The Lost Daughter (writing prompts!)

And some inspiration from the late, great Louie Anderson

May 23, 2025

Your Daily Creative Inspiration

I was watching Baskets and then went on a long rabbit hole of reading old interviews with Louie Anderson. What a wonderful brilliant human he was. Here he is talking about his creative process:

“I once worked 11 years on a joke. The joke: My mom used to have me and my brother guess the price she paid for clothing. We hated it because we didn't know; we were just 10 and 12. We'd complain, "You're ruining our lives!" My mom would say, "Kids, what do you think I got this outfit for?" And being a wise guy, I'd go, "Eleven hundred? Nine hundred?" And she would say the price. I always knew it wasn't the right joke. Finally, I was on stage one night, got to the point where mom said, "What do you think I got this outfit for?" And I said, "Halloween?" And that was the joke. That was the missing part of a complete joke. Underneath every joke is a better joke. And I don't think comics hardly ever peel the tape off. Because the first one's the zircon; the second one's the diamond. And the third one's the emerald--really ambitious. Also, the original question was "How much do you think I got this outfit for?" And without thinking, I changed it to, "What do you think I got this outfit for?" I allow myself to deliver the same joke differently each time. Because if you're not different in every joke, how can you find the other joke?”

I love that. LET'S FIND ALL THE EMERALDS IN OUR WRITING. How can you keep chipping away at something that you know is GOOD and make it BETTER?

I always ask one question at the Sprint midpoint, and this week's question was "what is a sound that you love and a sound that you hate?" Here are some of the replies we got, so you can use them in prompt #5. I will let you decide which sounds people love and which ones they hate:

The sound of running toilet water, the sound of waves crashing, Tibetan Bowls, loud motorcycles, gunfire, rainfall, chimes, tap dancing, waterfalls, "my puppy's loud bark," a German restaurant in the neighborhood making schnitzel on Saturday afternoons, traffic helicopters, wind chimes, bell towers.

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Your Daily Writing Prompt

Hello writers! Tonight’s prompts were inspired by the movie The Lost Daughter.

EXERCISE #1: “I understand that, but I have no desire to move.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about a time when you said no to something that you felt a lot of pressure to say yes to.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a scene where your main character acts stubbornly and refuses to do something another character wants. Have them really stand their ground.

Share Your Daily Writing Prompt

EXERCISE #2: “These things happen when they’re supposed to happen.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about something that you thought you would have in your life by now, but don’t. Write about all of your feelings surrounding that absence.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, make a list of all your characters and briefly freewrite about all the things they expect out of life.

EXERCISE #3: “You don’t have kids?”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about something you ABSOLUTELY DO NOT WANT that society expects you to have. How have you dealt with that pressure?

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, pick any character you feel this would be most appropriate for and write a monologue where they talk about why they don’t want kids.

EXERCISE #4: “I saw you.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about a time when you saw something you shouldn’t have.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a scene where your protagonist witnesses something they shouldn’t. Make it juicy, something that’s going to have consequences.

EXERCISE #5: “This is my doll. You can’t treat her like shit.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: What do you feel the most protective of? It could be a person, a place, or a thing. Write about the lengths you would go to ensure its/their safety.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a scene where your protagonist stands up for another character.

EXERCISE #6: “I don’t know anything very well.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Make a list of at least ten things you think you should know how to do that make you feel completely incompetent, then pick one to write about in more depth. How did this skill elude you?

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a scene where your protagonist is forced to act! There’s some sort of emergency! But they are in over their head.

EXERCISE #7: “Why don’t you lie down for a minute. Now, now, it’ll pass.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about the ways in which you take care of your loved ones. How do you show your affection? Be super specific.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a scene where your protagonist takes care of another character while they’re ill – maybe make this second character someone who you wouldn’t expect them to be caring for.

EXERCISE #8: “I hate talking to my kids on the phone.”

PERSONAL PROMPT: Write about your relationship with your phone. But only things you LOVE about your phone.

NARRATIVE PROMPT: If you’re writing a narrative, write a phone call between your protagonist and someone they haven’t seen in a long, long time. Include at least one moment of awkwardness and one moment of tenderness.