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Just realized I spent a whole month stuck on one story prompt
I found a prompt about a character who finds a key that opens any door but only once. I thought it was a cool idea and started writing right away. The problem was, I couldn't decide what the main character should do with it. I wrote three different starts where they used it for money, for revenge, and to fix a past mistake. Each one felt wrong and I kept deleting them. I got so stuck that I didn't write anything else for about four weeks. I finally solved it when I asked myself what the worst possible choice for the character would be. That gave me the conflict I needed. Has anyone else gotten totally blocked by a prompt that seemed simple at first?
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mark_lane426mo ago
My first novel started with a single key prompt too. That kind of simple magic item creates infinite choice, which is its own kind of trap. Finding the worst choice for the character is a brilliant way out of that loop.
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abby9436mo ago
Totally get what @mark_lane42 means. The worst choice is always more fun to write anyway lol.
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