Spring Writing Prompts

Writing Prompts

How do you feel about writing prompts? They intimidate some writers and engage others. Still others have never tried them.

I think there's a common misconception about prompts - that when you use one, it has to be just so. Unless it's an assignment for a class or for a specific project, I say there are no rules. Just an opportunity to write and perhaps build better writing habits.

Prompts help stretch writing muscles in other directions. For example, I don't write poetry. Writing it never appealed to me, so I don't include it in my lineup. But when tutoring a young student required writing limericks, I found the exercise stretched me. And that was a good thing. Writing practice (of any type) can produce growth and generate interesting ideas for other projects too.

One of the simplest prompts is a sentence. It acts as a brainstorming tool, a story starter, headline, or a hook to draw the reader in.

Try this:

She should have listened to her grandmother.

Or,

He stared at the marigolds in the garden.

Or,

"How much is a pint of strawberries?"

One of my favorite prompts is Hemingway's Challenge. Someone challenged Hemingway to write a six word story. This is what he wrote:

For sale, baby shoes. Never used. 

Not only does this illustrate the six word story concept, it provides great word economy practice.

Want to try a few more? Check out these links:

Writing Prompts 

Writer's Digest Prompts

Daily Blog Tips

Special Note

This Friday post is part of the Blogtastic weekend event from my publisher, Helping Hands Press. Hop over to their Facebook page for more posts from the HHP authors.

Have you ever used writing prompts? How do you stretch your writing muscles? 

Happy weekend,
Karen
 
P.S. I'm sharing tips for writing poetry with kids over at Carol J. Alexander's Homestead blog. Hop over if you are so inclined!

Photo credit: Stock Exchange

Happy Weekend!

 

Celebrating Blogtastic weekend here, which is a periodic event hosted by my publisher, Helping Hands Press. If you'd like to check out the other Blogtastic posts, stop by the HHP Facebook page.

In keeping with the "What Makes a Good Blog" theme this month, I'm sharing a post from the archives. Happy weekend! :)


The Blog Baby
 
My husband listened patiently while I reviewed my to-do list out loud. When I mentioned having to write a blog post a thought hit me, and I said,

"My blog is just like a baby. It requires regular attention and care."

The significance was lost on dear hubby, supportive as he is, for who truly knows what it takes to maintain a blog unless you have one? The idea stuck with me. A baby. Yes, that's about right, it is. This roamed about in my head for about a week or so.

And now the thought is a blog post. Who knew? (Most of you, right? We're writers, after all.)

Don't get me wrong. I love blogging. But the fact remains that blogs require a lot of care if we want them to succeed. They need to be fed, changed, and maintained by us blogging mommies and daddies.

So what's a parent to do? Here are a few things I've discovered after several years of blogging.

1) Keep it short.

Great posts don't have to be long. Knowing that they don't have to be novel length can make the process less daunting. Our visitors' time is usually limited, so this helps them out too.

2) Write and schedule posts in advance.

This handy feature is helpful when going away or facing a jam-packed bunch of days. It's also great if an idea strikes and you have a bit of time to write but don't want to post it just yet. Lee at Tossing it Out discusses it a little more in Scheduling Posts.

3) Offer regular features.

Friday Roundup is a staple at Susan J. Reinhardt's Christian Writer/Reader Connection. Susan shares a brief commentary and a link or two to close out the work week. This type of post might help structure thoughts and can be easily written and scheduled in advance, too.

4) Post less often.

When I started blogging, I nearly swooned at the thought of posting five days a week. There was no way I could work that into my schedule. Three days a week seemed less daunting, but I knew that would be pushing it too. So I compromised, posting two days a week, and that's worked out pretty well. (So regular bouts of hyperventilating were avoided.) I'm now posting once a week so I can focus on writing projects.

5) Take a break.

I need to take my own advice and do this more often. Some blogger friends take the third week of the month (or similar) off. A little time to regroup, refresh, and catch up on other things can be downright therapeutic. Oh yeah, and don't forget the chocolate.

6) Watch for ways to manage time efficiently.

I like to think that I manage my time well, but this is not always the case. And some weeks produce events that just blow my perfectly planned agenda out of the water, and adjustments are necessary. So I'm always looking for ways to streamline and weed out things from an oft overcommitted schedule.

Jody Hedlund offers time management tips in her post, When Social Media Becomes a Time-Suck. One point she makes, "Realize the world will go on fine without us," hit home. Really? The blog world will continue to spin if I don't post? Okay, a bit hard to swallow, but true nonetheless.

Another thought she offers, "Give ourselves permission NOT to keep up," is a revelation that I must heed now and then. What's more important, keeping up with everything or preserving our sanity? I'm choosing sanity.

What about you, is your blog a baby? TLC is important, but every parent knows that boundaries are too.

What steps do you take to care for your blog baby?

Happy writing,

Karen

Photo Credit: Stock Exchange