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Found a prompt hack during a 3 hour layover at a truck stop in Ohio
I was stuck at a Pilot in Perrysburg with nothing to do, so I grabbed a random receipt from my cab and wrote a story based on the customer's name and item total. Now I use everyday junk mail or receipts as character prompts, keeps things fresh. Anyone else use random objects to spark ideas?
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blake30223d ago
People get hung up on the idea a prompt needs drama built in, but the whole trick is you bring the drama. John D. and his $47.82 is just a starting point. The real work is noticing the guy buying light bulbs and a single beer at 6am and asking yourself what that says about his morning.
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angelac6323d ago
I get the appeal of random prompts (I've used crumpled grocery lists myself) but honestly that sounds like a recipe for writer's block. Staring at a gas station receipt for "John D. - $47.82" just feels like forcing a story out of thin air when you could be using prompts that actually have some emotional weight or conflict built in, you know?
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