If these irresistible desk sets from Poppies for Grace don't inspire a stumped writer, I came across a prompt in Monica Wood's pint sized tome The Pocket Muse 2, Endless Inspiration for Writers, that seems to help:
A Wordsmith's Warm-up
First sentence: one word
Second sentence: two words
Third sentence: three words
and so on, until you trick yourself in.
Self-trickery really works. It's kind of like making yourself get off the couch and get some exercise when it all seems like too much hard work. Tell yourself you're just going for a walk, then go a little faster, until suddenly you're running because walking is just too slow and unsatisfying.
Same with writing. A three line sentence sits there teasing me to flesh it out. I have yet to master the art of minimalism when it comes to word-smithing. At least it gets words on the page, and that's a great start.
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