How to Use Creative Writing Prompts
There are a thousand different ways to use writing prompts for your creative writing.
Some writers use them as a way to access the flow of ideas, to create a map for a novel, or as a short daily practice between projects. I love to use photographs as writing prompts. You bring with you your culture, gender, life experience, and race, all of it into the interpretation of what you see.
You bring something and take something and somewhere in between is a story.
Let’s Get Started!
Choose a picture by having a browse around the Writing Prompt category in the blog.
Grab a pen. Get some paper. Take a seat. Or lie on the floor. Or stand at a desk. Wherever you like to be. Then write. And keep going.
Is that it?
Well...yes and no.
Writing, I'm learning, takes a warm-up and practice. I never really appreciated this until I started practicing every day. Of course! It makes perfect sense. A musician needs to practice, as does an athlete, an artist, an actor...
“You become a writer by writing. There is no other way. So, do it more. Do it again. Do it better. Fail. Fail better.”
— Margaret Atwood: Masterclass in Creative Writing
Give Yourself a Push
1. Get up early
I know, I know. Everyone says this but if you want to write, really want to write, you have to find the time, somehow, to do it. You have to find a time without the interruptions of family, flatmates, your parents, your dog, the telly, your boss, or your children. Add to the list as you will. The only time I've stuck to regularly is getting up before the rest of my family.
I set my alarm for 6.15 am. I have one of those clocks that is also a lamp. The light illuminates slowly over half an hour or so in the way of the sun rising. I don't leap out of bed singing to myself and sweeping around the room as if I’m in a Disney film. I lie there for a few minutes contemplating my being - until I push myself up to sitting and wonder about how it can possibly be morning already.
2. Stay up late
If getting up early doesn’t work for you then the opposite might be better. If the quiet of the night is motivating, write then. The point is to find a time that suits you and your schedule. A time when you can sit and write for even a short time each day.
3. Get right to it
Don’t dawdle along the way to your desk, checking your phone or making coffee. I will allow you a loo break though. You may have gone all night without a wee (if you’re up early) so that seems only fair.
4. Write with a pen
What's that? A pen? One of those funny old-fashioned writing things? Yup. One of those. I'm sure you have one lying around. And you'll need some paper too. Or a notebook. A notebook is good as it keeps all your writings together. The reason behind the pen and paper is to keep things simple. Some people talk about a connection between mind and body which comes with using a pen and paper. Maybe.
5. Set a timer
This is surprisingly helpful. You can set it for however long you want. I set it for ten minutes. I find this is long enough to get something down without fussing or editing. And it’s one less thing to clutter your mind with.
6. Write without editing
Try to write without getting in your own way. By this I mean try not to cross things out as you write.
Try not to think about what you’re going to write before you write it. That's you editing yourself.
Even if you know something doesn't make sense, the tense is wrong, the grammar is incorrect, go with it. I have stories that I've written that I read back and forth and cannot fathom for the life of me what on earth I was trying to say.
Try to write without thinking. Let the words come to you.
What You Can Do if You’re Stuck
7. Write the alphabet
The wonderful Lynda Barry advises writing the alphabet if you're stuck. Forming every letter with mindful intention can help relax your brain. Do this before you set your timer. You may find you start to write without thinking. Writing, after all, is the act of placing one word after the other. Sometimes you just need to begin.
8. Describe what you see
Here on A Picture, A Story, I publish photographs as writing prompts. I find the picture stops me from trying to think and edit. If you get stuck (which happens to me ALL the time), try describing the photograph in detail or a part of it that has captured your attention. Maybe it reminds you of a smell or a sound or a feeling. Describe those too.
You might start from the picture and get carried away on a tangent. That’s okay! This isn’t a test. There is no right or wrong way.
9. Use the title
Every photograph on A Picture, A Story has a title. Maybe it’s one word or maybe a short sentence. This may help you find a point to start from, to help you make some marks on that empty page.
10. Write with intention
Yes, you are trying to write without editing your thoughts, however, it's a good idea to practice writing with mindful intention.
You can practice this by writing through your senses: sight, touch, sound, taste or smell. It will give your writing heart and connection rather than a distant Once Upon a Time summary of events.
I say all of this and yet at 6.30 in the morning, I forget most of it. We are, after all, only human.
One Last Thing
It’s good to think about why you need a prompt in the first place. Do you need some time to get into your writing? Does this practice help relax your brain? Are you empty of ideas? Do you want to write a novel but need some markers along the way?
Bear in mind it’s possible to become caught in a loop of writing daily, practicing, but not really writing anything at all. Think about your goal and how the prompts can help. This will help you move forward. It’s all good.
I hope those tips give you some direction and help in using the prompts here on A Picture, A Story. If you have any further questions do let me know via my friendly contact form. I will get back to you just as soon as I can.
Further Information
There are many articles about freewriting all over the internet. I learnt about freewriting through completing The Story Course (please note, this is an affiliate link) at the Sarah Selecky Writing School. If you're looking for an online course in writing short stories this is wonderful, taking you through Sarah’s process over seven lessons.
A couple of books I love that examine the ways of accessing your creative energies are by the inspirational Lynda Barry. Her books, 'Syllabus: Notes From an Accidental Professor' and 'What It Is' tackle memoir, images in story-telling and philosophical notions of writing and drawing. Her work is magical and poignant and brave. I love her work.
