I used to think writing prompts had to be these big, wild ideas to be any good

For the longest time, I'd only start a story if the prompt was something huge, like 'a detective finds a city under the ocean' or 'a wizard loses their magic in a coffee shop.' I figured if it wasn't weird, it wasn't worth writing. Then, about six months ago, I joined a local writing group here in Portland. The leader gave us a simple prompt: 'Write about someone waiting for a bus in the rain.' I almost didn't bother. But I tried it, and the story that came out was the most real, quiet thing I'd written in ages. It was just a guy thinking about a missed chance with an old friend, and the rain made everything feel heavy. That tiny, normal moment opened up more than any spaceship ever did for me. Now I look for the small, human details in prompts first. Has anyone else had a simple prompt unlock something bigger for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

laura_schmidt8227d agoTop Commenter

Portland has a writing group?

milam4827d ago

Yeah, Portland has a writing group. It's not like we're all just hiking and drinking coffee.

betty_wells27d ago

Seems like a lot of us are hiking and drinking coffee though. That's just what you see people doing.