Unpopular opinion: Recipe-based writing prompts cook up the same old stories

I'm tired of seeing prompts that just list ingredients and call it a creative start. They never push writers to explore the memories tied to a family dish or the conflict in a shared kitchen. What's a food prompt that actually made you dig into character and not just flavor?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna_ward5d ago

Totally! This happens with music too, people just list bands instead of the fight you had with your dad in the car to a specific song. The best food prompt I ever got was "the last meal someone would agree to make for you." It forced me to write about guilt and a broken friendship, not how to make a grilled cheese.

reesea495d ago

But what if the grilled cheese IS the guilt?

the_zara4d ago

My writing buddy used that exact prompt last year. He ended up describing the burnt edges of the toast as the anger in his divorce.