Orbit · Explore

Writing · by João Pereira · 2026-10-09

A small experiment with writing prompts

I tried using prompts when I felt stuck, and the smallest change was the one I kept. What helps you work with prompts without turning them into another obligation?

32 sparks · 16 comments

Comments

Marco Conti · 1 likes

The context helps. Without it I would have assumed the opposite. My only addition is to make the first step visible

Hugo Martin · 1 likes

Now I want a spreadsheet

João Pereira · 1 likes

That is a good boundary

Paolo Garcia · 0 likes

good clarification — I read it differently at first

Élodie Favre · 0 likes

@curious_marco I am curious what changed your mind

Hugo Martin · 1 likes

I wish more posts had this much context. I keep a note about editing for exactly this reason

Valeria López · 1 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. I keep a note about fiction for exactly this reason

Yui Tanaka · 0 likes

What would you change about your writing process if you started over?

Chloe Davis · 0 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today

Hugo Martin · 0 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable. This pairs weirdly well with dumplings

Valeria López · 1 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Brave Panda · 0 likes

Same here. It took me too long to learn

Tanvir Rahman · 0 likes

could be regional too

Kabir Khan · 0 likes

There is a hidden assumption here that not everyone shares. The low-effort version is probably the keeper

Ethan Brooks · 0 likes

The practical details are often the part that makes advice useful. I like that this feels lived-in.

Daan Bakker · 0 likes

You explained the tradeoff really clearly. I noticed the same thing in Nairobi