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Finally tried that 'write from a villain's POV' prompt
I used it for a 500-word flash piece and my writing group said it was the most unsettling thing I've ever written, which was a huge compliment. Learned that leaning into a truly awful perspective can unlock way more tension. Anyone have other prompts that force you out of your comfort zone like that?
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anna5677mo ago
My last writing group got quiet after my 300 word "you're the monster" prompt.
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the_susan6mo ago
Totally see that happening. People get weirdly defensive when you suggest they might have a dark side, even in fiction. It's like holding up a mirror they didn't ask for.
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parkermorgan7mo ago
Got to be honest, that prompt might have scared them off. "You're the monster" puts the reader right in the villain's head, which is a tough sell for a lot of writers. It forces them to write from a really dark place they might not be ready to visit. Maybe the group just wasn't into that kind of heavy, personal horror. A softer version like "write from the monster's point of view" gives people more room to work without feeling icky.
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