Writing prompts might seem like just a fun writing exercise, but there are actually many benefits of writing prompts, such as:
1. They can be used to create a daily writing practice.
Most people who want to write realize they should write every day, or at least write on a regular basis.
But this can sometimes be difficult, especially if you don’t have a project you’re working on or one you want to start.
This is when a writing prompt can be a big help.
All you have to do to start writing is respond to a prompt.
And since responding to a prompt is both nonthreatening and fun, you’ll be eager to write each day with a new prompt, whether or not you have a big writing project to work on.
2. They can help you break through writer’s block.
When you’re stuck at some point in your current work-in-progress, you might stop writing altogether.
Use a prompt to start writing again.
Once you start writing in response to a prompt, you’ll find yourself relaxing, so you’re able to work through what has been blocking you from moving ahead with your work-in-progress.
3. Prompts can help increase your creativity.
As you use prompts to create different storylines, you can let your imagination go wild!
And, since there is no pressure to write anything marketable, or even anything worth reading, when you respond to a prompt, you can pull out all the stops and just write whatever comes to mind in response to the prompt.
4. Writing prompts can help you write for longer periods of time.
When you’re having fun responding to a prompt, you can sometimes write pages and pages without editing yourself as you go.
If you like the direction your writing went with the prompt, even though the writing itself wasn’t that great, you can go back and rewrite and revise what you’ve written until you do come up with something that is well-written and maybe even marketable.
Just writing, writing, writing, without any self-editing initially, is a good practice to get into, and it can translate to your other writing as well.
5. Prompts can help you improve your overall writing skills.
When you write on a daily basis, your writing skills just naturally improve.
But you can also focus on specific areas you wish to get better at.
Not good at dialogue, for example?
Practice writing dialogue in the stories or snippets of stories you create with the prompts.
Enrich your responses with sensory details, and soon you’ll find that your skill in this area has also improved.
As you can see, there are many benefits of writing prompts, and you should make them part of your regular writing routine.
Try it!
You’ll find daily writing prompts at our private Facebook page for creative writers here.
