The Purpose of Writing Prompts

In the latest issue of The Writer magazine, there are two articles that remind me of our writing group. The first, by Susan Colebank, is "How a critique group and ad led to a book deal." Part of her experience involved good timing, but the most important part is that she used the writing group to break out of a rut, and that's what ultimately led to her being published.

The second article is an interview with award winning novelist, Sheridan Hay. The idea for her novel, The Secret of Lost Things came from...(drum roll please)...a writing exercise. See? Writing exercises can lead to great things. (Oh, and by the way, Diane, that novel takes place in a bookstore.)

Sometimes I've wondered what the point of all those writing exercises and prompts is. I am not really a big believer in exercises. I learned to knit by making a sweater, not practice swatches. I figure I can learn to write by writing stories, not through writing prompts.

BUT (and yes, it's a big but!), at my very first writing group meeting, back on January 27th, 2007, led by Nancy, one of the prompts was "I have a confession." I only wrote a couple paragraphs at that meeting but I was intrigued with the character I had created. I dug the paragraphs out a few weeks later (when I was running early for the writing group I might add) and kept going with it. That writing prompt turned into my story "Freedom From Gravity," which placed second in The Dorothy Shoemaker Literary Awards contest.

So, there you have it. Writing groups lead to book deals, writing exercises and prompts lead to awards. Bring on the prompts!