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Debate: Should a writing prompt tell you exactly what to write or leave it wide open?
I was in a workshop last Tuesday in Austin. The leader gave us a prompt: Write about a key falling out of a lock at midnight. Half the room loved it. The other half said it was too specific and boxed them in. I was on the fence. Too much detail kills my creativity, but too little and I just stare at the page. What do you all think? Do you prefer prompts with strict settings and objects, or would you rather have a vague concept like loss or discovery?
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matthewmartin14d ago
Got a prompt once that said "write about a door." Spent an hour debating if it was a front door, a car door, or a metaphorical door. Ended up writing about a screen door slamming in a storm and it turned into this weird family drama piece nobody expected. Sometimes too open is just as paralyzing as too closed.
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matthewmartin14d ago
Yeah "sometimes too open is just as paralyzing as too closed" is exactly right. I used to be all about super open prompts but after staring at a blank page for 45 minutes during a write-in I've come around on specifics. A little structure can actually help you break through the wall.
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