The day my writing prompt backfired in a writers group

Last Thursday I pitched a prompt about a haunted vending machine to my local group. Three people wrote horror stories about it, but one guy submitted a 12-page business plan for a snack distribution company instead. Has anyone else had a prompt go completely off the rails?

3 comments

3 Comments

carr.james29d ago

Stared at my screen for a solid minute after reading that business plan story, just picturing the guy pitching snack routes to a bunch of horror writers. Had a similar thing happen when I asked for "campfire ghost stories" and got a 10-page essay on bear safety protocols. Not spooky at all, but I did learn how to hang my food bag properly, so I guess that's a win? Sometimes I wonder if these folks are just trying to be helpful in the weirdest way possible or if they're secretly testing how much weird stuff we'll actually read.

jason52429d ago

That prompt backfired harder than mine did last year when I asked for stories about a "haunted mirror" and someone turned in a 3-page essay on proper mirror cleaning techniques for antique stores. I thought they were joking but they got legit defensive about it, said they wanted to contribute something practical. Now I always add a note that says "fiction only" in bold letters.

keith26429d ago

Wound up in a similar mess when I asked for "petty revenge stories" and got a detailed breakdown of how to properly microwave fish in a shared office kitchen. Guy swore up and down it was the ultimate petty play, and I guess technically he wasn't wrong. Now I just put "stories only" at the top of every prompt and still hold my breath a little.