Why Do Writing Prompts Help You Become a Better Creative Writer?
Like jumpstarting a car's dead battery, effective writing prompts can trigger thoughts and spark off ideas, inspiring the writer to think creatively, beyond the normal, routine and mundane. Writing prompts (particularly the kind that are not graded, judged or criticized, but are strictly for personal use) can motivate the writer to analyze, question and consider, exercise creative thinking, ward off writer's block, and remind the writer that writing is fun. Ultimately, the true strength of writing prompts is not so much the end-result that the writer produces, but the writing process.
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Free Writing
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It involves free writing, in which no judgments are made, no expectations of getting it "right," no worrying about passing a quiz. The goal is simply to write---not how or what you write. Writing prompts are exercises; doing them help you to exercise your creative thinking. One simple idea can lead to another, and soon you're creating more content than you thought you could (brainstorming.) As you free write, turning off your "internal editor," your creative mind is free to discover, even invent, turn of phrases, analogies, metaphors, etc. Because in your mind, "it's just a writing prompt," therefore you know there's nothing to lose, no test to pass (or fail), no editor or instructor to judge your work. Just you. This thinking allows your mind to explore ideas without the pressure of "getting it right."
Focus
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Many writers struggle with deciding which topics to tackle. Since the world is vast and the Internet is always abuzz with ideas, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and struggle to come up with the "right" idea, convincing yourself into thinking the idea isn't "big" enough or "it's already been done." Writing prompts help writers to focus on one idea at a time, and possibly lead to a greater or multiple ideas for numerous topics.
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Exercises Creative Thinking
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Just as the body needs regular exercise to remain in shape, writers need to regularly exercise their creativity to keep their writing from becoming predictable and boring. Writing prompts that are thought-provoking or challenging (such as "Tell a story, true or fiction, in just six sentences") can motivate writers to write and inspire creativity.
Defeats Writer's Block
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Writers, from beginning to professional, have a common enemy: writer's block. Possible causes include procrastination, fear (of making mistakes, loneliness, writing too much or too little, etc.), and lack of ideas. A sure way to break down the walls of writer's block is free writing---a stream-of-consciousness writing process in which the writer focuses solely on the writing processes. He or she must ignore the "internal editor," the critical side of our thinking that judges everything we write. The internal editor should be reserved for the rewriting or editing stage. When using a writing prompt for personal use, the writer is free to focus on "the moment," and not worry about how someone else will grade, criticize or judge the end-result, or be anxious about making mistakes, or panic about writing not enough or too many words. The writer simply writes. Removing fear when working with writing prompts wards off writer's block, freeing the writer to be as creative as she desires.
Types
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A wide variety of writing prompts--personal, persuasive, expository, narrative, etc.--can help you become a better creative writer. For example, writing prompts can ask questions ("If you could receive a superpower for just a day, what would it be and what three things would you do with it?"); be descriptive ("What did you think or feel the first time you visited a foreign country"); analytical ("Why do you think the U.S. President is unpopular across all demographics, except among Millennials?"); or dramatic ("Use dialogue between a liberal lawmakers and her conservative counterpart to address the pros and cons of birth control".)
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References
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