‘Hey Kat, how do I get started each day?’

It’s a question I’m asked a lot. On Threads and Insta. And when Story Questers just like you, Reader, hit reply to my emails.

Maybe they’re in the midst of edits on a project (like me) and need a little creative coffee to get their story engine up and running in the morning.

Or maybe they’re staring down that blank page of doom.

Whatever the reason—they need HELP.

I’m talking about the sort of help when I—and plenty of other storytellers—turn to creative prompts.

And I do mean plenty of other storytellers. In fact, writing prompts are among the top-searched things on Pinterest. And they’re how many fantastic creative projects came into existence.

For example, my husband’s Color Your Own Adventure series of coloring books were born from the Smaugust prompt challenge.

And my Dark Fantasy Boys Love series They Come at Night (which ran for 38 weeks), was also created from prompt words.

Trust me, if the hardest part of writing is that first step from blank page to the spark of an idea, you’re totally not alone.

It’s the reason I have so many short stories and episodic-style stories. And the main reason I’m collecting 10 of them into 2 books for a festival this fall.

But what is the best way to get started with writing prompts? Don’t worry, Reader, I’ve got you covered. 😉

How to Use Writing Prompts in 3 Easy Steps

1) Start a Story Quest Log

You need a place to write everything down and what’s better than a Story Quest Log, right? This can be a dedicated notebook, a Google Doc (or folder of docs), or a Scrivener file.

2) Pick a Prompt

On each writing day, select a prompt. This can either be a single-word prompt like those used for Smaugust or a short intriguing story spark.

3) Write a Scene

Write a 250-500 word scene. The great thing about writing scenes is that only 1 thing has to happen. A scene can be as simple or complex as you want, but will always start with this basic formula:

LEGENDARY CHARACTER + ACTION = OUTCOME

After writing that 500-word scene, you’ll have your creative brain warmed up. Then you’ll be ready to work on writing that book of yours or tackle those edits.

And to help you on your quest, Reader, here are 31 prompt words.

Well until next time, this is your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat wishing you a wonderfully creative week.

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Your cohort in storytelling,

Kat Vancil

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PS 👉 This fall I’ll be releasing a mini-course on how to make your very own Story Quest Log, just like the one I’ve been using since 2018. Keeping a Log allows me to write hundreds of thousands of words each year.

I’ll also have a pretty print Story Quest Log for you to record story ideas during your travels in the real world.

If you’d like to join the waitlist for Story Quest Logs, click here!

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