mason.brian•20d agoMost Upvoted

I used to think writing prompts were just lazy, but a 30 minute challenge at my local library changed my mind

3 comments

3 Comments

Our library did a 5 minute prompt where we had to describe a smell from childhood. I wrote about my grandpa's garage, the oil and cut grass. It pulled out a memory I hadn't thought of in years. I used to roll my eyes at prompts too, but that quick exercise showed me they're just a tool to kickstart something real.

oscar74312d ago

I was totally in Elliot's camp before a workshop last year. The prompt was just "write about a locked door". I ended up describing the old linen closet in my first apartment, which had a sticky latch. That dumb door made me remember my whole nervous first week living alone. It pulled up details I would have never dug up on my own. Now I see prompts less like assignments and more like keys for doors you forgot were even there.

elliot_thomas8220d ago

That's a cool story from @carter.gavin, but prompts still feel like a crutch to me. My best writing comes from a real problem I need to solve or a strong feeling I can't shake, not a random assignment. It just makes my own ideas feel less genuine, like I'm following a recipe instead of cooking from the heart.