Can we talk about how many writing prompts just say 'write a story about a door'?

I was scrolling through a prompt list from a workshop in Portland and counted seven different prompts that were just a single object with no twist. I finally tried one, adding 'that only opens for people who have forgotten something', and it sparked a whole new idea. What's a simple object you've turned into a good story starter?

3 comments

3 Comments

morgan_butler3mo ago

Portland must have a serious door obsession...

joelp813mo ago

Feel your pain, man.

perry.karen2mo ago

Why's everyone so down on a simple door prompt? @morgan_butler, you're missing the point - a door is basically a guarantee of conflict or discovery. I wrote a story for a contest that just said "grandfather clock" and it won second place. Sometimes the bare bones are what let your brain do the work instead of having some stranger's agenda shoved in your face. A door can be a portal, a barrier, a memory trigger, or just a really good hinge metaphor if you bother to push past the first lazy thought.