Writing Prompts – How to Disable Them on WordPress

~ Bookstooge

In yet another totally incomprehensible and bone headed move, WordPress.com, in all its wisdom, decided that we needed “writing prompts” whenever we started a new post. As far as I know, nobody asked for this. No blogger needs this. If they do, they should go to some other social media where being completely brain dead is the norm. I was so angry (surprise, surprise) that I immediately fired off a patent pending “Angry Bookstooge” email to support to find out just what in hecker freckers was going on. They replied with their usual pablum and non-reasoning and so I figured I was stuck with this abomination of stupidity.

Patent Pending “Angry Bookstooge” Email

I received an email follow up from WP.com late last week informing me of an “update” where I could opt out of this filthy, disgusting and utterly vile practice. Here’s the steps so you can opt out too if you so choose:

  • My Sites
  • Settings
  • Writing

Then you can toggle off the “show writing prompts”. Just make sure to save after doing that so your choice is saved.

I hope this has been helpful. As WP.com changes things, randomly, for no reason and against all good sense, expect more little posts like this as I navigate the minefields of trying to stay here while simultaneously wishing every person at WP.com was being worked over, and good, by Pinhead.

69 thoughts on “Writing Prompts – How to Disable Them on WordPress”

    1. The thing is, you have to have already hit the “write post” button, so not sure how the prompts help. Do people just randomly stare at their computer screen without writing something? What made WP think this was a good idea? I’d like see the data….

      Liked by 2 people

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  4. I just checked by pretending to do a new post, it asked me ‘which physical activities and excercises do you like to do! Like I’m going to start a post telling everyone that!! Not likely, what Mr.Fraggle and I get up to is NOBODIES business!!! Thanks for the turning it off info Booky!

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  5. Thanks for this, my prompts have all been the same “who do you envy” then i sit there thinking about all those successful people out there and there is me just trying to get by. What an invasive cock bunch of pricks WP are. I dont envy anyone, its a sin ffs. Then i sit there so flustered and pissed off that i just close my pc and go shoot zombies on the PS. What a bunch of wankers

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. ROTFL on the closing image!
    And now, for some advice from a Wise Old Lady with Many Winters on Her Shoulders 😀 : as annoying as these WP “features” might be, it’s not worth getting angry at them (especially when there is an easy workaround), because that uses too much energy that would be better employed in reading, writing reviews and… well, smelling the proverbial roses… 😉

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    1. I like Pinhead 😀
      The problem is, if I hadn’t gotten upset, I’d have done nothing and I’d still be seeing them.
      I understand completely what you are saying and I am trying to let the small things (like the wp reader continuing to change) go.
      But this was WP injecting themselves into my writing process. That’s why I left devilreads back in the day…

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  8. Pinhead > WordPress. Not a fair fight, and definitely worth bringing forth to get the issue cleared up. Your post reminded me of something WP had years back – the effect of snow falling across the website while someone was viewing it at Christmas time. I loved that. Maybe it got culture-cancelled as snow could be considered offending to someone who doesn’t like snow. Sigh. Maybe I’ll summon Pinhead to make it snow once more.

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        1. I hear you mate. I’ll be turning mine off, too. I’m still cursing the user-unfriendly block editor whenever I write a new post. These “updates” are supposed to make everything easier and stress-free. Do you think “they” are actually doing it on purpose? Like there’s some maniacal WP employee who is getting off on our gripes? Or am I becoming too cynical?

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          1. I DO think there is an engineer/s at wordpress who are completely divorced from reality and blogging and thus think all these updates are cool. Like a 2 year old 😦

            Changing stuff every couple of weeks is definitely not easier or stress reducing, that’s for sure!

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          1. Just remember, every time WordPress changes something, they’ll always say it is because “we” asked for it. But the truth is…I think there is someone behind the curtain who absolutely loves to tinker with user interfaces every couple of weeks just for the fun of it.

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    1. I edited the first part of your comment, just so you know.

      But this whole “prompt” thing was pretty bad, wasn’t it? This was the first time that WP intruded directly into my writing sphere and not just messed around with the mechanics of how things work. I didn’t think they’d go that far, especially for those of us who have paid plans. I take it as a VERY bad sign of things to come 😦

      You’re welcome. Lets just hope we don’t need to do this kind of thing again!

      Liked by 1 person

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  16. The “writing prompts” feature makes it seem as though WordPress values content & output versus blogs that actually contain a smidgen of interesting info… I hadn’t seen the feature yet, but it makes blogging feeling like a teenager’s mood journal, rather than something thoughtful.

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    1. Indeed!
      And yet, they’re still forcing the block editor on us. It’s a very schizophrenic experience. On one hand WP ignores me as a casual blogger but on the other actually intrudes on the one area where I CAN be a casual blogger.

      At least there was an answer to the problem this time. And I’m glad you didn’t see it. Do you use the “classic view” for your admin area?

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Oh!!! I see it now, it’s in the middle of the admin screen. I had just logged on and either gone to the notification tab, clicked the write button, or gone on the reader, so I hadn’t noticed haha, “Tell us one thing you hope people never say about you” (💀)

        Liked by 1 person

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  17. Since I write using the phone app, I never see these things. I will probably end up with serious thumb issues, but I do all writing on my phone now, even my books. Maybe playing accordion balances things out because it’s large and no thumbs required.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. 😀
      So the accordion doesn’t have stops for the thumbs? I had no idea. I guess that does help balance the phone thing.

      Why do you do everything on the phone now? Can you point to anything specific? Or was it a gradual thing?

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. There is a left-handed button for opening the bellows and I do use my thumb for that, but it isn’t the vast majority of fingering happening. I use my phone because I work full-time and have a long to-do list every day. The convenience of carrying my computer in my pocket and not having to wait for it to start up is too tempting. I pull it out and get my 1000 words a day done anywhere. If I use voice activation, I can even write while driving…or speak while driving, I guess. But I don’t really do that because I don’t like talking.

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