Writing stories can be hard, can’t it? Using story prompts can sound like a cheat. In this blog, I’m going to break down how to use prompts to boost your writing, along with kickstart a new project.
What Is A Story Prompt?
Story prompts are those little nuggets of writing ideas. They might begin with “imagine…” or “what if…” and give you something to write about. It could be as outlandish or curious as you wanted. I’ve seen quite a few sci-fi ones with things like “imagine everyone was branded with the day they die”.
I’m hoping seeing that little nugget is already getting your creative juices flowing. That’s what they’re for. You could use them to add a twist to your story you’re stuck on. You could even use them as a seed to start something brand new. It’s entirely up to you.
Tip 1: Pot Ideas
As there are SO many ideas out there, it can be difficult to figure out how to use and store prompts. From personal experience, I use a pot and small pieces of paper that used to be post-its I cut the sticky bit off. These little squares are then ready for whenever I have an idea I have no idea what to do with. I just write it on the square, fold it up and drop it into the pot. Then, whenever I feel stuck or want a new idea, I can stick my hand in and get a lucky dip.
You can make this as simple or as complex as you like. You might want to have certain coloured paper for say a character idea, a story idea, a plot twist, etc. The choice is up to you.
Tip 2: What If Game
As a writer, I am very, very good at getting stuck around an idea I can’t fully get into properly. I just can’t grab the idea by the horns and get it to reveal itself. So, I give it a little shake by adding “what if” to the front.
You could try different variations of your idea, delving deeper and deeper each time as you search for what you’re looking for out of the idea. It sounds mad, but it’s got me out of some sticky problems when I can’t make an idea appear clearly.
Tip 3: Why Prompts Game
Similar to tip two, if you have an idea bugging the hell out of you, ask “why” questions to delve deeper into the intensions. Asking why characters do something might just unlock a part of your story that was eluding you. This has been a really helpful resource for me too.
Have a go asking “why” multiple times to the previous answer and as frustrating as it can be sometimes, you can easily find something new you may not have expected in trying to answer why something is the way it is. If you really want to turn up the heat, try setting a timer for two or three minutes and see how many “why” questions you can get out.
Using story prompts can refresh stories that may have gotten stuck (been there several times) or have just got a little lost along the way. As a writer, being able to tell what works for YOU is the crucial point. I hope this blog has helped and don’t be afraid of those prompts.
Happy writing!