c/creative-writing-prompts

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spencer_thomas4•3d ago

Warning: That "show don't tell" advice a professor gave me wrecked my first draft

My creative writing prof at Portland Community College kept hammering "show don't tell" into our heads. So I wrote a whole 50 page story with zero internal monologue or summary, just pure action and dialogue. Ended up with a confusing mess where nobody knew why characters did anything and beta readers hated it. Has anyone else had to unlearn writing advice that sounded good but didn't work for your style?

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grayh60•4d ago

Tried outlining a novel vs pantsing it and the winner surprised me

I spent 2 weeks mapping out a 50-page outline for a mystery novel last summer. Color coded characters, plotted every chapter, the whole deal. Then I got bored halfway through chapter 3 because I already knew everything that would happen. So I scrapped it and tried writing without any plan at all. That first draft was a mess - plot holes everywhere, a character who vanished for 15 pages. But I actually finished it in 6 weeks because I was curious how it would end. Now I do a loose one-page outline at most and it keeps the fun alive while stopping me from writing into corners. Has anyone else found a middle ground between planning too much and flying blind?

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sage_park6•4d ago

Vent: That coffee shop in Portland that calls itself a 'writing space'

Went to this place called Wordcraft Cafe on 23rd Ave last Tuesday. They advertise comfy chairs and low music for writers, but the wifi was so slow I couldn't even load my document. Meanwhile, like 15 people were just sitting there scrolling phones. My debate is this: should a writing cafe prioritize fast wifi for research or dead quiet for focus? Which one actually helps you write better? I'm curious what you all think.

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jessew83•4d ago

I finally ditched detailed outlines for freewriting and it saved my story

I used to spend 3 hours planning every scene of my fantasy novel before writing a single word. Then I got stuck on a chapter about a market brawl in chapter 4 and stared at a blank page for two days straight. A friend in my writing group told me to just write the messy version and fix it later. So I tried freewriting that scene in 15 minutes, and it came out way better than my outlines ever did. Now I only sketch 2 or 3 bullet points per chapter and let the characters drive the rest. Anyone else find that overplanning kills your flow?

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jordan_webb49•6d ago

Shoutout to the librarian who made me rewrite my first story three times

I was 14 at the downtown public library in Austin, and Mrs. Kwan handed back my fantasy story with 'needs conflict' written in red. She sat me down at a table and made me explain what my main character actually wanted. Her one question 'why does this matter to her' totally changed how I think about plot. Has anyone else had a non-writer give advice that stuck with you?

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lindaw12•7d ago

Spent 3 hours hunting down a plot hole that wasn't there

I was stuck on chapter 5 for two days. Kept thinking my timeline was broken. Turns out I misread a character's age by one year. My own handwriting on a sticky note caused the whole mess. Ever wasted an afternoon chasing a mistake you made yourself?

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davis.gavin•7d ago

Hit 50,000 words on my novel draft yesterday and it threw me off

I've been working on this fantasy story on and off for about a year, mostly just messing around with scenes. Yesterday I checked my word count and it was sitting at 50,273 words. I never set a goal or anything, so seeing that number kind of froze me up for a minute. It's way more than I thought I'd ever write, but now I'm stuck on where the plot even goes from here. Anyone else hit a weird milestone like that and not know how to push through to the end?

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gray_perez52•8d ago

Got a writing prompt from a dream where my cat was the town mayor

Last night I dreamed my orange tabby, Mittens, was running a small town council meeting in upstate New York. He kept meowing at budget reports and everyone took him seriously. I woke up laughing and turned it into a prompt about a pet accidentally getting elected. Anyone else ever turn a weird dream into a story idea?

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thomas.piper•9d ago

Had an idea to write using only overheard coffee shop conversations for a week

I live in Portland and spend way too much time at cafes (like 4 visits last week alone). So I thought I'd try a writing prompt where every story had to start with a line I actually overheard, like "I don't think my cat respects me" or "he backed the truck into the mailbox again." After 7 days and maybe 30 overheard snippets, I found that the best stories came from the most boring lines, not the dramatic ones. The quiet comment about someone's garden gnome theft turned into a 2000 word mystery I actually finished. What I learned is that real dialogue sounds flat and weird, and trying to polish it up wrecked the whole feel. Has anyone else tried basing prompts on real eavesdropping, and did you get anything usable?

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jason_stone•9d ago

Had a week where every writing prompt I tried actually worked out

Last October I was stuck on a prompt about a detective who solves cases by remembering smells. I figured I'd just write a paragraph and move on but ended up with 3,000 words in one sitting. The next day a prompt about a time traveler stuck in a laundromat gave me a short story I actually liked for the first time in months. By Friday I had four solid drafts and I still don't know why that week clicked. Has anyone else had a random streak like that where your brain just cooperates for no reason?

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aaron_wilson17•11d ago

Pro tip: using a timer for 10 minute freewrites changed my whole process

I kept staring at blank pages for 20 minutes before writing anything. So I tried setting a timer for 10 minutes and just typing whatever came to mind. No editing, no stopping, just garbage words. First day I got like 200 words of pure junk. But after a week, I started pulling actual ideas from those trash sessions. The trick is you cannot delete anything, even if it's dumb. I had one prompt about a haunted library that turned into a full short story after three freewrites. Has anyone else tried time limits to bust through writer's block? What time works best for you?

