Writers are Happiest Having Written (+Prompts)
Have you been writing? Have you been putting words on paper or digital pages lately?
Writers are happiest when they’ve written. Notice I didn’t say "when they're writing." That’s because writers can feel a sense of anxiety, daunt, or trepidation as they sit down to write.
Dorothy Parker is credited as saying, “I hate writing, but I love having written.” Though there's no proof she actually did say this, the quote resonates with many writers, who often feel uncomfortable while in the process of writing, at least until words start flowing.
But every writer is satisfied after they’ve shown up for the work that is so meaningful for them. This sense of meaning is multilayered and personal for each writer, and the experience of it comes after, and occasionally during, time spent writing.
Writers seem to benefit most by sticking to some sort of regular routine. I’ve never found that easy, personally, but when I do get into a groove of a regular writing practice—at least a little bit of time every day, even as little as fifteen to thirty minutes—I feel better over all. Most writers do.
Writers who want to guarantee themselves a feeling of happiness, contentment, or satisfaction would do well to get to their writing as early in the day as possible. If only because the rest of the day seems to go much more smoothly. (Funny how that happens.)
So, if you’ve been feeling edgy, depressed, worried, or a little lost, ask yourself if you’ve been getting to your writing. And if you haven’t, take a little bit of time, even ten to fifteen minutes, to touch into that space in your heart and mind that attends to the writer-self you are.
When I’m out of practice, I use different prompts to get back to the page and jumpstart a flow. Here are five prompts I turn to:
1. Journal or do Morning Pages.
Journal writing and morning pages can put us back in touch with our personal writing voices. But I don’t linger long here, because turning my creative attention toward a particular project is the most fruitful use of my creative focus. Once I feel a creative spark, I turn to my story or essay.
2. Use the prompt “What if ..?” in one of the following three ways:
Write “What if…” at the top of your page and then let yourself free write for fifteen minutes. When/if you stall, repeat the two words again and carry on.
If you’re at a crossroads on your story and not sure which way to go, free write on “What (happens) if I take path A?” and “What (happens) if I take path B?” Stories are about actions and consequences and cause and effect. Explore where each decision might take you.
To brainstorm new story ideas, try “What if… (X) and (Y)?” and feel for what piques your interest. For example, "What if an orphan boy goes to wizard school and has to fight a dark lord?" (you know which story I'm talking about), or “What if a genetic mutation occurs and spiders take over the world?” (This is a simplified premise of an interesting sci-fi booked called, Children of Time.)
3. Play my game of Three Little Words
Pick three random words and try to work them into a short, timed exercise of writing. Start with ten or fifteen minutes and work up to thirty. This type of exercise sidesteps the inner critic and generates potential stories. I use this exercise all the time in groups and by myself. Here are three words to get you started: zen, lightning, forgetful.
4. Make word lists
Start with a particular list, something like: Fruits and Vegetables; Colors; Words that start with R (or any other letter); Interesting Locations; or use the alphabet to create a list in which the first word starts with A, the second B, the third C, etc. Try this forwards and backwards. Next step option: Choose one, two, or three inspiring words or phrases from a list and free write for a page.
5. Borrow first lines
Randomly choose a novel from your shelf and borrow the first line of the book, or the first line of a chapter. Set a timer for fifteen to twenty minutes and let yourself free write your version of what comes after that first line (don’t get distracted reading the book!). Optionally, go with a well-known/cliché first line, such as Dickens' “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” (the full sentence) or the classic “It was a dark and stormy night…” (origin of this sentence).
Whether or not you find inspiration from this list of prompts, try to have some fun reconnecting with your creative writing when you lose touch now and again. Let curiosity and wonder lead rather than pressure and programming.
Your writing is always just a pen stroke away, and no matter how it feels to pick up that pen and turn to the blank page, once it’s filled you’ll feel better. Writers are happiest when they’ve written.
Write with wonder.
