When there’s no spark, some exercises might be flint.
Margaret Wilkinson of Northumbria University does a column of Mslexia’s workshops. It has a few dozen prompt directions and under each a few idea of directions to spin from there. For example find a fresh eye for the day by list-making your way to a new spot by putting things in the head that might not normally follow by comparing lists such as:
Things I’ve never seen
Advice my mother gave me
Things that should be kept uncovered
Things my lover hates
Things I have forgotten
Who knows what might turn up.
Another prompt is how to monkey with writing you can’t chuck yet. “it seems generally unwise to use already problematic poetry or prose as the starting point for a new piece. […] Still want to go ahead? Okay. You’ve been warned.” Use recycling by writing it backwards, read things as its opposite, as if you are in Taming of the Shrew, switch up the pov or systemically remove every example of one part of speech.
Other writing prompt sites: Dragon Writing, Poefusion of Friday 5 word prompts and 3 Word Wednesdays