Thought prompt lists were lazy writing, then I sat in a hospital waiting room in Boise for 3 hours and changed my mind

Abby Perry · 2026-09-24T11:50:03.259613+00:00

I always thought writing prompts were a crutch for people who couldn't come up with their own ideas, and I'd roll my eyes at those big list posts. Last month my dad had a knee replacement at a hospital in Boise, and I sat in the same waiting room chair for about 3 hours with nothing but a beat up notebook. Around hour one I started writing down random stuff I saw, like a guy in a green jacket who kept folding and unfolding the same receipt, and a nurse who hummed the same 4 notes every time she walked past. By hour two those notes had turned into a full scene about two strangers stuck in a waiting room, and I never would have gotten there without the place forcing ideas on me. I used to think real writers just stare at a blank page until magic happens, but that's not true for me at all. The room gave me the details, I just had to write them down. Do you all get more from prompts or from sitting somewhere and stealing details from real life?

Vivisector

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Thought prompt lists were lazy writing, then I sat in a hospital waiting room in Boise for 3 hours and changed my mind | Creative Writing Prompts - Vivisector