22
That prompt game my writing group swore by actually worked
Been in a writing slump for months. Everything I started felt dead on the page. My friend Kara kept pushing this random word generator thing where you have to use 3 unrelated words in a scene. Rolled my eyes hard. Gave it one try last Wednesday - got 'staple remover', 'lemon', and 'foghorn'. Wrote a weird little story about a diner cook losing his hearing. First thing I finished in like 8 weeks. Has anyone else tried those constraint-based prompts that sound dumb but actually break you loose?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
stellat8717d agoMost Upvoted
Was your brain fighting you the whole time or did it click pretty fast? I'm curious if the resistance is part of what makes it work for some people. The one I tried took about three sentences before I stopped overthinking and just wrote.
8
the_miles17d ago
Three sentences" is about right for me too, @stellat87. The trick is to just pick one odd word and force yourself to write the next line without stopping, the resistance usually folds by the third sentence.
5
maryadams18d ago
Used to think those writing exercises were total gimmicks (the kind of thing teachers assigned to fill time). Then I tried one with 'shoelace', 'satellite', and 'mothball' and ended up writing a whole flash piece about a radio operator in Alaska. Guess I had to admit my way wasn't the only way.
2