He got up and sat on the edge of the bedstead with his back to the window. “It’s better not to sleep at all,” he decided. There was a cold damp draught from the window, however; without getting up he drew the blanket over him and wrapped himself in it. He was not thinking of anything and did not want to think. But one image rose after another, incoherent scraps of thought without beginning or end passed through his mind. He sank into drowsiness. Perhaps the cold, or the dampness, or the dark, or the wind that howled under the window and tossed the trees roused a sort of persistent craving for the fantastic. He kept dwelling on images of flowers, he fancied a charming flower garden, a bright, warm, almost hot day, a holiday—Trinity day. A fine, sumptuous country cottage in the English taste overgrown with fragrant flowers, with flower beds going round the house; the porch, wreathed in climbers, was surrounded with beds of roses. A light, cool staircase, carpeted with rich rugs, was decorated with rare plants in china pots. He noticed particularly in the windows nosegays of tender, white, heavily fragrant narcissus bending over their bright, green, thick long stalks. He was reluctant to move away from them, but he went up the stairs and came into a large, high drawing-room and again everywhere—at the windows, the doors on to the balcony, and on the balcony itself—were flowers. The floors were strewn with freshly-cut fragrant hay, the windows were open, a fresh, cool, light air came into the room. The birds were chirruping under the window, and in the middle of the room, on a table covered with a white satin shroud, stood a coffin. The coffin was covered with white silk and edged with a thick white frill; wreaths of flowers surrounded it on all sides. Among the flowers lay a girl in a white muslin dress, with her arms crossed and pressed on her bosom, as though carved out of marble. But her loose fair hair was wet; there was a wreath of roses on her head. The stern and already rigid profile of her face looked as though chiselled of marble too, and the smile on her pale lips was full of an immense unchildish misery and sorrowful appeal. Svidrigaïlov knew that girl; there was no holy image, no burning candle beside the coffin; no sound of prayers: the girl had drowned herself. She was only fourteen, but her heart was broken. And she had destroyed herself, crushed by an insult that had appalled and amazed that childish soul, had smirched that angel purity with unmerited disgrace and torn from her a last scream of despair, unheeded and brutally disregarded, on a dark night in the cold and wet while the wind howled

37 Writing Prompt Pictures of Emojis

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writing prompt pictures

I hope these 37 creative writing prompt pictures of emojis either make you laugh or write.

Preferably both.

They’re meant to be suggestive, not to sketch out the entire story. Some of them just have a premise, while others suggest a possible ending. Feel free to change whatever you need to in your story to make them work. After all, they’re meant as inspiration, not as a blueprint.

I would suggest trying to start in the middle, en media res, as they say, and write as quickly as you can. I meant these writing prompt pictures mostly as inspiration for short stories, but if you feel these emojis could inspire a novel, go for it. I just expect to be mentioned in the Acknowledgements. Oh, and receive a 15% cut. ?

One thing every picture of emojis have: conflict. But it’s difficult to add characterization. Some, like the gay bodybuilder, the perverted old man, and the Jewish skier, I’ve managed to hint at identity, but with emojis you can’t do much more than that. So character development is on you, the writer! Please use your imagination.

If anyone would like to see more examples of writing prompt pictures for emojis, please let me know in the comments and I’ll try to make a few more.

Or if you just want to mock me for creating something so ridiculous, that’s okay too. This isn’t exactly high literary art. But it’s fun, so you pretentious folks can stuff it.

Those of you seeking visual creative prompts, or prompts based on pictures, should stop right here. These are much better than creating a story off a single photograph. Images can give a hint at a story, but emojis can give you a more complete narrative, with multiple characters, scenes, and objects. These are the ultimate writing prompt pictures.

One note: these pictures for writing prompts are definitely for teens and adults. I wouldn’t recommend having kids write about sex tapes, radioactive disasters, or magicians committing suicide.

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Every writer NEEDS this book.

It’s a guide to writing the pivotal moments of your novel.

Whether writing your book or revising it, this will be the most helpful book you’ll ever buy.

Every writer NEEDS this book.

It’s a guide to writing the pivotal moments of your novel.

Whether writing your book or revising it, this will be the most helpful book you’ll ever buy.