Back by popular demand, I have another writing exercise for you all!

Do you know why I love writing exercises? Because introducing you to an exercise is like handing you a tool. My hope is that in trying a variety of exercises, you’ll find a few that work well in your hand. That when you’re stuck or needing inspiration or simply desiring to write, you’ll come back to one of these exercises and they’ll help you get from where you are to where you want to be.

That’s why I love exposing you to different starting places. Because once you start, you never quite know where the road will lead.

Today, I have an exercise that is fantastic for getting the writing juices flowing when you’ve been stagnant. It wakes up the nosy questioner in your brain–a muse that can get lazy when he’s not being actively consulted.

Your job:

Using the picture below, come up with as many “What If” questions as you can. Leave them here in our comment section. Once you’ve done that, go through your list and leave an * by the questions that have the most story potential.

And don’t forget to come back throughout the weekend to see what your friends have come up with. We like to cheer one another on here at Go Teen Writers.

Happy writing, everyone!

Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.

Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.

It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.

To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.

For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her websiteInstagramFacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.