Shoutout to that one awful Tuesday that made me a better writer

I used to hate writing prompts that forced a specific genre, like "write a horror story set in a library." Then last Tuesday, I spent 4 hours stuck on a prompt for a romance scene in a grocery store aisle. I finally wrote a dumb story about two people reaching for the same jar of pickles. It ended up being the most fun I've had writing all year. That day showed me that weird constraints actually spark better ideas. Has anyone else had a prompt that seemed lame at first but turned into something great?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah_mason17d ago

Wait, did you just accidentally write a rom-com in a pickle aisle?

reese_nelson17d ago

Get in there before someone steals your target (I mean, potential soulmate). A well-placed pickle pun could be the conversation starter of a lifetime. Worst case, you end up with a funny story and some snacks.

mason.brian15d agoMost Upvoted

Not gonna lie, that accidental rom-com angle is probably the best thing to come out of a pickle aisle since someone first thought to put dill in brine. Might have to start hanging out there more often just to see what other scripts write themselves.