Every year my Playwriting classes are filled with new students just burning to write the next Pulitzer Prize winning play. They have pens and notebooks poised, just waiting for the word to write. But if I say, “Ok, write a two person scene,” they look puzzled and say “But what do I write about?”
It is often extremely hard to write from nothing. Suddenly every great idea that was just begging to be written down has gone on vacation, flown the coop, or otherwise left town. Enter the writer’s best friend—the writing prompt. The first one I give my students is “Write a scene in which the color ______ is used prominently.” I fill in a different color every year. And presto changeo, they have a direction. They have an idea to think about, a springboard for creativity to launch from. And I get happy students and some often funny, sometimes bizarre, always interesting scenes to read in class.
These prompts are not for every writer. Some feel too restricted by them, some are more comfortable coming up with ideas on their own. Sometimes the pressure of having to write on one specific topic is stifling to the writer. But if you ever get stuck for an idea, then a prompt may seem like a lifeline to a drowning man.
Below I have another prompt I use in many of my classes. These little snippets are usually used in acting classes and pairs of students make the six or so generic lines into a little scene. Writers can do this too. You might want to experiment—go on, take a chance. Choose one of these little A/B Dialogue Prompts and see if you can create a prose scene around it. Think of what these lines of dialogue might mean. Then add setting, create characters to speak them, add more action, more dialogue and VOILA—you have the beginnings of your next book. Go ahead. Indulge.
A/B PROMPT
#1 #3
A. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? A. LOOK AT THAT.
B. IT’S THE BEST THING. B. MY EYES MUST BE PLAYING
A. YOU CAN’T MEAN IT. TRICKS ON ME.
B. YES, I’M SERIOUS. A. I HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT
A. PLEASE. B. LET’S GET OUT OF HERE.
B. WHAT? A. ARE YOU KIDDING?
A. NOTHING. B. NO, I WANT TO GO NOW.
B. LISTEN. A. I JUST CAN’T BELIEVE IT.
A. NO B. I DO.
#2 #4
A. EXCUSE ME. A. YOU ARE AMAZING.
B. YES. B. PRECISELY. NOW LISTEN TO ME.
A. WALK THIS WAY. A. LISTEN? THAT’S ALL I’VE BEEN
B. IS IT IMPORTANT? DOING.
A. COME. B. YOU COULD HAVE FOOLED ME.
B. POSSIBLY. A. WHAT AN ATTITUDE YOU HAVE.
A. SHOULD I? B. DON’T TALK TO ME.
B. WHERE ARE THE OTHERS? A. I HAVE EVERY RIGHT IN THE
A. I’M WAITING. WORLD.
B. SO AM I.
I had never really used writing prompts outside the classroom—until New Dawning Bookfair said “Take a traditional fairy tale and twist it, make it modern, make it sexy, make it different.” My daughter suggested The Three Little Pigs and Hog Wild was born. And it was the most fun I’ve had writing in a long time. Try a prompt. Other writers did!
Have writing prompts worked for you in the past? If so, what was the prompt and what was the result? I’d love to hear what helped you jump-start your writing.
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
I love these.
I used to do the writing prompts on the RWClist every Sunday, I think. And I had a lot of fun, just writing. But then someone felt the need to critique one of my scenes, and it just took the fun out of it for me.
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Great post! Very helpful, I have not considered using prompts until I read your post. Reading through the list really gets the ideas flowing again. Funny I was looking at a book on Amazon about prompts, thinking of buying it. Now I think I will.
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I’m so glad you stopped by and left a comment, Rachel! Always glad to help a fellow writer! There are a lot of good prompts out there to get your creative juices flowing.
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I remember writing prompts from creative writing classes I’ve taken over the years. In a way, my first book was written in response to a prompt. The publisher I’d submitted a short story to said, “I love it. Can you write a whole book of these…but make them lesbian?” The most unusual things can happen, given a little prompting.
Great post, JJ!
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What a great result for a prompt! But did the original short story ever get published, Patricia?
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I think I used the story for something else, though I can’t remember what. Instead, I wrote five new short stories for the book, and a handful of poems as well. That was for Masquerade Books, which was a traditional publisher that went out of business a few years later. (Not my fault!)
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What wonderful kick-offs. I’m saving them for a rainy day. Thanks for sharing.
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You are so welcome! I’m glad if they help you. Let me know if one inspires a story. 🙂
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When I started to figure out the idea/concept for Target Identified I knew I wanted the story to have an Army theme, since that’s what I’m most comfortable with. So I took that and started to develope the story.
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I started with an idea, a trope actually, for my book Only Scandal Will Do. I found the plots of several romance novels revolved around auctioning off women. So I came up with my own take on such an auction and the rest just flowed out of the keyboard.
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Prompts help me when I’m stuck. Like some of your students, my mind goes blank at times. I need that extra little push.
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Do you find you need prompts during the writing of a story, or just to get the germ idea for the story? I get stuck sometimes, wondering what would happen next, but I do a sort of brainstorming session and usually come up with something.
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I love this post. Prompts are key for me, most often coming from music lyrics.
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I’ve used song lyrics a lot too, Kary. I’ve got one running around my head now from Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night.” Can’t wait to sit down and write it.
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Everyone worries about someone copying an idea from another. So here’s a funny, true story. Two women, who were friends and part of the same local romance writers chapter, attended a workshop that had them writing an opening scene based on the prompt of a jilted bride at the alter. A year later both women sold their stories to Harlequin.
A prompt from an online class I was taking was the start of one of my books, but I’m certain there’s nothing left of that prompt. It wasn’t as though I was in need to anything to get my mind flowing, in fact most of the time I’m trying to put the brakes on. But by the time I’d written that first scene, I was into what I was doing so I never stopped. LOL
Prompts can be fun.
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I have to put the brakes on too, Bev. I’ve got a huge list of ideas, just waiting to be written. But prompts are fun to use too.
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