Friday Fun-Day Writing Prompt: Mirror of Erised

Happy Friday, everyone! Well, it’s still Friday here in California, barely. I’ve had quite a bit on my plate recently, and that has caused me to fall behind on the NaNoWriMo challenge. However, it’s not a complete loss. I’m writing for myself again rather than just bringing other people’s ideas to life, and that has made all the difference. I’m having fun making progress on Beorn the Alchemist after being stalled for so long. That’s why I wanted to make today’s writing prompt one directly related to NaNoWriMo. Actually, it’s not my writing prompt but one created by Mugglenet, one of the most popular Harry Potter fan sites in the world. The best part: it involves the Mirror of Erised!

For you Muggles who have not read Harry Potter or watched the movies, the Mirror of Erised is a mirror which, when you stand directly in front of it, shows you nothing less than your deepest desire. For example (*SPOILER ALERT*), Harry sees his family–most prominently his parents–when he looks into the Mirror of Erised because his deepest desire is for a family that loves him. It’s some pretty deep stuff.

Anyway, today’s writing prompt involves looking into the Mirror of Erised. However, it’s not your deepest desire that you’ll see but your main character’s. Here’s the prompt:

Imagine that the main character for your current WIP is looking into the Mirror of Erised. What does he/she see? Why? How does this desire affect their actions? How does realizing that this is their deepest desire affect them? Write all of this down as notes. If it helps, write out a scene in which your main character is in front of the Mirror, including his/her thoughts and how seeing the image of this desire fulfilled makes them feel.

As you progress through your current WIP, whether it’s writing it for NaNoWriMo or going through your fiftieth rewrite, refer back to these notes, especially when you get stuck. It can help you find your main character’s true motivations and keep his/her actions and reactions consistent. You can also use it to provide your writing with some subtext. After all, even when the desire is not at the forefront of the character’s mind, it’s always lingering just beneath the surface.

What was your experience with this prompt? What does your main character see in the Mirror of Erised? What does it say about him/her? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

If you know of any good writing prompts or any resources for new prompts, feel free to discuss them in the comments or e-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com so that I can let your fellow writers know.

Happy writing, everyone! And keep the ball rolling, NaNoWriMo participants!