XL

I like the product. What I didn't like was that it came damaged. The box itself has a major dent that actually tore through, even denting a few cards.

I'm a writer and loved these cards. They are easy to use. They have great quality. Can serve any genre (I write horror). And tell you enough to spark the imagination.I loved to use them for cowrites where we all used the same prompt and then share how different ideas sparked from the same prompt.

The physical cards are large and excellent quality. I recooment the XL card set over the 1st edition basic. More options. The 1st edition would be good for beginner's .

I bought the original Writer Emergency Pack cards in 2017 and have found them incredibly useful over the years. The prompts are great for jumpstarting creativity and sometimes for curing writer’s block. The quality of the original is excellent, the art a pleasing addition, and the writing tips brief and helpful.When I saw this set, I debated getting it for a while since I wasn’t certain if the upgrades would be worth replacing the original. I’m pleased to say they are well worth getting, and the upgrades make the cards more intuitive and much easier to use. I’ve outlined the changes below:1. Size and Quality of Cards -a. These cards are far larger. The originals were the size of standard playing cards, These are twice that size, making them much easier to read.b. The box holding the cards is much nicer and far more durable. The originals came in a playing-card style top-opening box. These come in an extra-thick box that has a removable top. I had to be extra careful not to rip the box with the old ones, as I always manage to do with my playing card boxes. I no longer have that worry.c. The texture of the card surface has changed. This isn’t a good or bad thing unless you have a preference. The originals had a rougher texture, which made the smaller cards less slippery within my fingers. These have the standard smooth texture, but the larger size means they don’t slip either.The new cards feel slightly thicker than the old ones, which theoretically will make them more durable, though I’ve never had an issue with my old cards tearing, fraying, or looking worn.2. Layout - This is a HUGE improvement.a. The way the information has been presented in the new cards is a HUGE improvement. While I liked the old cards, the prompts were printed on one card with a decorative red back, and the tips and writing advice were printed on a separate card, with an in-depth look on one side and tips on the other. This meant I had to hunt through the deck to find two cards when they got out of order, and I had two cards on my desk that often slipped to the floor when I wasn’t careful. Splitting the information between three card sides also meant I had to go back and forth between cards, flipping one to reference what I needed. The new cards have the prompts on the front and ALL the information and tips together on the back. This means I have a larger, easier-to-read card with nearly everything readily accessible at a glance. It’s so incredibly helpful!b. The illustrations used for the cards that are the same in both packs are the same, for the most part. There are slight shading differences, but I can’t tell if this is caused by printing variances or if the art has been touched up.3. Information -a. The upgraded pack includes all 26 original cards plus 26 new cards that offer equally fun illustrations, exciting prompts, and valuable tips and advice.b. Although some of the information from the old cards has been shuffled around in this new deck (such as moving some info from the prompt cards to the information section), the text is virtually the same. As far as I can tell, nothing has been added or taken away from these cards, which is good since I won’t have to hold onto both decks. I prefer to avoid clutter whenever I can.Overall, I’m incredibly impressed with the XL version of the Writer Emergency Pack. It offers fantastic improvements over the original, making the new deck a must for any writer who can use the added exercises (which is most of us).

This set of cards isn’t exactly what I expected when I ordered these, but they are and effective tool for writers who’ve gotten bogged down and perhaps aren’t sure what to do next. Some cards work better for a first draft, others for revising, but they are all thought provoking and interesting. They would make a great gift for a writer.

As a writer, I know what kind of trouble a bout of writer's block can be, or how badly writing yourself into a corner can derail all momentum you built in so many hours of work. These cards are helpful for both situations. They won't undo the frustration of having to either a) delete or at least restart a story from a workable point (we always save what we wrote to use in another story, right?) or the frustration of prolonged writer's block (I think it's just pathological demand avoidance presenting as our brains saying NO MORE IDEAS RIGHT NOW), but they will help your brain get out of whatever rut it has dug itself into.The cards come up with novel ideas, with some simple, but useful, explanations on the backsides, to help reroute your brain that's hit a block and refuses to try, organically, to find a work-around. We all know what perseveration can feel like (right? If you are neurodivergent, you know this feels, even if you don't know the word for it), and we all know how much effort it can take to shake off that perseveration and think something different, or some other solution to the problem.I have been stuck, I have had different ideas for stories than what I ended up with, all because some stories just don't work out as planned, or because I refused to try a different direction and came up short and produced something subpar and nonsensical, in a bad way. These cards are a great tool to break out of routine writing habits, and a great way to practice the art of absurdist non sequitur as joke rather than trying to make it serious. Sometimes we writers get to locked into the seriousness of crafting and forget to have fun, and the situations on these cards help relight that spark of fun.There are also some game ideas included to help maybe liven up a game night that's gotten boring and routine, or a dinner party in need of some way to break tension and shake loose the formality. The games could be played at a writers' workshop, too, to help other writers move past those irritatingly common blocks we get trapped behind.Great tool for that writer's tool box.

Lots of great ideas to get you unstuck!