Pro tip: I used to think writing prompts had to be big ideas until a workshop in Boise.

The teacher gave us a simple prompt: 'Write about a character who is late for a bus.' I thought it was boring, but the ten stories people wrote were all totally different. One guy wrote a sci-fi chase, another wrote a quiet story about grief. It showed me that a small, specific starting point can open up more than a huge, vague one. Anyone else find that simple prompts work better for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

alicesingh1mo ago

Oh man, I was totally the same way. I always thought you needed some huge, epic concept to get started. But then I tried a prompt about someone just making a really bad cup of coffee, and the weird directions people went with it completely changed my mind.

sarah5311mo ago

Totally agree with you and @alicesingh. I used to get stuck trying to come up with a grand theme. A teacher once made us write about a lost key. It seemed pointless, but it forced us to focus on the character's reaction. That small problem showed who they were. Now I always look for a simple, concrete action to start from.

reesemoore22d ago

Huh, that's a good point, but I guess I wonder if it really matters all that much. I mean half the stuff I write is just me figuring out what happens next.