val741•6mo ago

Shoutout to the old 'what if' notebook I found in a box from 2012

I used to write prompts as full sentences, but now I just scribble a single weird object, like 'a clock that ticks backwards' or 'a key that opens nothing'. Anyone else find a simpler starting point helps more?

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nina1476mo ago

Oh that's so real. I totally get moving from full sentences to just a single weird thing. But I'm curious, when you land on an object like that now, does the whole story kind of just unfold from it? Or do you still have to fight to figure out what it actually means?

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avery8976mo ago

Yeah, the "fight to figure out what it actually means" part is so spot on. For me, the object gives a strong vibe or a feeling, but then I'm stuck trying to build a real scene around it. It's like having one puzzle piece and no picture on the box.

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holly_green826mo ago

Honestly it's like how people collect weird knick-knacks at a thrift store. They don't buy the ugly vase because they need a vase, they buy it because it gives off a strange feeling they can't explain. The object itself holds the whole mood.

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