I regularly practice my writing skills by doing prompts - coming up with short blurbs about my life, my characters' lives, anything that pops into my head upon seeing the prompt. I try to let the words flow naturally without constraining the narrative to fit into any WIP or thinking of it as something I may want to use in the future. I write from prompts just to flex my writing muscles and imagination, and to break out of writer's block if need-be.
Sometimes the prompt inspires me to write about the main character in the work I'm currently querying. I've written scenes that took place in his past, long before the book takes place. These scenes help me better understand my character's thoughts and motivations as I move the story forward. They also help to better understand the side characters and how my MC interacts with them on a regular basis.
However, there has been a time or two when a prompt has inspired a scene that's actually made it into the book. I'll be writing from the prompt, as per usual, and I'll suddenly see how it ties into the story and can actually build upon the work I've already written. It can help tease out relationship dynamics. It can create a new tension between characters. It can help me see a side character in a new light that I want to bring out more in the book. I'm always surprised when a prompt inspires an actual, usable scene.
I highly recommend doing prompts to anyone struggling with their writing. You just never know what you're going to get.
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