5/21

Writing Prompts

By Kevin Murphy

Feeling Inspired?

Recently Sean Lovelace did a post over at HTMLGIANT where he asked readers to supply a decent writing prompt.

There are tons of books and websites full of writing prompts. I remember in class we’d get prompts like, “Write a letter to someone who had a significant influence on your life,” or “Write a story that progresses from end to beginning.” I’m not certain I ever got anything out of that type of prompt. And the worst part of those prompts was when everyone in the room explained what they wrote about. There’s nothing more obnoxious than a group of wannabe writers talking about their dead parents or their grandmother who died of cancer. I feel for these people, but I got tired of hearing the same thing again and again.

A Story In Every Bowl

Meg Pokrass offers up writing prompts as a common feature on her blog. Her prompts are generally lists of words she suggests you try to incorporate into a story/poem/72 act play. The last list I read included, “ice, chili, pepsi, slime, shame, uptight, elevator, sly, angelic, chai tea.” My knee-jerk reaction would be to say, “How’s a list of words going to help me write anything?” How do I write a story that seeks to include specific words? Wouldn’t I have to stop and check my list every few minutes? That sounds like a chore. It doesn’t sound fun. It doesn’t sound anything like telling a story. Maybe it’s my inability to hold so many things in my head at one time. I can remember the first two words from the list, “ice” and “chili,” but if you ask for much more I can’t do it.

There’s a website that offers a single word and gives you 60 seconds to write about it. That’s a more manageable prompt for me.

I don’t like the whole idea behind writing prompts. I understand they’re parameters to work within and they’re supposed to inspire creativity, but I’ve never had trouble thinking of something to write about. Sure, I need help on lots of things, like editing my work, but not coming up with something to write about. Is that normal? Does “writer’s block” exist? I mean, if you want to write, won’t you simply write? Why would you need someone to tell you what to write about?

– Brandi Wells

14 Comments

Sheldon Lee Compton said:

I agree with you on some points, Brandi. And I’ll say this is a fine essay on the subject of prompts. For one, I think if a writer can only write once a prompt is placed in front of him, then he should probably be trying something else. I find I enjoy prompts, though, as a mini-challenge. It’s like a puzzle for me to see if I can get all the words included in the smallest space possible. So, I like the prompts okay enough for that. If I started relying on them, then I’d be in trouble.

Brian said:

Writer’s block is God’s way of saying go outside and live some life.

Writing prompts. . . That’s like “I’m not hungry but I want to eat. I’m not thirsty but I want to drink. I’m not horny but lets toss some weenies.”

Or some shit.

Roxane said:

I’ve only seen a handful of useful writing prompts in my day. I find them frustrating and feel like they constrain creativity rather than encouraging it. Just not for me.

kevin said:

Writing prompts make me late for everything else.

Ethel said:

I rarely use writing prompts, but have tried some of Meg’s–the results have always been surprising and, usually, good.

I agree though, the list can be a distraction, especially if there are several words (any more than five seems a lot).

Also in revision I usually end up cutting several of the prompt words, keep only those that got me to the heart of the piece.

Nice post, Brandi. Welcome aboard!

david miller said:

i think for most fiction writers, prompts are irrelevant / unnecessary.

i work with mostly nonfiction writers however (and by ‘work with’ i mean literally, we work at the same publication) and writing promts–or contests–seem to be a good way of studying particular elements of writing that probably wouldn’t be explored otherwise.

i’ve been hosting these at my blog the last few weeks and ppl have been stoked, so i actually turned these into their own site:

http://mixtapewriting.miller-david.com

i try to make it worth ppl’s time by giving everyone who participates a mixtape based on the winning story / stories each week, as well as some commentary on the writing.

thanks for the article brandi. i agree that most of those prompts you mention seem weak. to me the idea isn’t trying to generate ‘inspiration’ – but instead provide a certain kind of form that forces you to examine a particular skill or element.

Em said:

I personally like writing prompts. I’ve written some really good things with writing prompts as a starting point. I think that everyone’s brains work differently and some writers like having a direction to aim for, while others don’t. A lot of them are lame, though. I’ve never tried one with a list of words because it seems like I would be forcing myself to write. Usually, you start with the writing prompt and end up someplace else entirely after a few minutes of free writing. It’s an adventure.

Brandi said:

Sheldon- I think I can get behind the idea of a writing prompt as an exercise or challenge. How often do you use prompts in that manner?

David- That makes some sense. I don’t write a lot of nonfiction, but after working within the genre for a while I can imagine that the prompts would help to look at things from different angles, etc. Your mixtape thing is interesting.

Em- I know your main interest is non-fiction. Do you think that the prompts work for you in the same way they work for David?

david miller said:

@brandi – thanks.

PANK Blog / It’s a Celebration, All Around said:

[...] Dark Sky, another PANK favorite, Brandi Wells, discusses the utility of writing prompts and I agree with what she has to say. It’s rare that I am [...]

this is a god damned roundup | Metazen said:

[...] Brandi Wells contemplates the Writing Prompt. [...]

Dan Burt said:

I’ve used writing prompts to good advantage before, usually not in the manner the person providing the prompt expects. For instance, in a graduate writing class (not creative writing) we were to write a diagnostic essay for the prompt “describe your most memorable writing experience.” The first thing that popped in my mind was, “I arrived at Yaddo in the summer of 1941…” (no one said it had to be truthful). I finished the essay and handed it in. The professor commented that it was a weird, wonderful way to complete the assignment.

I’ve also used the subject of writer’s prompts for satire, as this piece illustrates (warning: naughty language):
http://www.captaincanard.com/chokingthemuse.html

Dave said:

I think of a prompt, such as list of words, as a constraint, and I’ve used constraints to great effect. Telling myself that I can’t use a particular letter is a personal favorite of mine. I find that the benefit of constraints/prompts is that by focusing on the arbitrary rule you forget your inner critic and the story comes out unobstructed. Of course, this doesn’t usually go further than a baggy first draft, nothing more than the result of the exercise, nothing great, but I think exercises are important insofar as they keep me writing even when I’m not actively working on a project, and it’s important to stay limber so that when I do get inspired I can really dive in head first.

Jeanne Holtzman said:

After reading your fine essay, I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I like prompts. For me, writing is more like sex than eating or drinking. When passion fades a bit, or your body ages, you may need a little something, a bit of romance, a dirty movie, some whips and a safe word, to get you in the mood. When they work, prompts can be almost like hypnosis, a key to open a door to the subconscious. Cheaper than booze or drugs.

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Writing Prompts

By Kevin Murphy

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