Hot take: Overly detailed writing prompts just train people to copy, not create.

Honestly, I've seen so many prompts that lay out every plot point and character detail. Tbh, I think this makes new writers lazy and kills original thought. Some say it gives a safe start for beginners, but I watched a workshop where all the stories were basically the same. Ngl, my own early writing got way better when I switched to vague, open-ended prompts. So, what do you all think: are detailed prompts helpful or a crutch?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbyr541d ago

Oof, Fiona's example of a bad detailed prompt hits close to home. I definitely used to rely on those step by step ones and my stories were painfully generic. My own creativity needed the shove of a vague prompt to actually start working.

fiona7491d ago

Actually, your workshop example shows a bad prompt, not all detailed ones. Some writers really need that structure to get started, like my friend who always freezes with blank pages. The trick is prompts that give a situation but leave the "why" open. Like "a chef discovers a threatening note in their kitchen" instead of dictating the chef's whole backstory. Maybe the problem is prompts doing all the imagining for you, yeah?

janag431d ago

But wait, is this actually a problem for everyone? I see where @abbyr54 is coming from with the generic stories, but maybe detailed prompts are just a starting point for some people! It's not like every writer will copy everything exactly, right? Some folks really need that push to get their ideas flowing. Honestly, I think we're overthinking this a bit!