Had a writing prompt about time loops blow up in my face last month

I spent 3 hours crafting this really intricate time loop prompt for our group chat, posted it at 11pm after my night shift, and then realized at 3am that I had accidentally written the same character dying in the exact same paragraph three times in a row - has anyone else had their own writing completely betray them like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

rivera.susan17d ago

Oh man, the 3am realization hits different (like a truck, but also embarrassing). That repetitive death paragraph tricked you good. Editing after night shift is basically a trap for your own brain.

andrew717d ago

@rivera.susan nailed it with that 3am realization thing. Actually, the weirdest part about time loop prompts is how they expose your own subconscious writing tics. I had a friend who kept rewriting the same door opening scene for three days because their brain was stuck in a loop too. The mistake you made with the death paragraph is basically your brain autopiloting on a tired schedule. Maybe try writing the ending first next time, that way your freshest ideas hit the page before fatigue sets in. Or record yourself talking through the loop out loud - hearing the repetition catches errors way faster than reading silently.