I use writing prompts quite frequently; for me I enjoy keeping up an ongoing storyline and trying to work each new prompt into it. Sometimes this leads to stories going in wildly unanticipated directions, which is when it gets really interesting.
I'm part of a collective that offers up prompts of a single word. I participate regularly. I find that a single word prompt is a lot more liberating than a highly specific and detailed one. And when I view the range of thought and imagination that arrives from other participants, I think they probably enjoy working with fewer restraints as well.
I upload writing prompts to inspire fellow writers and myself. Some writers groups I am with give out prompts too and they are great at giving a spark for you to write.
I look for potential themes that might combine the prompts in some fashion. If I can’t, I pick one prompt, focus on it, and find a way to shoehorn the others into the theme.
I generally only like using writing prompts when there is a hard time limit, because otherwise I overthink them. But in a writing prompt party like this, or something done in a writing workshop, where there is only, say 10 or 20 minutes to write, I don’t have time to plan out the story in my head so I just have to start writing.
in terms of how I approach them, what I do is hear the prompt, and then give myself maybe a couple seconds to orient myself, and then just start putting words on the page. I might decide to use an existing character or world, to make the choice between fiction and autobiography, or something else in those few seconds, but then I just start writing. and inevitably, I put something down that I never would’ve come up with otherwise. In the last two writing prompt exercises that I’ve done, I’ve written the start of scenes for my next book that I never would’ve imagined without the writing prompt.
One thing I struggle with is writing a complete story within the limited timeframe, or even finding endings with the benefit of time afterwards. I really wish there was a technique to figuring out an ending quickly.
I lean toward the concise, pare form of Hemingway over the book length sentences of Faulkner or Joyce although I frequently have to fight my tendencies to ask myself “just where was that last period?” To me, a great sentence should impel the reader to go back to reread and think “I’ve got to absorb that!”
Yeah I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing with my substack. At the moment, I'm mostly posting AI art that I've created of characters, settings, and inspiration for my novels, I do a quick update of where I am in the process of writing my first novel and that's about it for now. I don't want to serialize my novel on substack so I'm a bit unsure about what I can use my substack for, to be honest
I use writing prompts all the time for quick fiction. The prompt and word count limit are good exercises.
Writing prompt?
What is that?
What is the October Fictionistas! writing prompt?
I don't quite get the set-up yet.
Owen
I use writing prompts quite frequently; for me I enjoy keeping up an ongoing storyline and trying to work each new prompt into it. Sometimes this leads to stories going in wildly unanticipated directions, which is when it gets really interesting.
I'm part of a collective that offers up prompts of a single word. I participate regularly. I find that a single word prompt is a lot more liberating than a highly specific and detailed one. And when I view the range of thought and imagination that arrives from other participants, I think they probably enjoy working with fewer restraints as well.
Thanks, Victor, but who supplies it, how and when?
I upload writing prompts to inspire fellow writers and myself. Some writers groups I am with give out prompts too and they are great at giving a spark for you to write.
I look for potential themes that might combine the prompts in some fashion. If I can’t, I pick one prompt, focus on it, and find a way to shoehorn the others into the theme.
OK, thanks, Jackie, I'm up for that.
The Zoom call is at 23:00 where I live, so I might not be there, but I will write.
Regards,
Owen
I generally only like using writing prompts when there is a hard time limit, because otherwise I overthink them. But in a writing prompt party like this, or something done in a writing workshop, where there is only, say 10 or 20 minutes to write, I don’t have time to plan out the story in my head so I just have to start writing.
in terms of how I approach them, what I do is hear the prompt, and then give myself maybe a couple seconds to orient myself, and then just start putting words on the page. I might decide to use an existing character or world, to make the choice between fiction and autobiography, or something else in those few seconds, but then I just start writing. and inevitably, I put something down that I never would’ve come up with otherwise. In the last two writing prompt exercises that I’ve done, I’ve written the start of scenes for my next book that I never would’ve imagined without the writing prompt.
One thing I struggle with is writing a complete story within the limited timeframe, or even finding endings with the benefit of time afterwards. I really wish there was a technique to figuring out an ending quickly.
Yes, I know, I read that, as you said, you had already said it.
Thanks for the clarification though.
Oh I'll be there. I'll be there with bells on.*
*Don't worry, I'll keep my mic muted.
Hi,
What do I do with my story?
https://open.substack.com/pub/owenjones/p/the-enchanted-vale?r=1lmquv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I didn't/don't know how to participate.
Nobody helped me, and nobody saw my piece.
That sums up to a total waste of time, that I shall not repeat.
I lean toward the concise, pare form of Hemingway over the book length sentences of Faulkner or Joyce although I frequently have to fight my tendencies to ask myself “just where was that last period?” To me, a great sentence should impel the reader to go back to reread and think “I’ve got to absorb that!”
Yeah I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing with my substack. At the moment, I'm mostly posting AI art that I've created of characters, settings, and inspiration for my novels, I do a quick update of where I am in the process of writing my first novel and that's about it for now. I don't want to serialize my novel on substack so I'm a bit unsure about what I can use my substack for, to be honest