Have you ever wanted to write but weren’t sure where to begin? Maybe you wanted to write a story, but you couldn’t think of a plot. Maybe you wanted to write an essay or an article, but you couldn’t think of a subject to write about. Maybe you wanted to write a poem, but you couldn’t find the words.
Writing prompts provide helpful starting points when you’re not sure what to write. Prompts can be used for a variety of situations:
· When you need to take a break from a larger project, you can use writing prompts to work on a shorter project. This allows you to take the break you need but maintain your writing practice and routine.
· Prompts can help you get unstuck. Sometimes a prompt will trigger a solution to a problem you’ve encountered with a writing project that’s giving you trouble.
· Creative writing prompts are perfect for writing classes, groups, and workshops.
· Prompts provide ideas and starting points when you want to experiment with new forms and genres of writing.
How to Use This Book
This book includes three parts, each geared toward a different form of creative writing: fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction.
The prompts within each section cover a range of genres and topics:
· The fiction section includes storytelling prompts in the following genres: literary, mystery, suspense, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, historical, humor, satire, parody, children’s, and young adult.
· Poetry prompts include a mix of starters, subjects, words lists, and images.
· Creative nonfiction prompts cover journaling, memoir, articles, personal essays, and topics related to reading and writing.
Each section contains a list of numbered prompts. You can use the prompts in any way that works for you. Use a poetry prompt to inspire a story. Use a nonfiction prompt to inspire a poem. Mix and match the prompts. Change the details provided in any prompt. Do whatever is comfortable for you and inspires you to write.
The prompts are meant to spark ideas. Review the prompts until you find one that resonates, and then start writing.
You can even use the prompts to inspire a list of your own writing prompts, which you can then share with others or use whenever you need fresh writing ideas.
Whether you’re using these prompts to trigger ideas for your own writing projects or to push your writing in new directions, I hope you’ll find them fun and useful.
Good luck and keep writing.
Sincerely,
Melissa Donovan
Founder and Editor of Writing Forward
