NIBB.

Why first impressions stick — a ten-minute writing prompt

When you learned a first impression was wrong — and how long that took.

What a child is asked afterwards

Why first impressions stick

What was scary at first but fine later?

Everyone gets the same subject. What differs is the follow-up: one question for children, two for teens, three for adults. Only the children's wording is simplified.

Where people usually get stuck on this one

When nothing comes to mind

Write down one thing that happened recently. It does not have to be a good story.

When you stall halfway

Explaining is what stalls you. Put down what you saw and what you heard instead.

When it reads flat

Find the sentence you are least sure about. What you actually meant is usually hiding there.

Today's constraints on this prompt

Include one number

'Three years' always beats 'a long time'.

Open in 5 words or fewer

Lose them in line one and the rest never happens.

Vary how sentences end

The same ending three times in a row puts readers to sleep.

Write on this prompt now →

Other prompts

talent or effort which do we actually believewhen modesty sounds like a boastwhy we ask for advice and ignore itdo we want an apology or acknowledgementwhen did taste become a shieldwhy the people who record everything forget