NIBB.

Why praise arrives with conditions — a ten-minute writing prompt

What happened inside you at 'good — for a beginner'.

What a child is asked afterwards

Why praise arrives with conditions

What is the best praise you have had?

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

One thing per sentence

Don't staple two ideas together with 'and'.

Don't name the feeling

Instead of 'I was sad', write what your body did.

Write what could be seen

Write the visible, not the felt, and the reader stands there with you.

Write on this prompt now →

Other prompts

when did speed become sinceritywe follow trends and say we hate themwhy experience gets it wrongwhen i get it ends the conversationclear goals frequent unhappinessdo we trust star ratings or only pretend to