By Austin Evans
Do you ever have the urge to write, but you’re not sure what to write about? Need ideas for inspiration? Or maybe you would simply like a fun challenge during those moments in your day when you would otherwise pass time scrolling through your inbox or social media.
For that, there’s Writing Challenge, an app of “Creative Prompts and Ideas to Spark Your Inspiration and Beat Writer’s Block.” The app is available for download for $1.99. It’s compatible with iOS and Android devices and provides a unique, game-like approach to writing by prompts.
Once the app is up and running, you simply presses “start†and the app generates a prompt. If you like the prompt, you can begin writing, but you can also scroll through multiple prompts until you find one that catches your eye.
Now, here is where Writing Challenge separates itself from traditional prompt generators: every minute you write (you can change the duration to whatever length of time you want) the app throws an additional prompt to keep you on your toes and keep the creative juices flowing.
For example, the first prompt may be to write a story including the words “kiss,” “revenge,” and “poet.” Once your time is up, another prompt will appear, urging you to add a specific setting (an abandoned house, say). Then it will prompt you to add a certain type of character, or a particular action, or a fresh idea for every given length of time you write.
Perhaps the app’s greatest function is that it strips away those doubts and inhibitions that can so easily pop up while writing, forcing you to write quickly and without editing (though you can always edit once the story is finished—and you should!). You may not churn out a tour de force in your time with the app, but writing stories in such a low-stakes, game-like environment can be a huge boost to a writer’s fluency and confidence.
Speaking of fluency and confidence, the app comes in a version tailored for kids, called Writing Challenge for Kids. This version is also $1.99 on both iOS and Android devices, and follows the same game-style format as the original version.
The app’s description in the iTunes Store says the app is for kids ages seven to fourteen, parents who want to make their kids play with their creativity, teachers who want to improve creativity and writing skills in their classrooms, and even for writers of all ages who want to write books for children.
For more information on the apps, head to the App Store on your device, or check them out online using the hyperlinks above.
Happy writing!