All writers working on improving their craft know that there are a multitude of books out there containing prompts to use for daily exercises or to overcome writer's block. Along with the proliferation of writing websites that provide prompts, it seems there are enough suggestions for the next several centuries.
Room to Write a Blueprint for Subsequent Prompt Books
Among the earliest in this category, a book that remains a trusted resource for writers, is Bonni Goldberg's Room to Write. First published in 1996, Goldberg's compact compilation of "invitations to write" has become something of a blueprint for those that continue to follow. It's also a favorite syllabus recommendation for teachers of creative writing.
Bonni Goldberg is an award-winning poet, a writer of prose and a teacher. She has led writing workshops for more than two decades and her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers and on public radio. She is also the author of Beyond the Words, The Spirit of Pregnancy, and Gifts from the Heart (Meditations on Caring for Aging Parents).
Small, Simple Format Makes Welcome Writer's Companion
At least some of the popularity of Goldberg's book stems from its simplicity. Room to Write is a small book that can tag along wherever the writer chooses to write. Its structure is straightforward. Each of the 200 one-page "invitations" follows the same format: a topic title, a 1-2 paragraph discussion on some aspect of life and writing, the related day's exercise instruction or "prompt", and an inspiring literary quote to "further stir you."
Here are some examples of Bonni Goldberg's "invitations" from Room to Write:
- Describe a place that is impossible to enter: the center of an erupting volcano, the fifth dimension. Turn the experience inside out
- Today, write about breasts. You may free-associate, recall one or more memories...you could even be a breast.
- Today, try several if/then statements. Start simply: "If I do laundry, then I will have clean socks." Then spin out in whatever direction beckons. Notice how thinking and writing this way changes the way you make connections.
- Describe a person, place or thing through negation. Or describe yourself from the perspective of what or who you are not.
- Today, for a minimum of one full page, write about snot. Afterward, consider how you felt before, while you wrote, and upon finishing.
- Create a piece in which beauty and injustice exist side by side...later, explore some more with whichever was less prevalent.
Clearly, Goldberg does not restrict her suggestions to just the serious, which is not to say that they are intended for anything but serious results. Also, each of these examples benefit the reader from the opening discussion, not included here.
Regarding the title of her book, the author states "it is called Room to Write because each page is a door into one of the places from which creative writing emerges: imagination, emotion, intellect and soul." She says that it's also a reference to the idea of creating room for your writing by providing these exercises to begin your session.
Room to Write Exercises Can Be Used in a Variety of Ways
The suggestions found in Room to Write can be used in any number of ways. While not specifically designed to be a daily exercise (Goldberg suggest 3 to 4 a week), they certainly can be tailored to any creative routine. Julia Cameron, author of the popular Artist's Way program, recommends Room to Write for use with her "Morning Pages" exercise, the daily free-write so many writers have adopted.
The author even believes that the way a writer uses the book (i.e. randomly, chronologically, by topic) can provide further insight into how he or she writes, which is evidence of Goldberg's own insight and qualifications. Finally, she stresses that the exercises are designed to be reusable. "You will glean a new understanding the second time around."
Goldberg, Bonni. Room to Write, 1996, Penguin Books. 206 pages. (isbn: 0-87477-825-5)
