Benefits of Writing Prompts by Karen Lange

Benefits of Writing Prompts By Karen Lange

Do you ever use writing prompts?

I haven't lately, but I'm thinking I should make more time to do so.

Why?

Because even though I stretch my writing muscles in one direction most every day, others could benefit from cross training.

Exposure to and the practice of different types of writing are good ways to grow as a writer. Besides, you never know what ideas might spring from a little writing exercise.

One of my favorite prompts is Hemingway's Challenge. If you aren't familiar with this, here are the details:

Someone once challenged Hemingway to write a story in six words. He wrote the following:

For sale, baby shoes. Never used.

If that doesn’t leave you wondering what the story behind the story is, I don’t know what does. 

Does it tell the whole story? Perhaps only Hemingway knows for sure. In any case, it’s a great imagination stretching exercise, and it fosters efficient use of words.

Another favorite source of inspiration is The Writer's Idea Book by Jack Heffron. It's packed full of great writing prompts and valuable info.

How do you stretch your writing muscles? Have any prompts to share?

Happy writing,

Karen Lange

Karen Lange is the author of Homeschool Co-ops 101. She and her family were active in co-ops during their sixteen-year homeschool journey. Her three children have since graduated, and she is now a freelance writer and online writing instructor for adults and homeschooled teens. Connect on Karen’s  Blog, on Twitter, and Facebook.