My writing group split in half over whether prompts should be vague or super specific, and I think we're missing the real problem

Christopher West · 2026-10-11T23:35:06.435077+00:00

Honestly, we spent 40 minutes at the Panera on Elm last Tuesday arguing about this. Half the group wants prompts like 'write about a door' while the other half wants stuff like 'a locksmith in 1970s Detroit finds a key that opens every house on his block.' I get why people like vague ones, they feel free and open. But I noticed something weird, the vague prompts get way more people posting yet almost nobody finishes a full draft. The specific ones get fewer replies but like 8 out of 10 people actually write 500 words or more. So which one is really doing its job, the prompt that gets clicks or the prompt that gets stories finished? Curious what actually works for other people here.

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My writing group split in half over whether prompts should be vague or super specific, and I think we're missing the real problem | Creative Writing Prompts - Topic Shares