Serious question, does a prompt need a clear ending or is leaving it open-ended better for the writer?

I spent 4 hours last week trying to fix a fantasy prompt I wrote where the hero vanishes mid-sentence, and I still can't decide if the ambiguity helps or just frustrates people.

2 comments

2 Comments

troy_ross3d ago

Used to lean hard on open-ended prompts because I figured it left room for the writer to breathe. Then I tried one with a clear payoff like a punchline or a resolved image and the submissions actually felt tighter and more focused. These days I land somewhere in the middle: give the writer somewhere to go but don't spell out the last step.

fox.jesse3d ago

The 4 hour thing really resonates with me, I've messed up so many prompts by trying to be too clever with the ending. My rule now is if I can't say what the prompt is about in one sentence, it's probably too open. I think @troy_ross landed on something real with that middle ground idea, because a clear ending gives the writer a target but too much detail kills their own ideas. For fantasy especially, I've found that having the hero step through a door or mutter a final spell works way better than just trailing off, since it leaves a natural hook without making people guess what you wanted.