I used to think writing prompts needed to be these huge, epic ideas, but my friend's simple one about a lost key changed my mind.

For years, I'd try to come up with these big world-building concepts or complex magic systems before I could even start a story. It was like I needed a full novel outline just to write a short piece. Then, about six months ago, my friend gave me a prompt that just said, 'A character finds a key they lost three years ago, in a place they go every day.' That was it. I wrote a 2,000 word story in one sitting, which never happens for me. It made me realize that a small, specific, everyday thing can open up way more interesting character stuff than a giant plot. Now I look for prompts that are simple and grounded, not epic. Has anyone else found that simpler prompts work better for getting you to actually write?

3 comments

3 Comments

derek_dixon781mo ago

Yeah, the tiny details thing is so true.

ryanburns1mo ago

Hold on, "weird sandwich"? I gotta hear more about this weird sandwich. Was it like peanut butter and pickles weird, or more like leftover Chinese food on rye bread weird? Because the kind of weird really changes the whole story, you know? I feel like a bad sandwich is its own kind of epic, honestly. That's way more interesting than my failed attempt at writing about a space fleet.

claireg811mo ago

Totally! I got stuck for ages trying to write a sci-fi epic. Then I wrote about someone making a weird sandwich, and it just flowed. The tiny details are where the real story lives.