Remember when writing prompts were just a sentence on a notecard?

I got stuck trying to write a story from a prompt about a character finding a key that opens nothing. I spent three weeks on it before I figured out the key was a metaphor for a useless memory. How do you guys handle prompts that seem too simple at first?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_craig418d ago

Useless memory" is key, I just start writing the literal thing first.

oliver_ward1412d ago

Yeah the literal thing is the best starting point. Even if it's messy, you can always clean it up later. The raw version has the real feeling you need.

jade88517d ago

Wait, does starting with the literal thing ever backfire though? Like what if the useless memory is just too weird or personal to share? @mila_craig4 has a point, but I wonder if you gotta filter it a tiny bit first. Sometimes the raw version is messy and needs a little clean up before it makes sense to anyone else.