I have decided that starting this month, I will be posting little flash fiction pieces here and there. I think it will be good for me to take a step out of the writing process for my longer works and have a little bit of fun. So, I went in search of writing prompts. Why? Here are my top four reasons for using writing prompts instead of just winging it:
- Practice. I need to practice writing. The more I write the better at it I will get. It’s pretty simple. Not everything I write has to be top notch, publishable, or awesome. A lot of it will probably be pretty average, run of the mill, at least at first. But regularly putting up fiction pieces for others to read will, I think, help me in a lot of ways.
- Writing prompts give me ideas of which I would never consider. Using other people’s ideas to inspire my own helps me to learn to think outside my own little box. I write out of my own experiences and out of the experiences of others I have seen play out second hand. Writing prompts that come from people living differently than me, with different thought processes and experiences, is a great way for me to consider stories that wouldn’t have even crossed my mind otherwise.
- The opportunity to write something different. I have never tried to write a mystery or a thriller or an urban fantasy. But using writing prompts may give me the opportunity to try my hand at a different genre or subgenre. Writing out of my comfort zone will help me to grow and develop as a writer.
- No pressure, just fun! Writing using writing prompts for me carries less pressure. I’m not going to submit these stories anywhere (unless, I guess, something really awesome comes out) except for maybe this blog. I’m not in it for any other reason than to learn and to have fun. Sometimes writers like me get pulled into finishing a book or finishing a short story and looses a bit of the fun that can come through writing.
Here are a few websites I found that have great writing prompts:
Not So Easy Breezy 