Hot take: I think writing prompts about "trauma" are getting lazy

Last week in my writing group in Denver, someone shared a prompt that was just "write about your worst childhood memory" with no setup or twist. I feel like a good prompt should give you a specific situation or constraint, not just a vague topic. My favorite prompts are the ones that force you into a weird scenario, like "you wake up on a bus with no memory but everyone knows your name." Does anyone else think prompts need more structure to actually inspire good stories?

2 comments

2 Comments

hill.barbara13d ago

But isn't the vagueness kinda the whole point so you can take it anywhere you want?

baker.riley12d ago

though honestly @hill.barbara, I think we're giving the prompt way more credit than it deserves. vague can mean lazy just as easily as it can mean flexible, and not every half-written idea needs a deep reading. sometimes a thing is just muddy, not mysterious.