Even the most prolific writers among us can’t always come up with ideas for stories. It can be very frustrating sometimes to sit down in front of your paper or in front of your laptop and just stare, waiting for an idea to come. Sometimes, we just don’t know what we want to write about!
When this happens to you, don’t despair. Help is available! Instead of staring blankly into space, try a writing prompt. The internet is full of sites devoted to writing prompts. In addition, there are tons of books filled with all sorts of prompts and idea generators you can use for stories, blog posts, poetry, and so on.
One of my favorite collections of writing prompts is the book 5,000 Writing Prompts by Bryn Donovan. In my monthly writer’s group, we like to start off our meeting with a 23-minute writing exercise based on a prompt chosen at random from this book. In the past, we’ve taken these prompt-generated stories, polished them up, and have had them published online. This is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. The other advantage is that the time limit forces you to get writing. Writing is a craft, a practice. Writing makes you a better writer, just like golf makes you a better golfer and cooking makes you a better cook. It takes practice; it takes getting words on the page.
One of the members of the writer’s group is my husband Mark. Reading his prompt-driven fiction has been a revelation! I never knew what a talented writer he is. Though our prompts have been random, Mark tends to use them to generate situations for two characters he often writes about. In this way, the prompts has helped Mark flesh out his characters and really bring them to life by putting them in a variety of situations. If you have some characters who are very real to you but you’re not sure how best to showcase them, a few writing prompts might be just the creative exercise you need.
Let’s Get Started!
Fiction: The first things you need for this exercise are paper, pen, and timer. You can use your keyboard, but at least once I advise you to try a writing prompt by hand. You don’t want to spend time editing; you want to use your precious time to write.
Next, I am going to give you a fiction writing prompt. As soon as you read what the prompt is, set your timer for 23 minutes and start writing. Remember, don’t worry about proofing or editing your work. That comes later. Just write. When you’re done, feel free to share!
Ready? Okay, here we go!
Write a scene that takes place in a filthy motel room.
Nonfiction: Again, for this exercise you will need paper, pen, and a timer. A keyboard is okay if you must, but remember–no editing! Because of the time limit, you don’t need to worry need about researching. Think of the finished product as more of a blog post than a researched nonfiction article.
Your nonfiction prompt is below. As soon as you read this prompt, set your timer for 23 minutes and start writing. Enjoy!
Write a blog post about a way in which you are very different from your parent.
