Help with prompts

[Lolita30]

I noticed that when I come up with my own story prompts, I have no problem writing out the story and the direction that I want it to go, but when a prompt is assigned, I'm all clueless and stagnant. Has that ever happened to anyone else?

 

[EmilyMiller]

The answer is simple, just write based on your own ideas.

 

[darkquasar]

Are the prompts assigned as part of a writing class, or writing competition?
If not, what's making you need to do them?

I frequently browse DirtyWritingPrompts on reddit, and the story ideas forum here, but have never written a story based exactly on a prompt or post.
I use them for inspiration, not as an assignment like in school.
I find prompts that look interesting enough, and then use the parts of them that interest me to come up with a story. Sometimes the end result has nothing to do with the original prompt I read.

 

[SimonDoom]

I'm confessing my ignorance and old-schoolishness, but I have no idea what the OP is asking. What are story prompts? What does it mean for a prompt to be assigned? Why would one write a story this way?

Just write a story. What is the issue?

 

[anthrodisiac]

I suck at prompts I can do them, but it's never as satisfying as doing my own ideas. But if you're being assigned, it sounds like you're taking a class/course, so as much as I'd normally say, "Screw everyone else, write what you want," that might not help.

Prompt approaches can be tricky, but there's a very important thing that can help: Understand and accept that it's probably not going to be as good as an organic idea. Us writers tend to want to write THE BEST we can, and sometimes it's okay to write "good enough," especially for a class or prompt. Try not to judge the work as you write it, simply write what you can and work with what you have.

If you're still having trouble, I'd suggest looking at stories with similar ideas. Sometimes you'll read something that will spark an idea, some imagery or phrase that takes hold and gives you what you need to be able to write the prompt.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I'm confessing my ignorance and old-schoolishness, but I have no idea what the OP is asking. What are story prompts? What does it mean for a prompt to be assigned? Why would one write a story this way?

Just write a story. What is the issue?

Usually it's something that somebody will give you, and you need to write a story or scene based on it. Could be telling you to write from a specific POV: "Write a story from the perspective of a flower being picked." Or an event: "Write a story about a wedding, but the groom never shows up."

There are literally thousands of them, most of them are meh, boring, bland, uninspired, but some are pretty decent. The ones you find online tend to be amateur-level stuff that's good if you're just starting out and have no experience whatsoever, have no idea how to write, or what to write, and you'll take anything someone gives you.

More advanced prompts go into deeper, more nuanced things, or will give you the starting sentence/paragraph. For example, I found this one: Maisie wasn’t fond of ducks. But now this small, noisy gray one seemed to be following her home.

Then you have to write the rest of the story about Maisie and her duck. And if you're me, there's really only one place a duck following you home can ever lead...

Corkscrew penis.

 

[SimonDoom]

Usually it's something that somebody will give you, and you need to write a story or scene based on it. Could be telling you to write from a specific POV: "Write a story from the perspective of a flower being picked." Or an event: "Write a story about a wedding, but the groom never shows up."

There are literally thousands of them, most of them are meh, boring, bland, uninspired, but some are pretty decent. The ones you find online tend to be amateur-level stuff that's good if you're just starting out and have no experience whatsoever, have no idea how to write, or what to write, and you'll take anything someone gives you.

More advanced prompts go into deeper, more nuanced things, or will give you the starting sentence/paragraph. For example, I found this one: Maisie wasn’t fond of ducks. But now this small, noisy gray one seemed to be following her home.

Then you have to write the rest of the story about Maisie and her duck. And if you're me, there's really only one place a duck following you home can ever lead...

Corkscrew penis.

OK. Thanks for clarifying. I truly had no idea what was being asked.

I guess my question would be, what's the context? If it's a class assignment, I get it. But in what other context would this come up? Why would one concern oneself with prompts?

The OP wasn't clear about the context, so it's difficult to know how to answer. Context is everything.

 

[NotWise]

Some prompts catch my imagination. Some prompts don't. I'm not going to force myself to write something for a prompt that doesn't catch my imagination.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I guess my question would be, what's the context? If it's a class assignment, I get it. But in what other context would this come up? Why would one concern oneself with prompts?

I saw the word "assigned" in the OP's post, which is why I didn't just go to, "Write whatever you want," since I'm assuming it's for a class or course of some kind.

I know writers who like to use prompts. Prompts can be a nice way to write something totally different from your normal writings. Sometimes we get stuck with our own ideas and become niche (I know nothing about that ), and doing something outside that can spark some new idea or angle on something you wouldn't have otherwise considered.

Personally, not a fan, but I've also been writing for over 20 years and have written a wide array of topics, genres, subjects, people, places, styles, topics, viewpoints, periods, what have you. Shockingly, I can write more than non-human smut.* Because of that, the purpose of prompts is less useful for me than it would be for someone just starting out.

Newer writers need should have wider exposure and be forced to approach subjects from new angles, really get them in a headspace of being open to more than what they already know and have them explore new things, topics, styles. It forces them to experiment and helps narrow down their voice(s). Maybe they find out they like first person more, or third person, or they enjoy more flowery prose instead of sparse, lean prose. Without prompts, it's easy to settle into the thing you know and not deviate. But without that wider experience, it's hard to know if the thing you're doing is really you, or just convienent, and maybe your true voice and passion has yet to be discovered.

