Hello friends,

One of the lessons that I have had to learn about writing is that it takes practice. Not just practice in the type of writing that you usually do, for me, grants/programs/proposals, et cetera, but in other genres. Now, if you know me, I score very low on the “fun” personality traits. I’m very green and gold in my personality; very goal-oriented, box checker, rule follower, blah blah. Boring is a word I’m sure many have used, and I claim it. I can be an extrovert when I must, but I love being an introvert and a homebody. No apologies. If you aren’t offering me something better than I can get at home, I’m not interested.  However, as a convicted “boring” person, I sometimes find it challenging to tap into creativity in my writing. So, it’s a muscle that I challenge myself to exercise from time to time. No, I don’t publish them. I rarely save them, if I’m honest. They are just for me.  Does that make you curious? Am I mysterious now? 😊

With that very lengthy explanation, I will share that my new favorite way to tap into that part of my little brain is to ask ChatGPT or other AI bots for a creative writing prompt. I know, I said you needed to be careful using AI in grants and to properly document when you are using it, but in a creative writing prompt that you are not publishing, etc., it’s a fun option. Also, the story prompts that AI generates are 1000 times more interesting than those that I somehow develop on my own and it saves a lot of time. 

Pro Tip: if you have children or a creative young person who likes to write and/or struggles to write and needs/wants something to do, you could do this together and share your stories. We all know that the holiday season is upon us and there will be many hours shared, limited space to separate, limited patience to be given, and limited financial resources for entertainment. Not old enough to write yet, they can illustrate. 😊 It would also make a fun game at a Christmas party or get-together.  Feel free to take these ideas at no additional charge. Lol.  

To get started, I randomly type into ChatGPT something like, “Give me a story prompt that includes,” …and I randomly give it a list of words and actions.  Here is one that I shared today as an example:

“Give me a short story writing prompt that involves an elf, motorcycle, purple monster, and Christmas party.”

To which ChatGPT responded with:

ChatGPT

** Story Writing Prompt:**

On the eve of a bustling Christmas party in the enchanting village of Eldergrove, an adventurous elf named Elowen receives a mysterious invitation to join a secret gathering. As she hops on her shimmering motorcycle adorned with festive lights, she zooms through the winter wonderland, excitement bubbling in her heart. However, her journey takes an unexpected turn when she encounters a grumpy purple monster named Gronk, who’s been hiding in the woods, upset that he wasn’t invited to the celebrations.

Elowen must convince Gronk to join her, navigating the challenges of his monstrous reputation and the joy of the holiday season. Together, they embark on a whimsical ride where they discover the true spirit of Christmas, proving that friendship can be found in the most unlikely places. Will they make it to the party in time to spread the cheer?

**If you don’t like this prompt, change the criteria, and it will give you something else. I want to also make clear here that AI created this prompt, and it could be part of someone else’s story from the interwebs, so please do not use it to write a short story that you plan to develop and publish without running it through software that checks to ensure there isn’t a copyright issue. Plagiarism is a crime, folks.

After the prompt, I sit down and think about all the fun ways to bring this story to life. However, it is essential to note that this is for FUN, and if you overthink the characters, you will take all of the fun out of it. (That was mostly a note for myself.)  Just go with it. The idea is that you are tapping into a part of your writing brain that doesn’t get a lot of use. You don’t need to write 100 pages on this little elf and her Christmas party adventure. A short story prompt should result in a SHORT story, 5 pages or less.

The benefit of this is significant. In your personal use it will make you more creative, it will make you smile and laugh, possibly turn your seasonal depressive frown upside down, and it will ultimately just make writing easier in general. I know that my brain starts thinking differently when writing or reading someone else’s work. It just takes much less effort for the creative door to open.  I am sure there is a long psychological explanation for how and why this happens, but that’s unimportant. (Secretly, I have to admit that I want to research it for my information, but I won’t.) We are focusing on FUN!

Professionally, it’s similar in effect, but it helps me to just “cold call” on my brain. What I mean is it allows me to sit and put words on the page when I haven’t had a chance to research something or plan it out thoroughly. Sometimes, I get stuck and need to kickstart my brain, and then I will research and think things through as I get further into the project.  It also allows me to use my skills for something that brings me happiness rather than always just using it for work. I remember that when I was in graduate school, I had to do so much course reading that when I graduated, it took me years to read for enjoyment. My brain would literally start to power down like a computer if I opened a book. Writing is a big part of my livelihood and business; I never want to get sick of it.  Writing by prompt helps me stay quick on my feet, keep my brain sharp, and keep me thinking outside the box when I am writing grants or developing programs.

I know this was a shorter post, but I am finding more and more uses for AI as a tool. Not as a replacement for your human thoughts and writing effort, but just as a tool. I will be sharing those as I go along. As always, I hope this was helpful and maybe a little entertaining. If there are things you would like me to post about, email me at tbishop80@outlook.com. I also have a business, TMB Consulting, and I am always available to work with groups that need my skills.

~ Tiff