We share a lot of writing prompts here, many of them unconventional or genre-specific. Many prompts from the outside world are either too broad – “Write about love” – or too prescriptive – “Write about a birthday party where something bad happens.” Others are too dumb to be taken seriously – “Write a story with a twist ending!” If we had an idea for a story with a twist ending, we wouldn’t need a prompt, would we?
So it was a nice surprise to find an article from a writer after our own hearts. In a post on the DIY MFA blog, Dana De Greff says we should rely less on prompts and instead look for open doors.
“It wasn’t until I started teaching writing that I realized for some people, writing prompts aren’t exciting, fun, or inspiring,” De Greff writes. “They’re dry, formulaic, and, at times, way too specific…At least, that’s what some of my students felt. Rather than produce, they gave up, and sometimes, they even got angry.”
De Greff was later inspired by a quote that said writers should look for open doors. “We writers are explorers and adventurers, and we have to face the unknown with a sort of courage, a willingness to have awkward encounters or even scary ones,” she says.
After, De Greff stopped offering prompts like photos or objects, and instead suggested her students explore familiar activities, but from a POV not their own. While you might feel safer staying on this side of the door – writing about what you know or what’s easy – great writing requires that you don’t play it safe.
De Greff offers several of her “doors” for consideration:
- Start a story with this line: “That summer, everybody was listening to that song. It was playing everywhere.” Then, use the song “Come Meh Weh” as a prompt. Write whatever comes to mind as you listen.
- Write somewhere unexpected – floating in your pool, in your car, or on a playground. Feel yourself become part of your environment and see what comes out.
- Choose an element from the periodic table. Research it for a few minutes, then write a scene of dialogue where your character talk about what you learned.
