Prompt to Page With Kayla Rae Whitaker

Each month, we interview a published writer who shares their favorite writing prompt. Whether you’re just getting started or have written for years, you’ll find ideas and advice to inspire you and help you become a better writer.

Prompt to Page is brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 4

For our fourth episode, we talk to Kayla Rae Whitaker, author of The Animators. Kayla explains why and how she uses writing prompts while working on novels and shares a prompt that has helped her with character development. She also offers a revision prompt that can help writers of all genres see their work in new ways.

Kayla says that “there is no worse feeling than being adrift on a blank Word document, frankly. And so having something to fall back on, having a list of prompts, however outlandish, you know, it’s a way to just guarantee. Okay, this gives you a better chance of getting something down on the page. You will never be exactly lost.”

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About Our Guest

Kayla Rae Whitaker, a white woman with dark curly hair and pale skin, leans back against a leopard-print chair.Kayla Rae Whitaker’s work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Electric Literature, Buzzfeed, Guernica, Literary Hub, and elsewhere. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and New York University. Her debut novel, The Animators, was named one of the best debut novels of 2017 by Entertainment Weekly and one of the best books of 2017 by NPR, Kirkus Reviews, and BookPage

Join the Prompt to Page Writing Group

Tuesday, Dec. 14, 6:00 PM

Spend time working on this month’s Prompt to Page podcast writing prompts, get feedback, and share writing tips with a community of other writers. Open to all writing levels.

Registration is required.

Submit Your Writing

We’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit a response to one of the episode prompts for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.