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I finally changed my mind about using writing prompts after a visit to the library
I've always thought writing prompts were just for beginners or people who can't come up with their own ideas. But last Saturday I went to the downtown branch on 5th Street and saw a bulletin board with 30 prompts posted by patrons. One about a vending machine that gives advice instead of snacks caught my eye and I wrote a full story in 15 minutes. Has anyone else had a real-life prompt change their view on using them?
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morgan_king368d ago
Yeah that's exactly it, karenb97. I used to think prompts were just for people who couldn't get started on their own, but then I found one at a coffee shop on a napkin. It said something like "the last message on an old answering machine" and I wrote a whole scene about a guy listening to his mom's voicemail from like ten years ago. It was way more personal and interesting than anything I'd been trying to force out. Now I grab prompts from anywhere, even random overheard conversations or signs on buses. It's less about needing help and more about finding a different direction to go. That vending machine one you mentioned sounds cool, I might try that myself.
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