I used to be an avid writer a few years ago. I'd been published in magazines, I won story competitions but then things got...hectic...I spiralled down into manic depression and had a lot of work to get to the point where I could stand waking up in the morning and then I filled my life with being busy and dealing with family issues and even taking on rescue animals. My writing slipped.

Nowadays I roleplay and I day dream stories but I really want to get back into writing. I just don't know how.

I can't seem to get those juices flowing again.

I took a peek in the sticky but the challenges didn't inspire me. I think I need something less vague than "777/luck/fortune" and the likes.

So if anyone can give me a title to work with or an idea I would be MOST grateful and I'd make sure you got the credit for whatever you supply me with.

Thank you.

I've got a couple of books I recommend, if you want to check them out. ^-^ They're "The Pocket Muse" by Monica Wood and "The Writer's Portable Therapist" by Rachel Ballon. I've found them both very helpful.

I especially like the first one. It's full of little suggestions ("Write a sex scene and make it funny"), inspirational stories (too long to post one here XD), and humorous interludes ("Top five day jobs for writers, based on an informal and deeply flawed poll: 1) Security Guard 2)Parrot Trainer 3)Bounty Hunter 4)Greeter at Wal-Mart 5) Neurosurgeon. In other words, find something that nets you either lots of material or lots of time). I have a themes thread (fairly new with bad writing that you shouldn't read) in which I occasionally use her suggestions for short little writings.

Barnes and Nobles sells an interesting box set called, The Writer's Toolbox. It contains several writing activities that help spark stories and renew interest in stories that one becomes stuck on.

I like to think critically about litterature I've already read or movies I've watched to critique and also to get ideas from.

I get rid of writer's block by actually writing. It's pretty ironic, but it works. Try writing short poems, journalistic articles or just practice writing haiku. They don't need to be perfect.

I'm not sure if it'll work for you, but good luck on finding a way to get rid of writer's block!

Some prompts:

"you were my very own sympathetic character" from Sympathetic Character
by Alanis Morissette (song lyrics)

"everybody hurts sometimes" from
Everybody Hurts
by R.E.M. (song lyrics)

"and the dying is teaching us how to live" from
The Roundabout
by Enigma (song lyrics)

I think song lyrics are good prompts. You get to interpret its meaning yourself, so it isn't so limiting as some other prompts...