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Why I think we're overcomplicating prompts with too much detail | Creative Writing Prompts - Free To Speak

Why I think we're overcomplicating prompts with too much detail

I've seen so many posts advocating for prompts packed with characters, settings, and conflicts. When I tried that, my stories felt forced, but switching to bare-bones prompts like 'a key, a memory, a storm' sparked way more authentic ideas, lmao. Has anyone else found that simplicity in prompts leads to more creative freedom, or am I missing something?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_beth6mo ago

Honestly, I was totally in the "more detail is better" camp for ages. I figured a solid blueprint gave you everything you needed. Trying those minimalist prompts finally clicked for me, it's like being told to build a shed without a plan, you just start with the feeling of it. All that overbuilt scaffolding in a prompt can lock you into a single idea before you even start, lol. Your key, memory, storm example is perfect, it gives you the materials but lets you figure out the structure.

stella7386mo ago

Maybe the blueprint analogy is getting overused here (no offense, @the_beth). It's all just words to get a machine to do a thing, not some profound creative philosophy. People are debating prompt engineering like it's mixology, when sometimes you just want the drink made.

ivans316mo ago

Wait, is it really building without a plan though? Feels more like the plan is just a vibe or a loose sketch instead of a full blueprint.

logan_green596mo ago

But going in with just a vibe is how you end up with a total mess. The AI needs clear steps to follow, or it will fill in the gaps with its own weird ideas. A loose sketch might feel creative, but it often wastes time with edits later. Think of it like giving directions, if you are too vague, people get lost. A good blueprint sets limits that actually help the machine do its job better. Without that structure, you are just hoping for luck, not building something solid.