As the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” Where I live, that is holding true as it has been a bit soggy! But on the bright side . . . flowers are blooming and the cherry blossoms are beautiful!
This month, it can also rain down ideas! Here are some prompts to help you cultivate your stories:
1) Visit a botanical garden – perhaps bring a sketch pad and draw the flowers and trees you notice. Pay attention to details like color, shape, texture, and smell. Choose one sketch and write a story using some of those details.
2) Cultivate a home herb or flower garden either outdoors or on your windowsill. Record the growing patterns. Write one line about your process, and perhaps that could turn into a story idea.
3) Observe the rain, from inside or outside. Notice the size of the rain drops, the smell in the air, and the sound of the drops. Could any of these atmospheric details add to your manuscript?
4) Rainy days are also wonderful days to explore indoor activities like markets, bookstores, libraries, or museums. Choose one and spend the day enjoying the experience. Perhaps your adventure will inspire a non-fiction or fiction story.
5) Rainy days are also perfect for staying home if possible to enjoy reading or playing board games with family or friends. Spark some rainy days stories, too.
This month, let April showers, indoors or outside, help inspire your ideas. Let me know in the comments if these prompts helped. Happy writing!
MELISSA’S BIO:
Melissa Stoller writes to bring connection, joy, and a bit of magic to her readers. Her newest picture book, Hazel and Mabel: Two Hearts Apart, illustrated by Anita Bagdi, releases from Gnome Road Publishing in Fall 2025. Melissa is also the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection – Return to Coney Island, and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; Sadie’s Shabbat Stories; Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom; and Building Bridges: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written). Melissa is a Blogger for the Children’s Book Academy, a Rate Your Story Judge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, a Book Meshuggenahs member, a Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Trustee, and a past school and Synagogue Trustee. She also interviews authors and offers resources on her blog. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer/editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and Central Park walks.
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