Can we talk about those 'write a story from a random word' generators?

I always thought they were a total waste of time, just a gimmick. Then I got stuck on a project for a solid month, nothing worked. A friend made me try one, the word was 'moth'. Wrote a whole scene about a lighthouse keeper obsessed with them. It broke the block completely. Now I use one for ten minutes when I'm stuck. Anyone have a favorite prompt site that actually gives good, weird words?

3 comments

3 Comments

sandra_bennett591mo ago

Ugh, I have to totally disagree on this one. I mean, it sounds like a cute story, but I tried those things a few times and got the most boring words ever, like "chair" or "blue." It just felt like another thing to scroll through instead of actually working. Maybe it's just me, but staring at a blank page with the word "stapler" didn't spark any genius, it just made me feel more stuck. I'd rather just go for a walk to clear my head, those generators always seem like a fake fix.

kimr741mo ago

You said staring at "stapler" made you feel more stuck. That's the whole point. The boring word is the challenge. Your brain wants to write about epic stuff, but it's tired. Making a story from "stapler" forces a new path. It's not a fake fix, it's a mental wrench. The walk clears your head, but this makes your head work in a different way.

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ray_martinez821mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, because nothing gets the creative juices flowing like a deep dive into office supplies...