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Hot take: a beta reader tore apart my prompt responses and it made me a better writer
I used to think prompts were just a warm up, so I would bang out 500 words and post it without a second look. Then a guy in my writing group in Boise read one of my prompt fills and said, quote, your character has no reason to be in this room, and that line stuck with me for weeks. I was mad at first because the prompt was only one sentence, so I figured I did not owe anyone a reason. But he was right, I was writing scenes where stuff just happened to people instead of because of them. So now before I write anything from a prompt I jot down three things the character wants in that exact moment, even if none of it makes the page. It takes maybe two extra minutes and my drafts have gotten way sharper since. My mileage may vary on this but I think most prompt writers skip the want step because the prompt feels like it should do the work for you. Does anyone else here do a pre-write ritual like that, or am I just making homework for myself?
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