13
Hot take: I thought writing prompts were a waste of time until I tried one for 30 days straight
I was a huge skeptic about writing prompts. I figured they were just gimmicky one-liners for people who couldn't come up with their own ideas. Then my buddy dared me to do a prompt every day for a month. I grabbed a random one from this sub about a character who only speaks in movie quotes. First few days felt stupid and forced, like I was just typing to fill space. But around day 12 something clicked. I started weaving in my own fence install experiences, like describing how a wooden post settles after a rainstorm as a metaphor for trust. That prompt got me out of a 3-year slump where I hadn't finished anything. Has anyone else had a prompt completely change how they approach a scene or a character? I'm curious what that one prompt was for you.
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
alicecraig2d ago
Oh man, that fence post metaphor is exactly the kind of thing prompts can unlock. I was in the same boat, thought they were just writing drills for beginners. Ended up grabbing one about a detective who solves cases by taste-testing evidence, and it forced me to describe smells and textures in ways I never would have. Now I use prompts to break through blocks, but I always tweak them to fit whatever mood or scene I'm stuck on. Good on you for sticking with it past day 12, that's usually where the dumb ideas start turning into gold.
7
samk772d ago
Yeah no kidding about day 12. I tried one of those prompts about writing from the perspective of a ghost who's stuck haunting a vending machine and I thought it was the dumbest thing I'd ever typed. But somehow it got me thinking about all the little choices people make in front of that machine, the hesitation, the regret. Now I can't look at a snack aisle without imagining someone's tragic backstory. My writing still isn't great but at least now I have a problem with vending machines.
4