Article: A writing prompt can take any number of forms. It can be a specific scenario, such as a scene from everyday life or something a little bit fantastical.  For instance, the prompt could be something of this nature: "You open your closet door to find your clothes aren't there anymore. Instead, you see horse-drawn carriages and people walking in what appears to be London. What happens next?" It could be an old postcard, where you write about something related to the picture. It could be an intriguing quote (such as "Half the lies they tell about me aren't true," by Yogi Berra) or even a snippet of someone else's writing. Though a writing prompt is a good starting place, you don't have to follow the prompt exactly. Once you begin writing, let your ideas take you where you want to go. Also, if the writing prompt is suggested for a certain kind of genre, do not feel restricted to only that genre. Who knows, a science fiction prompt might spark an idea for a great romance plot. That is the whole point of writing prompts; to get you writing, but still allow you to develop your own ideas. Right now, you probably just want to generate ideas. Some of what you write at this stage will be awful, and that's okay; it's supposed to be. However, you should also be able to come up with some really great ideas if you just let your mind wander a little. Don't think too hard about what you should be writing, just write. Try to turn off that really analytical part of your brain that wants to edit as you go. Always remember that what you're writing doesn't need to be perfect, especially in a first draft. The spelling doesn't need to be free of typos, and each sentence doesn't need to fit perfectly with the next one.  If you expect your writing to be perfect before you ever put it on the page, you will never write anything. Instead, you'll be plagued by crippling writer's block. Writing takes revision, and the first draft isn't the time to be thinking about editing. Once you've spent time generating ideas and free writing, consider how you can develop the ideas you generated.  Maybe you just want to use a short passage and develop it into a larger story. Maybe you came up with several ideas that will work for a series of poems. Maybe you have a nearly complete story that just needs some revision. Circle ideas you like. If you really like a paragraph, but it doesn't fit in to what else is going on in your writing, keep it in a word document for later. You might just be able to use it somewhere else. Once you feel like you have a story or poem, take the time to revise, revise, revise. Look for typos and misspelled words. Think about how you put sentences together. Read it aloud; does it sound weird or out-of-place in some parts? You'll probably want to rewrite those parts.  Don't forget to have someone else read over your work. They can give you invaluable feedback and catch mistakes that you missed. The point of the writing prompt is to get you started, but to be a good writer you also need the drive to keep going and the patience to revise once you have a draft story or poem.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Use writing prompts as a starting place. Don’t feel like you need to follow the prompt exactly. Write whatever comes to mind. Remember that your writing doesn't need to be perfect in your first few drafts. Organize and develop your writing. Revise your writing.