Finally tried that 'write from a villain's POV' prompt

I used it for a 500-word flash piece and my writing group said it was the most unsettling thing I've ever written, which was a huge compliment. Learned that leaning into a truly awful perspective can unlock way more tension. Anyone have other prompts that force you out of your comfort zone like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna5672mo ago

My last writing group got quiet after my 300 word "you're the monster" prompt.

the_susan1mo ago

Totally see that happening. People get weirdly defensive when you suggest they might have a dark side, even in fiction. It's like holding up a mirror they didn't ask for.

parkermorgan2mo ago

Got to be honest, that prompt might have scared them off. "You're the monster" puts the reader right in the villain's head, which is a tough sell for a lot of writers. It forces them to write from a really dark place they might not be ready to visit. Maybe the group just wasn't into that kind of heavy, personal horror. A softer version like "write from the monster's point of view" gives people more room to work without feeling icky.