12 Days of Prompt Tools for Fiction Writers
Day 6: the San Francisco Writers' Grotto books
There always comes a point when my recommendations can become dangerous for anyone trying to stick to a budget — whether that is a budget of finances, or shelf space, I fear I am not helpful in either. This post may fit there, as it’s one of those where it sounds like I am recommending one tool, but this one day recommendation is plural. Alas, this is where we find ourselves, and I couldn’t make this list without including these resources.
*Many links in this series will be affiliate links (any that direct you to bookshop.org), so if you use these links to make a purchase, please know that the shop itself will pay me a commission as a result of your purchase.
Day 6: The San Francisco Writers’ Grotto Books
The title of this post is a such a vague description because, if you are familiar with The San Francisco Writers’ Grotto, then you know their list of books, even if you limit it to only books with writing prompts and exercies, is quite extensive. However, the series I am highlighting today is what they call their “Lit Starts” series. It’s six small paperback books, each with their own craft focus
See all the places you can purchase at WritersGrotto.org
Each book in the Lit Starts series of books by San Francisco Writers’ Grotto begins with an introduction highlighting the characteristics of the writing within the part of craft and/or genre the book is focused on, followed by a one page summary of that topic or genre. This reading primes the writer for the rest of the book to come which includes a combination of exercises that help the writers develop the right kind of mindset for writing within that space. While some of these exercises do not lead directly into story, most of them easily do. For those that do not, as in previous prompt tools with exercises, it often feels like the results from these exercises become prompts on their own.
How It Works
The great thing about this book series is that you can give yourself a little writing intensive in one area of writing, without trying to hunt out the right resources, or get your brain to twist other prompts and exercises to your needs. Each book is a small paperback with intermittent exercises and prompts and lines to do your work on, if you just stick to the task at hand. However, oftentimes a “fill in the blank” exercises that asks for only two sentences after the prompt, are exctly enough for me to keep going, so I often write outside these books.
How I Use It
I found this series because of the book Writing Humor. I love comedy, but I struggle to understand how to capture it on the page. On a quest for comedy writing resources, I found this book and loved the way the exercises brought me some clarity about that mindset and how it got me writing. The video below, from the NV Rivera YouTube channel, is of me sharing some exercises that, in hidsight, seem quite simple, but sometimes that’s exactly what we need from our resources: show me the things I have forgotten to think about!
What I’ve Written With It
This is another one of those resources that I have not referenced on my Story Hoarder Substack page (my home for my fiction). I dare say this is a gross misrepresentation of the effect this series has had on my writing. There are one of two ways to look at this:
There are stories there that have come straight from one of the prompts in one of these books and I did not discuss the inspirations in that post (that does happen from time to time and if I don’t write it down, I am hard-pressed to remember it),
When asked what I have written with these resources, it is not hyperbole to say, everything I have written after playing with these exercises. When I do exercises in these books, I have had perspective shifts about how to translate some of my fiction on the page, or how to walk in the world to pick up the details that will better express my fictional dreams. These are the types of books that linger.
Why I Love It
The final sentence in the paragraph above really encapsulate my feelings about this series, “These are the types of books that linger.” The exercises and the prompts, in fact, even the one page summaries at the beginning of each book, all share the same qualities: they are short, and clear. The clarity of each point made or instruction given serves up countless bite-site lessons in craft that stick. I have yet to sit with one of these books and work through them cover to cover, but I do believe there is a tiny writing intensive workshop living there within each (oh… no… am I dreaming up another writer’s group boook club for the Stop Writing Alone community? Please don’t be surprised if this experiment comes to life in Stop Writing Alone!)
Where To Buy It
On The Writers’ Grotto website, there are links to all of the various spots you can purchase each of these books.
The List
Just in case you do not have the time or patience to wait out all 12 days to see the tools I will be sharing this season, here’s a bit of a master list. You can come back when it suits you to check out the reasons I love these tools and how I use them. As the posts go up, I will update this list with the links to those posts.
Games that are great prompt tools (You’ll have to check the post out for these links!)
Now Write! Books
Stop Writing Alone Paid Subscription (you really can’t blame me for this! With this option, you have access to all of these AND MORE all the time!)