Just hit 30,000 words on a story that started from a single sentence prompt

I kept seeing people post prompts that were full plots, like three paragraphs of backstory and world rules. That's not a prompt, it's an outline. A real prompt should be one line that kicks the door open for the writer. I started a novel six months ago from 'The last library book has a due date written in blood.' That one image gave me everything. What's a prompt that actually got you writing?

3 comments

3 Comments

bettywilson2mo ago

People get weirdly gatekeepy about writing prompts. A good idea is a good idea, whether it's one line or three paragraphs. The whole point is to get words on the page, not win some purity contest about prompt length.

emery8792mo ago

Exactly, what even is a gate for here? The whole point is just to get that first spark, and a spark can come from a single sentence or a whole page of notes. The only bad prompt is one that doesn't make you want to write.

adam6752mo ago

Why do people act like writing prompts need a whole committee approval before they count? Honestly, if a spark gets you typing, then who cares if it's "too short" or "too vague"? I've written whole stories off a dumb one-liner I heard in a coffee shop, and my best short story started from a really, really bad pun. The gatekeeping just feels like people trying to sound smarter than they are. It's not a contest, it's just writing. If it works for you, it works, full stop.