Sometimes I have difficulty settling down to write and at other times I may struggle to decide what to write about. It is at times like these that I fall back on using writing prompts.
That has resulted in me wondering when writers use prompts generally and what the benefits are from using these hints and tips, because I have no doubt that most writers have used them from time to time. They allow writers to consider ideas that would never otherwise occur to them. There are other reasons writing prompts are useful.
I used writing prompts often when I began writing seriously. They allowed me to explore styles and points of view and practice writing in different genres. This allowed me to find my writing voice. Also, on occasions when I didn't know what to write about, they often helped me to get started. That can be of great assistance to a writer.
I have also found that writing prompts have helped to expand my creativity. I tend to write crime fiction but when I use writing prompts they may require that I delve into the realms of romance, comedy or even science fiction. This often allows me to write a piece that can be adapted for use in one of my crime novels or even produce a short story in a different genre.
Also, I have noticed that when a prompt is given to several people they will interpret it differently. That can be interesting. As a crime writer I am most likely to turn the prompt into a crime story while I have a writing buddy who will habitually use her sense of humour to write something comical - and that from exactly the same prompt.
Much of what I produce from prompts is not suitable to be published. It is not sufficiently polished but it does allow me to think in differently. Even when I do write in my own genre it still gives me the opportunity to work with concepts that I wouldn't normally be drawn towards.
I have also found that the same prompt can be used to produce produce more than one piece of work. It is possible to take a prompt and from that write a short story, a piece of flash fiction or even a poem. I think that is because of the different ideas generated by a prompt. I have even heard that a writing prompt can spark the ideas for a novel.
Another way that prompts can be useful is that they generate ideas for writing competitions. When preparing a piece for competitions we want our work to be different from everybody else's we want it to stand out and to resonate with the judge. To that end a prompt can allow the writer to focus on producing a story and to polish it to competition standard.
Prompts can also be used to push a writer out of their comfort zone. This can make them better writers because it broadens the scope of their writing them to be more creative. This also encourages greater use of language and, let's face it, to challenge yourself fun.
I have also had fun working with prompts and then varying the original idea. This is another way of challenging yourself.
While it is true that you could think up prompts for yourself, it is much quicker to use a writing prompt and the prompts will be more varied than you are likely to come up with. So, I suggest you free your mind and allow your brain to wander down an alley you would never have considered and enjoy the freedom of a writing prompt.
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