by Ruth Belena

Created on: July 27, 2009   Last Updated: September 15, 2009

As a writers you will always want to write, but sometimes you might hit a point when the desire to keep writing is hampered by what is often known as writer's block. When the motivation to write is lacking, and you feel blocked, it is possible to use writing prompts to get writing again. To help you get over writer's block you need is a fresh sheet or paper, or an empty document on your computer, and with these simple writing prompts you can start writing your responses.

- Prompt yourself to write about your own experiences and aspect of your own life.

Writing about what you are comfortable with, and what you know, will help you to get over writer's block because you should easily be able to think of a real incident in your life. Write down the following prompt words: who, what, when, where, how and why. It should not be too difficult for you to write a summary of what happened and when, explain who was involved and go into the details of how and why it all took place.

Try doing the same for other events you clearly remember, but do not write these as first person narratives. Write as if you were reporting it for a news site, or try writing a fictional third person narrative. The more you write the easier it should become to describe in words and to find ways of writing effectively about an incident.

- Use writing prompts to help you write fiction.

When writing fiction you should use a different set of writing prompts, relating to your story, to help you get over writer's block.

Your first three writing prompts should relate to a principal character. Write answers to questions about what sort of person that character is, how that character lived in the past, and where you want that character to be by the end of your story.

Write down the hardships and challenges facing your character. Ask why that person is motivated to overcome a difficulty and how the character can succeed when faced with a challenge.

Open up similar questions about other characters, asking how and why and how they connect with each other.

The next writing prompt concerns what your story is about. Picture a dramatic scene where you image meeting your main characters for the first time. Think up some sort of situation that you personally would find shocking, amazing, wonderful or fearful.

Begin writing a summary outline about how each character came to be in that dramatic scene. This will inform you what questions to answer in building up a story that will bring your main characters to arrive at that particular situation. Write about how and why each person responds to the situation, and of the impact it has on them.

Ask yourself if you are describing everything from the point of view of one character, or does your story involve multiple points of view. Write down the limitations of seeing the story from one point of view and write about which of your characters are incapable of understanding the significance of what is happening in your story.

Use your dramatic scene as a writing prompt to begin, or to recommence writing your story. You can use that point to go back and write from the beginning, or set it as a starting point by referring to it as a past event. You can write about what brought your characters together in one place at the same time, or what has happened to them since.

Non-fiction writers have personal memories that can be used as writing prompts to get writing again. Fiction writers have the imagination to place their characters into a dramatic situation and use it as a writing prompt. You will no longer need to fear blank page syndrome, or worry about writer's block, when you start to use writing prompts, and get into a regular habit of using writing prompts.

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