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paul_mason12•12d ago

Debate: detailed character backstory vs leaving it mysterious in short stories

Honestly, I had a writing professor in my sophomore year at City College who insisted every character needs a full sheet of backstory notes. Then last month at an open mic in Brooklyn, a guy read a story where the main character was just called "the man in gray" with zero explanation, and it was the most powerful thing I heard all night. So which side works better for a flash fiction piece under 1,000 words? Anyone else find that too much backstory kills the pacing?

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kelly.robin•13d ago

Hit 1,000 rejection letters from lit mags yesterday

Found the stack in my storage unit. Counted them up with a beer. 1,042 total going back seven years. First one was from Ploughshares in 2018. Made me realize I need to stop submitting to the same five big places and try smaller markets.

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blake432•15d ago

Rant: That one writing professor who said "show don't tell" was dead wrong for short stories

Back in my sophomore year of college, Professor Evans drilled "show don't tell" into us every single class. Said it was the golden rule of fiction. So I spent 6 months writing these super descriptive short stories about how the light hit the dust motes and how the protagonist's stomach felt like a knot of snakes. Got rejected by every lit mag I submitted to. Then a friend who actually sells stories told me to just tell the reader what's happening. Said readers aren't stupid and they don't need every single feeling painted like a movie scene. I tried it on my next piece - just said "he was scared" and moved on with the plot. Sold it to a quarterly within 3 weeks. Now I show when it matters and tell the rest. Has anyone else gotten stuck following some "rule" from a teacher that doesn't actually work in the real world?

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chen.james•16d ago

I used to hate writing prompts with strict word counts, but then I tried one at exactly 100 words

Last month I saw this prompt that said 'write a horror story in exactly 100 words no more no less' and I almost scrolled past. I've always felt word limits kill creativity, like they squeeze all the fun out. But I gave it a shot and man, having to cut every single useless word actually made my writing way tighter. The story ended up being one of my favorites I've ever done. Has anyone else had a prompt rule they hated but ended up loving?

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jasons63•17d ago

Comparing scene outlining methods - one just clicked for me

I spent 2 years using bullet point outlines for every chapter and always got stuck around page 80. Then a buddy in my writing group showed me the index card method with 3 sentence summaries per scene. Has anyone else found a structure approach that made a big difference in finishing drafts?

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elizabethf85•22d ago

Had a convo with a librarian that flipped my perspective on horror prompts

She said 'real terror is losing something familiar, not a monster jumping out,' and it made me realize I've been relying on shock value too much. Has anyone else had a random conversation that totally rewired how you approach a writing prompt?

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paulperez•23d ago

Back when I used to write prompts off the top of my head, I'd get maybe 3 half-baked ideas before I ran dry

I'd just stare at a blank page and force something out that always felt recycled. Then about 6 months ago I started keeping a little notebook by my bed where I jot down random phrases I hear or see during the day, like a sign that said 'lost dog, answers to chicken nugget.' Now when I need a prompt I flip through those scraps and it's way easier to build something fresh. Has anyone else found a weird trick like that for generating ideas?

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jade_butler•23d ago

Overheard a librarian talk about prompt cards at a writers group

I was at a library meetup in Portland last month. A librarian mentioned they keep a box of old book titles cut out and randomized for writing prompts. People grab one and build a story around it. Has anyone tried this with their own stash of random phrases?

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cooper.nathan•23d ago

Spent last weekend at a diner in Tulsa that had a whole wall of handwritten story prompts from customers

Each napkin had a weird hook like 'two strangers swap seats on a bus and realize they switched lives' and it got me thinking about how random real people come up with better ideas than I do. Has anyone else found unexpected writing inspiration like this in a random place?

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jade_butler•25d ago

Found a weird trick for character backstories last week

I was stuck on a character for a fantasy story and tried writing their whole life story from a random object they'd carry. Picked a dented tin cup they got from a dying soldier in a war 10 years back. Suddenly I had 3 pages of backstory about why they hate authority and hoard food. Has anyone else tried using a single item to unlock a character instead of starting with personality traits?

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jordan305•26d ago

Unpopular opinion: writing prompts with 'you find a mysterious door' are lazy and overdone

I was at a writers meetup in Austin last month and someone pulled out a prompt about finding a glowing door in a forest. I swear half the room groaned. Every other prompt I see online starts the same way. Why not start with something real like a broken lawnmower or a weird noise in your attic? Anyone else tired of magical doors showing up in every prompt thread?

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charles_price•27d ago

Drafted a scene using a random prompt generator on a whim, thought it'd be garbage

I usually write my own prompts from scratch but last month I tried one from r/WritingPrompts about a sentient vending machine. The result was a 500-word short story that actually landed me a small publication credit on a indie zine. Has anyone else had luck rolling the dice on random prompts instead of planning everything out?

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quinnj24•27d ago

Why does nobody talk about how dialogue tags can ruin a scene?

I was editing a short story last night and realized I had "he whispered" or "she exclaimed" after every single line, totally killing the flow. Took them out and suddenly the tension felt real instead of forced. Anyone else ever catch their writing bogged down by this and find a fix that clicked?

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the_hannah•28d ago

Mixed up my fantasy races in a story and got roasted at a critique group

I wrote a scene where my dwarf character casually mentioned elves having silver magic... but in my own worldbuilding, elves don't have magic at all. The person running the group called me out in front of everyone, and I felt my face go bright red. I had to backtrack and explain it was a mistake from an earlier draft I forgot to delete. Three other people then pointed out three more inconsistencies in the same chapter. It taught me to keep a separate doc just for my world rules and check it every single time I revise. Has anyone else had a worldbuilding slip-up like this mess up a whole chapter for them?