Spent $80 on a writing prompt app and it basically killed my creativity

I bought a subscription to a popular prompt generator app, thinking it would give me fresh ideas. Instead, every prompt felt generic, like 'a character finds a key' or 'write about a storm.' I forced myself to use it for a solid month, and my writing got more predictable, not less. Has anyone else had a tool backfire and make their creative process feel more robotic?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim.jake1mo ago

My best story came from a key under a doormat prompt.

olivia_moore1mo ago

Isn't it wild how the simplest prompts can go in totally different directions? A lost key can be a boring chore or the start of a huge mystery. It's all about what the character does next. Do they just call a locksmith, or do they find something way worse than a missing key under that mat? The best ones make a normal thing feel super weird or important. What did your character find that made it your best story?

spencer_coleman1mo ago

My worst one started with a lost key too.