Went to a library writing group in Portland and nobody mentioned prompts once

I showed up last Tuesday to a group that was supposed to be for creative writing prompts, but the whole hour was just people reading their finished chapters aloud. I was expecting a prompt jar or something to spark ideas, but it was more like a feedback circle. Has anyone else gone to a writing meetup that completely missed the whole point of being there?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jason5d ago

Twenty years of meetups and I've found feedback circles actually spark more ideas than prompts ever do.

brian_coleman5d ago

Wait, did you catch that piece on NPR the other day about how live group feedback actually triggers different parts of your brain compared to solo brainstorming? The science backs up what you're saying... feedback loops create this natural pressure to build on each other's ideas instead of just waiting for your turn to talk. Prompts feel like homework to me, like someone's testing you. But a good feedback circle, that's more like jazz improv where everyone's listening and riffing off each other. Twenty years is a long time to watch what works, and I'd trust your gut on this one.