How to Use Writing Prompts

What is a writing prompt?

A writing prompt is a topic that you can use to spark your imagination. It could be a word, sentence, paragraph or image; anything that could be the jump-start you need to start writing.

Why use writing prompts?

Sometimes it can be hard to focus on just one idea or writer’s block rears its ugly head and prevents you from writing. This is where a writing prompt can get you jotting down words and ideas.

It can also be used as a warm up routine to give you practice at stretching your writing skills and ability. After all practice is the best way to improve your skills and different prompts will help push you out of creative comfort zones.

How to use writing prompts

There are no set rules when you use writing prompts to write. As long as you write, the prompt has done what it was designed for. Don’t edit your writing as you go, just get ideas down and take it from there. You may spend five minutes on the prompt or it may become a story you have to write, the main thing is to give the prompt some real thought and try to make it work for yourself.

You can alter the prompt to suit yourself. Maybe you want to imagine the topic from your character’s point of view. Or maybe you imagine a complete new character to fit the scene. If you like writing poems or songs you could try to create one using the given prompt. Or you could try pushing yourself by writing in an entirely different genre or format that you have never tried before. If you like writing in first person, you could try third or even second person for the prompt. You could even try the point of view of an item or animal instead of a person.

Use the writing prompt to inspire and push your creative self. The opportunities are endless.

Be sure to check out Better Scribe’s Writing Prompt Fridays where every Friday we will upload a new writing prompt to kick-start your weekend.