That was a question asked of me this morning, as someone perused my writing prompts pieces. They seemed baffled that I would take prompts such as “Vessel” or “Dancing” or “Last Kiss” and turn them into stories of possession, murder or necrophilia.
They apparently do not know me very well. C’est la vie.
But I do sometimes have to question it myself. Why is it that my brain wants to jump to the most sinister interpretation of simple, common words? Why must I conjure up a necrophiliac mortician instead of a sorrowful lover’s parting when the phrase “Last Kiss” crosses my radar? Why must I always get metaphorical instead of literal with the meaning of these words, and why must I always choose the most macabre of those metaphors?
I really don’t know. I don’t have an answer. It’s just how I’m wired, I suppose. I could try to write a story about happy puppies playing in the yard if my next prompt turns up as “Dog,” but let’s be real, it’s more likely to involve a starving werewolf, or a black dog spirit. I have to be true to my nature and let what spills onto the page be the end result, not force it. Isn’t that the idea of writing prompts, anyway? To inspire spontaneous splashing of words on the page about a quick theme or idea?
I wonder if I could put a definitive title to whatever malady leads me invariably to the monster under the bed, if that would let me vanquish it and spread to other genres… but I’m not sure I’d want such a “cure” if it existed. I am what I am, as Popeye once said.
What about you out there? Does your writing drift to a particular theme or genre, even without thinking about it or even if there’s a more literal way of expressing itself? What genre does it go to? Do you know why? Let us know down below!
Insomniac Nightmares 
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