What Are Writing Prompts
And Why Do We Care?

What are writing prompts? And why should you, a budding novelist, care?

A writing prompt is exactly that: a prompt to get you writing.

If you're a first grader, maybe your prompt is to write a note to a friend - and use at least one of your weekly spelling words in it for practice. (I got this idea directly off a teacher's resource website. Even something this simple tends to niggle ideas into my head...)

If you're a novelist, or wannabe novelist, a prompt can be a jumping off point for your entire book. Or just a scrap of dialogue you can use later, a description of an object you know fits into your next novel, or a character you met at the laundrymat who's the perfect match for your hero in book two of your series.

In short, anything can be a writing prompt, as long as it makes you write.


A Prompt A Day Keeps The Writing Limber

I've used writer's prompts to give me ideas (though I get an awful lot of ideas all on my own, I must confess - but maybe because I view nearly every situation as a potential writing prompt).

Believe it or not, a prompt for an essay might take me through an entire scene in one of my books. Sometimes one will tickle poetry out of me. If you keep a journal, scour it for ideas for your writing. That's what it's for!

To be more specific, you can look for fiction writing prompts. You are here because you're writing fiction, right? (If not, you can stay. I'll convert you yet!)

As I said above, these prompts can lead to dialogue, scenes or entire novels. (Well, maybe a short story, at least.)

And finding prompts is as easy as pie.


The Prompt at Large

I've already mentioned on other pages that you can find writer's prompts in books and magazines (Writer's Digest comes immediately to mind). And you can find them online. But you can look in strange places, too.

How about your child's history test? Seriously! I homeschool my two teenagers and have to test them each year. Some of the questions on the tests spark ideas in my mind. (I told you ideas flood me regularly.)

Maybe that silly commercial gives you an idea for a humorous fiction book. Movies inspire ideas in me all the time (maybe I should start writing screenplays...).

A book of poems might create such vivid images in your mind you can expand them to your novel's needs.

Here's another odd idea (I'm full of those): How about advertisements? Yes, ads! Ever see a billboard that caught your attention? We had a series going for awhile with very clever messages about religion. They sparked more ideas in my head.


Use It Or Lose It

I don't use all the writing prompts I come across. Some don't inspire a single thought out of me (highly unusual). Or at least not enough interest to make me want to work with them.

But you should keep a log of prompts that do inspire you. Never know when one will give you an idea for a blockbuster novel.

I'll try to do my part for you, too. I'm currently working on a list of fiction prompts to help aspiring novelists practice parts of their craft. I'll keep you posted. When it's done, be sure you'll be the first to know.

Then I can be a source of prompts for you, too.

Ta ta, for now!