Just realized my prompts were too vague after a writer friend said 'I need a concrete image to start'

I switched from 'a mysterious forest' to 'a forest where the trees hum at dawn', and the difference in responses was huge. Anyone else find a specific detail unlocks way more ideas?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron30527d ago

Sometimes too much detail just boxes you in. I tried "a forest where the trees hum at dawn" and got ten stories about magical elves, nothing else. A little mystery lets the reader fill in the blanks.

anderson.piper27d ago

I mean, @aaron305 has a point about getting stuck on one idea. I once wrote "a city that breathes" and my whole group just drew lungs.

jakejones26d ago

Yeah @anderson.piper, that "city that breathes" thing is a perfect example. It's like giving a single strong image that takes over. Maybe the trick is to give two weird details that fight each other a bit, like "a city that breathes, but only through old subway grates." That forces a mix of ideas.