My writing prompt totally backfired at a workshop last month

I was at a local writer's group in Seattle, feeling pretty good about my prompt idea: 'You find a key that unlocks any door, but each time you use it, you forget one memory.' I thought it was deep. I read it out loud and got total silence, then this guy named Mark just said, 'So, like, Alzheimer's but magical?' The whole room got super awkward. I tried to save it by saying it was about choice and cost, but the mood was gone. We ended up just doing a basic 'describe a rainy day' prompt instead. It really threw off the whole session. Has anyone else had a prompt idea land that badly, and how did you bounce back?

3 comments

3 Comments

wilson.kelly4d ago

Mark's comment was blunt, but honestly, that prompt is a strong idea. The awkwardness was just a bad moment in the room.

adams.spencer4d ago

Totally get where you're coming from. I used to think being that direct was just rude and killed the mood. But seeing how often good ideas get lost in trying to be nice changed my mind. The idea itself is what matters, not the sugar coating. Sometimes you gotta just say the thing, even if it makes a few people uncomfortable for a minute.

the_piper3d ago

Mark's prompt was solid. The room just wasn't ready for it. Direct beats nice when the idea is good.