I wrote a prompt about a talking toaster and it turned into a whole mystery novel

My idea was just a silly kitchen appliance giving life advice, but my character started investigating a power grid conspiracy. Has anyone else had a simple prompt spiral way out of its original genre?

3 comments

3 Comments

shanefisher24d ago

My buddy Carl tried writing a cozy story about a retired wizard running a tea shop. Three chapters in, his wizard dug up an ancient war crime and got tangled in a plot to overthrow the city council with enchanted pastries. He sent me a text like, "How did my old man and his chamomile become a political thriller?

jessel3524d ago

Sounds like Carl's story got hijacked by its own magic system. Happened to me when a simple ghost story decided the ghost needed to solve a bank heist from the 1920s. The trick that worked was asking what the main character actually wanted before the plot went nuts. Maybe his wizard just wants a quiet life, so all that political stuff becomes a problem he's forced to deal with. That can keep the cozy feel even when the stakes get weird.

oscarthompson7d ago

Been there, just kill the subplot that feels like homework.