Had a writing prompt fall flat at a workshop last night

I was at a writers group in that old library on Elm Street, sharing a prompt about a locked room mystery. Eight people stared at me for 30 seconds before someone said "that's just Clue." Has anyone else had a prompt bomb so hard you had to switch gears mid-session?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscarc121mo ago

Man that Clue comparison is brutal, I felt that in my bones. It reminds me of how people react to stuff in everyday life too, like when you try to recommend a song or a show and someone instantly goes "oh that's like that other thing" and now nobody cares about the actual work. Same thing happens at parties when someone shares a personal story and another person tries to one up it with a better version. People are quick to box things in and lose the small details that make them unique. Your prompt probably had some cool twist in your head but they couldn't get past the surface level connection.

parker_palmer441mo ago

Walked into that same trap last month with a prompt about a character stuck in a time loop. My group just looked at me and one guy yawned. Had to pretend I meant it as a joke and pulled out a backup prompt about a dog that finds a secret message. Your Clue one might work better if you flip it around, like make the locked room a walk in freezer or something. Keeps it fresh without feeling like a board game.

anderson.piper1mo ago

Nah, I don't think it's that deep lol. If your group can't handle a simple Clue prompt without rolling their eyes, maybe find a less judgey group to game with.