diff --git a/generate_prompts.py b/generate_prompts.py
index 3240e6e..8a4246e 100644
--- a/generate_prompts.py
+++ b/generate_prompts.py
@@ -310,10 +310,15 @@ class JournalPromptGenerator:
         """
         Parse the AI response to extract new prompts.
         Expected format: JSON array with keys "newprompt0" to "newpromptN" where N = num_prompts-1
+
+        Handles DeepSeek API responses that may include backticks and leading "json" string.
         """
+        # First, try to clean up the response content
+        cleaned_content = self._clean_ai_response(response_content)
+
         try:
             # Try to parse as JSON
-            data = json.loads(response_content)
+            data = json.loads(cleaned_content)
 
             # Convert to list of prompt dictionaries
             new_prompts = []
@@ -333,6 +338,7 @@ class JournalPromptGenerator:
             self.console.print("[yellow]Warning: AI response is not valid JSON, attempting to extract prompts...[/yellow]")
             self.console.print(f"[yellow]Full response content for debugging:[/yellow]")
             self.console.print(f"[yellow]{response_content}[/yellow]")
+            self.console.print(f"[yellow]Cleaned content: {cleaned_content}[/yellow]")
 
             # Look for patterns in the text
             lines = response_content.strip().split('\n')
@@ -346,8 +352,55 @@ class JournalPromptGenerator:
                     }
                     new_prompts.append(prompt_obj)
 
+            # If still no prompts could be parsed, dump the full payload for debugging
+            if not new_prompts:
+                self.console.print("[red]Error: Could not extract any prompts from AI response[/red]")
+                self.console.print("[red]Full payload dump for debugging:[/red]")
+                self.console.print(f"[red]{response_content}[/red]")
+
             return new_prompts
 
+    def _clean_ai_response(self, response_content: str) -> str:
+        """
+        Clean up AI response content to handle common formatting issues from DeepSeek API.
+
+        Handles:
+        1. Leading/trailing backticks (```json ... ```)
+        2. Leading "json" string on its own line
+        3. Extra whitespace and newlines
+        """
+        content = response_content.strip()
+
+        # Remove leading/trailing backticks (```json ... ```)
+        if content.startswith('```'):
+            # Find the first newline after the opening backticks
+            lines = content.split('\n')
+            if len(lines) > 1:
+                # Check if first line contains "json" or other language specifier
+                first_line = lines[0].strip()
+                if 'json' in first_line.lower() or first_line == '```':
+                    # Remove the first line (```json or ```)
+                    content = '\n'.join(lines[1:])
+
+            # Remove trailing backticks if present
+            if content.endswith('```'):
+                content = content[:-3].rstrip()
+
+        # Remove leading "json" string on its own line (case-insensitive)
+        lines = content.split('\n')
+        if len(lines) > 0:
+            first_line = lines[0].strip().lower()
+            if first_line == 'json':
+                content = '\n'.join(lines[1:])
+
+        # Also handle the case where "json" might be at the beginning of the first line
+        # but not the entire line (e.g., "json\n{...}")
+        content = content.strip()
+        if content.lower().startswith('json\n'):
+            content = content[4:].strip()
+
+        return content.strip()
+
     def generate_prompts(self) -> List[Dict[str, str]]:
         """Generate new journal prompts using AI."""
         self.console.print("\n[cyan]Generating new journal prompts...[/cyan]")
diff --git a/pool_prompts.json b/pool_prompts.json
index 0637a08..e486b76 100644
--- a/pool_prompts.json
+++ b/pool_prompts.json
@@ -1 +1,5 @@
-[]
\ No newline at end of file
+[
+  {
+    "poolprompt004": "Recall a promise you made to yourself long ago\u2014something significant you vowed to do, be, or avoid. It might have been written down, solemnly sworn, or just a quiet internal pact. Have you kept it? If so, describe the journey of that fidelity. What did it cost you, and what did it give you? If not, explore the moment or the gradual process of breaking that promise. Was it a betrayal or a necessary evolution? Write a letter to your past self about that promise, explaining the current state of affairs with compassion and honesty."
+  }
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/settings.cfg b/settings.cfg
index 361a8d1..4c5f761 100644
--- a/settings.cfg
+++ b/settings.cfg
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 [prompts]
 min_length = 500
 max_length = 1000
-num_prompts = 3
+num_prompts = 4
 
 # Prefetch not yet implmented
 [prefetch]
diff --git a/simple_generate.py b/simple_generate.py
index bf41dfd..14b4b9d 100644
--- a/simple_generate.py
+++ b/simple_generate.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class SimplePromptGenerator:
         self.config_path = config_path
         self.client = None
         self.historic_prompts = []
+        self.pool_prompts = []
         self.prompt_template = ""
         self.settings = {}
 
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ class SimplePromptGenerator:
         # Load data files
         self._load_prompt_template()
         self._load_historic_prompts()
+        self._load_pool_prompts()
 
     def _load_config(self):
         """Load configuration from environment file."""