A random writing prompt unlocked my plot, but is that cheating?

So, I was stuck on my story for weeks, right? Then I tried this prompt about a character finding a key in a library. It totally sparked an idea, and I wrote a whole chapter. But my friend says using prompts is like training wheels, and real writers don't need them. I feel proud of what I wrote, but now I'm wondering if it's less authentic. What do you all think?

3 comments

3 Comments

lisa_hart1d ago

Honestly, I felt the same way for years, thinking prompts were just training wheels. But then I tried one during a bad writer's block, and it totally flipped my view. Like, I got a prompt about a character hearing a phone ring in an empty house, and it led to my best short story. That wasn't cheating, it was just a jumpstart for my brain. Now I see prompts as keys to unlock ideas, not shortcuts. So if it works for you, run with it.

craig.hayden1d ago

I used to totally agree with that "training wheels" idea your friend mentioned. But then I realized prompts are just tools to jumpstart your brain when it's stuck on a specific plot hole or scene. It's not cheating, it's just finding a different way in.

rodriguez.linda1d ago

Oh please, pro writers use prompts all the time to get unstuck. It's just a tool, not a measure of skill lol.