Every writer has had the experience of sitting down with every intention of writing, and after several minutes of contemplation, a blank page stares back at them. Your brilliant ideas, from minutes ago, have vanished without leaving a forwarding address, and your inner critic has pulled up a chair and has plenty to say.
We’ve all been there. But the good news is that sometimes all you need is a gentle nudge that invites your imagination to take the first step. That’s exactly what a writing prompt does.
Why Writing Prompts Work
Writing prompts work because they remove the first and often most annoying decision: what to write about. They give your imagination something concrete to respond to, quiet the demand to come up with the perfect idea, and can lead you to memories, insights, and stories you didn’t know were waiting. Even when you’re working on a longer project, a seemingly unrelated prompt can reveal a new scene, deepen a character, or show you the way forward.
A writing prompt gives the mind somewhere to begin. Instead of sitting in front of a blank page, you simply respond to what’s in front of you. This removes the pressure of finding the perfect idea and makes it easier to begin before perfectionism has time to organize a committee.
A seemingly random prompt can also lead you back into a longer piece you’re already writing. An object in a photograph may remind you of a forgotten scene, reveal something about a character, or show you where the story wants to go next. The prompt doesn’t have to take you away from your work. It may lead you further into it.
Weekly Prompt
Starting next week, I’ll be sharing a new writing prompt with our mailing list. Some will be traditional prompts designed to stretch your imagination. Others will invite you to use the Word of the Day Practice. Today, I’m giving you a preview. Our first prompt is this photograph I took of a blue armchair.
The Practice
The Word of the Day Practice begins differently from a traditional prompt. Instead of telling you what to write, it helps you discover what’s already asking for your attention. After completing the Self-Acknowledgment Hug, allow an image to come to mind. Don’t judge it or try to understand why it appeared. Whatever image comes becomes the center of your cluster. From there, add the words, memories, feelings, and associations that arise.
Then use every word or phrase in the cluster in a short story. Think back to elementary school, when your teacher asked you to write a paragraph using all your spelling words. It’s the same basic idea, except no one’s grading you. Set a timer and write quickly for five minutes. Don’t stop to edit or worry about whether the story’s good. Just keep writing until the timer goes off.
I wrote: “When I saw the chair, I was overcome with grief. I read for a living, yet I’ve never created a designated place for myself to read. I’ve never given myself a comfortable chair with a light, an ottoman, a small table, and a shelf for the books waiting their turn. My father had his own reading chair. Somehow, I got the message that I wasn’t good enough to deserve one. And this belief has prevented me, for all these years, from fulfilling such a small but important dream. No one else was depriving me of it. I’d taken over the job myself.
Reflection
After the five minutes are over, read what you wrote. The purpose of the reflection isn’t to criticize the story. It’s to notice what appeared. You may discover a memory, an emotion, or an idea you didn’t know was waiting for your attention. You may also recognize something that belongs in the work you’re already doing. A detail from the exercise may solve a problem in your novel, deepen a scene in your memoir, or introduce a character you didn’t know you needed. Participants often tell me the story went somewhere they never expected. That isn’t a failure of the exercise. It’s the exercise.
I reflected upon what I wrote about the blue armchair. I asked myself why I felt such a profound sadness; I intuited that it wasn’t just from realizing how long I’d withheld something so simple from myself, but that the chair wasn’t the entire story. There were probably other things I’d denied myself because some part of me believed I didn’t deserve them. That’s a surprising amount of unresolved self-punishment to find in one blue armchair.
This is what a prompt can do. It may begin with an ordinary photograph and lead to something you didn’t know you needed to see. It may also uncover a scene, emotion, or conflict that belongs in something you’re already writing.
Your Turn
Today, look at the photograph of the blue armchair. Put “blue armchair” in the center of your cluster and write down the words, memories, feelings, and associations that come to you. Then use all of them in a five-minute story. Don’t decide in advance what the chair means. Write for five minutes and find out.
FREE Webinar
If you’re ready to discover just how powerful a writing prompt can be, join me for my next FREE webinar on Monday, July 27. Together, we’ll use the Word of the Day Practice and see how one simple word can unlock stories, memories, and ideas you didn’t even know were there.
Here’s to your personal success.
Professor Marilyn Horowitz
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Head on over to my Substack if you’d like to join the conversation. It’s a free community where I share thoughts on writing, creativity, personal growth, practical neuroscience, and the questions that keep us curious. I’d love to have you along for the journey.
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Reserve Your Spot for Start Writing Now!
Monday, July 27, 7:00 pm EST
Stay cool and write!
Long summer days invite us to slow down. The pace is a little quieter, the evenings a little longer, and there’s finally a chance to pause, reflect, and create. If you’ve been thinking, One day I’ll write that story, perhaps this is your moment.
In this encouraging, hands-on webinar, you’ll learn simple yet powerful techniques to quiet your inner critic, let go of perfectionism, and enter a calm, creative state where ideas begin to flow naturally.
One first-time participant shared:
“The biggest struggle is getting words from my heart to the paper… and suddenly, I could write.”
You’ll leave with practical tools you can use immediately to connect with your creativity, transform everyday experiences into meaningful stories, and develop a writing practice that feels enjoyable and achievable.
Whether you’re writing your first sentence, returning to a story you’ve long wanted to tell, or simply looking for an hour of inspiration with fellow writers, we’d love to have you join us!
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