Many writers find themselves in the position of being caught between two stools.
One the one hand, you're struggling to find new ideas and new ways of writing, and all you seem to be able to come up with is tired rehashes of work you've written dozens of times before.
On the other hand, you're not prepared to try any writing exercises or prompts, because you feel that's a cop out, or a shortcut.
You feel you should be able to come up with your own ideas and work, from the first word to the last, not by using anything that's been created by anyone else, even if it is just to get started.
Obviously, this is not a very comfortable place to be and doesn't make for a happy productive writer.
So what can you do?
Well, maybe the creative writing prompts and exercises route isn't the big cheat you think it is.
Using a prompt or exercise to get you started, so you can then set your own creative talents free, is actually one of the best ways to develop as a writer, to keep your ideas fresh, to experiment, and maybe most important of all, to ENJOY your writing more.
Under a little closer scrutiny, the "it's a cop out, it's cheating" argument doesn't really stand up.
If your argument is that you should be coming up with your own work from the very beginning to the end, then why do you use words that have already been invented? Why do you write in sentences? Why do you use punctuation?
Take this a step further even, why do you use the recognised letters of the alphabet and not invent your own new set of symbols every time you sit down to write??
When you use letters, words, sentences and other recognised ways of expressing yourself through writing, you do it because it's a structure you can use to write effectively and easily. You don't have to think about which alphabet to use, or what a symbol to represent the emotion "jealousy" or the colour "blue" might look like.
With creative writing prompts and exercises you're using the same theory and process. You're just using a certain structure or outline or starting point to give your writing some direction and some form.
Writing prompts and exercises just get you started. What you do once you've set off writing is entirely up to you, and completely, uniquely your own work.
So if you've been struggling for that breakthrough to give your writing the breath of fresh air it needs, but have been avoiding using writing prompts or exercises because you feel they'd make you a fraud, then think again.
They could well provide the starting blocks you need to take your writing into the realms of greatness...