What do you do when a writing prompt just totally falls flat on its face?

I ran a prompt about a time traveler stuck in a library last week and got zero responses (ouch). Is it better to rewrite the prompt with more detail or just delete it and start fresh with a totally different angle - what do you guys do when a prompt bombs?

3 comments

3 Comments

stella_murray8d ago

Have you tried posting it in a different community or tagging it differently? I usually revise the prompt with a more specific hook first (like adding one weird constraint), then if it still flops I scrap it and move on. Sometimes the idea is fine but the timing or audience just isn't right.

king.andrew8d ago

Used to write off reposting as lazy, but @stella_murray's got a point.

zara5728d ago

Buddy of mine threw up a prompt about a sentient washing machine. Nothing. Not a single reply. He just deleted it, waited a day, and reposted it as "Your washing machine is alive and passive-aggressive." Got like 50 responses. Sometimes it's the angle.