I think writing prompts work wonders for shaking loose the cobwebs. You can just write based on the prompt. Some writing prompts come with a time limit, which I think helps because it forces a writer to throw out all ideas and hope for the best.
Will every prompt lead to a story? Maybe. Sometimes the prompt just serves as engine oil for the writer's brain. You need a bit of priming to lead you to the good stuff.
I try and write everyday in the morning before my breakfast. Then I think the rest of the day on an idea or something I have read that might lead to a story. Some of my ideas have been rattling around in my head for a few years.
In a previous post, I wrote a short story titled Greenhouse in the Sky.
The prompt reminded me of something I have been thinking about featuring an older brother and a younger brother. The older boy has a disease that makes him spend a lot of time in the hospital. And the younger boy is jealous of the attention his parents afford him.
In the story, the younger boy discovers another world where his older brother is revered and of course, he has left the kingdom, for a reason they don't understand (he's sick in his real world).
And that's all I have of the story.
So, it's one of those ideas I'm working on fleshing out the moral of the story, etc.
In the meantime, I wrote this short story about the greenhouse based on a writing prompt on Steemit.
In this video, I explain my motivation for the story and then provide an Author Reading. Enjoy!
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://wordsmithholler.com/the-importance-of-writing-prompts/