Debate: Should a writing prompt give you a specific first line or just a vague scenario?

I've been in groups where a prompt like "The door creaked open" leads to way different stories than "A stranger walks into your life" - which one actually gets better results? Curious if people think more details kill creativity or make it easier to start.

2 comments

2 Comments

kim_hart721d ago

Oh wait, I gotta jump in here because I see a little mix-up. A specific first line like "The door creaked open" isn't really more details, it's just a starting point with a setting. It gives you a mood and a place but leaves everything else up to you. A vague scenario like "A stranger walks into your life" is actually way more open-ended and can feel harder because you have to build the whole world from scratch. So the idea that more details kill creativity isn't quite right, lol. The first line just sparks the starting point, while a vague scenario makes you do all the heavy lifting. I've seen groups where the "door creaked" prompts actually end up with crazier, more creative stories because everyone filled in the gaps differently.

shane75121d ago

Yeah but I see it different @kim_hart7 - a specific line like "the door creaked" actually gives you less freedom cause it locks you into a mood and setting from the first word, while "a stranger walks in" leaves every detail up to you so you can go anywhere with it.