I used to write one massive prompt file, now I keep a $2 notebook of 3-word starters

Derek Dixon · 2026-10-12T05:50:03.285084+00:00

Three years ago I had a 4,000 word Google Doc of writing prompts and I'd stare at it for an hour before typing anything. Last month I switched to a cheap spiral notebook from Walgreens in Tulsa where each page just has 3 to 5 words, like "broke air conditioner" or "last bus home." The weird part is I finish way more drafts now, maybe 4 a week instead of one every couple weeks. I think the big file made me feel like I had to pick the perfect idea, but the tiny prompts just give me a place to start moving. My old system looked more prepared but it was actually just procrastination in a nicer outfit. Curious if anyone else has gone smaller with prompts instead of bigger, and did it stick or did you go back?

Topic Shares

Loading…

I used to write one massive prompt file, now I keep a $2 notebook of 3-word starters | Creative Writing Prompts - Topic Shares