*Probably.

 

[Lolita30]

OK. Thanks for clarifying. I truly had no idea what was being asked.

I guess my question would be, what's the context? If it's a class assignment, I get it. But in what other context would this come up? Why would one concern oneself with prompts?

The OP wasn't clear about the context, so it's difficult to know how to answer. Context is everything.

I belong to a writing group and the prompt was: Imagine you and a group were trapped. It could be a plane crash, a cave, etc. What was the solution and how did it impact your mental health? At that point I did not how how to start it and therefore I got stuck in writing a 3000 word story on it.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

I belong to a writing group and the prompt was: Imagine you and a group were trapped. It could be a plane crash, a cave, etc. What was the solution and how did it impact your mental health?

'Well, the Skipper, Mr. and Mrs. Howell, the Professor, MaryAnn and Ginger all got together a bunch of times and did a bunch of things and they only ever let me watch.'

I think if I was in a group that came up with such a stale premise, I'd write about being stuck in the group. I might even title is as 'And Then There Were None', because it might make me do some stuff and none of them would have a Clue.

 

[SimonDoom]

I belong to a writing group and the prompt was: Imagine you and a group were trapped. It could be a plane crash, a cave, etc. What was the solution and how did it impact your mental health? At that point I did not how how to start it and therefore I got stuck in writing a 3000 word story on it.

OK. That clarifies things.

I can see how it would be less fun to write in response to a "prompt" (it's not a word I've ever used before in this sense, so pardon my ignorance) that wasn't internally generated.

 

[lovecraft68]

OK. That clarifies things.

I can see how it would be less fun to write in response to a "prompt" (it's not a word I've ever used before in this sense, so pardon my ignorance) that wasn't internally generated.

Same here. If it works for some people to improve their writing or a fun challenge for them, that's great.

For me, I have no desire to write someone else's idea, I can usually generate a few 'prompts' of my own at any given moment.

 

[SimonDoom]

This would probably be less of a problem for me because I have some experience in journalism, and also over 30 years in a job that demands writing in a short period of time, so I just have to do it. I would approach an assignment of this kind this way. Just do it. Ignore creative satisfaction and treat it like a job that has to be done. It's not fun to do creative writing that way, but it can be done that way.

For instance, with the specific prompt in this case, the "trapped in a situation with a group, dealing with my mental health," I wouldn't have a problem with that if it was a prompt here, because I can do whatever I want to here. But I don't know about the dynamics of your writing group. You may feel pressure to write something that will appeal to it, and that might be stultifying. I haven't participated in any writing groups, so I don't know what that's like. Unless you call this a writing group!

 

[Lolita30]

When a prompt started to look like a homework assignment, then it feels like an obligation rather than a fun project, as it was in my place.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I have only written to prompts when contracted to do.

"Write a romantic 1,000 word story about [character x] breaking up from his male lover [character y] when he gets engaged to a woman."

Otherwise, I draw my inspiration from things that come to me without prompting. I find that process much more rewarding, in a non-financial sense.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

When a prompt started to look like a homework assignment, then it feels like an obligation rather than a fun project, as it was in my place.

That's why you take and twist it into something fun, ridiculous and silly.

 

[TheLobster]

Imagine you and a group were trapped. It could be a plane crash, a cave, etc. What was the solution and how did it impact your mental health?

Well, considering the site we're on, I believe the only appropriate answers are "a giant orgy" and "very positively."

 

[Lolita30]

I have only written to prompts when contracted to do.

"Write a romantic 1,000 word story about [character x] breaking up from his male lover [character y] when he gets engaged to a woman."

Otherwise, I draw my inspiration from things that come to me without prompting. I find that process much more rewarding, in a non-financial sense.

That's an easy one, doable.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

That's an easy one, doable.

For context, I'll throw in that it was for a scene in a popular British television program that would be performed by hand puppets.

 

[StillStunned]

Prompts can be fun for short snippets, just to stretch your writing muscles. Well, I would say that, wouldn't I? That's almost the entire premise of my Writing Exercises.

But it's very rare that I'll write a complete story based on a prompt. My brain usually gives me more than enough prompts, and they're more likely to catch my imagination.

 

[Britva415]

We talk about AI so much around here, I thought this was going to be about using LLMs better.

 

[TheLobster]

We talk about AI so much around here, I thought this was going to be about using LLMs better.

Same. I was not unpleasantly disappointed.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I belong to a writing group and the prompt was: Imagine you and a group were trapped. It could be a plane crash, a cave, etc. What was the solution and how did it impact your mental health? At that point I did not how how to start it and therefore I got stuck in writing a 3000 word story on it.

If you're stuck on how to start it, then don't start it. End it. Write the ending first, work your way back. Take it out of order, whichever part is most speaking to you, write that, then expand out. I tend to write fairly linearly, being a pantsy pantser, but if I get stuck on something, it helps to write whatever's easiest, and you can always come back to it. Just did that on a story I've been banging my head against for two weeks. The second I did that? 1800 words, easy as you please.