only one more performance (for now), so if you’re in Los Angeles, go check it out this Wednesday, April 23rd!

Have You Pre-Ordered My New Book?

If you’ve already pre-ordered my new book of writing prompts, WRITE A ROMANTASY: 99 PROMPTS TO WRITE A TALE OF HEART AND HEROISM, thank you so much. And if you haven’t gotten your copy yet, go get it now at one of these links: Amazon, Bookshop, Books-a-Million, Barnes and Noble. Help me keep the book on top. Thank you!