It’s All About the Prompts
using prompts as a way of creation and self growth
As a writer, I’m always looking for inspiration and ideas on what to write about. Up until a few years ago, I looked for inspiration in how I felt, the world around me, other writers or stories on T.V. shows. One of the things that I was introduced to in a weekly writing workshop I attended during the pandemic were prompts.
Seems simple, right? Write from a prompt. I’m sure tons of people have been doing this since the dawn of time, but I hadn’t. It was a new experience for me. My focus as a writer had been predominantly outside in. Let me explain.
I would write, thinking unconsciously in the back of my mind how people on the outside would perceive it. This made me self-censor. I’d worry about if I should write about a certain topic or write about a childhood issue in case a family member or friend would be offended. I would hold back on a fictional story in case someone I knew might read it and have an opinion. But also, I wouldn’t want to write about a certain topic because I was judging myself.
It took me some time and practice to let that go. To understand and believe that the only person I needed to write for was myself. One of the ways I did this was using prompts. In my writing group we would get a prompt, and then were instructed…
