Olio of Prompts
Date: Wed May 14, 2003 0:00pm
Subject: Writing Prompt for Thursday 15 May 2003: For The Birds. ElizabethAEnsley@aol.com
Imagine that you're a bird. What kind of bird would you be?
Think of the kinds of adventures you would face as a bird. What kind of predator would be after you? Would you be able to outsmart it? If so, then how would you get away from it? Helicopters and cars are not permitted (unless the bird finds a way to perch on one without falling off, LOL).
Have fun!
Writing Prompt for Tuesday 13 & Wednesday 14 May 2003
Tuesday 13:
Today's might be a little short. I just want to you write three
paragraphs about how you feel right now, then put it aside until
tomorrow.
Wednesday 14:
First, write up to three paragraphs about how you feel today. After
you're done, read what you wrote yesterday: how you felt then isn't
exactly how you feel today, after all. Try to write a story using
those feelings, moving from yesterday's feelings to today's for your
character. How do you think s/he got to here from there?
Writing Prompt for Monday 12 May 2003: To Sleep, Perchance To dream
You know the old joke about dreaming that you ate a
marshmallow and when you woke up, the pillow was gone?
Have you ever had a vivid dream? What if you woke up,
only to learn that it wasn't a dream? What if it was
life and this was the dream? Only, of course, you
don't remember anything about your life there becuse
it's all been lived here? What kinds of adjustments do
you think that you would have to make?
Subject: Writing Prompt for Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 May 2003
"Mystery Ape Discovered: Scientists Baffled Groups of Giant Chimps"
That's the news blurb on the AOL welcome screen at the current time.
Sounds like a crazy headline, doesn't it? Then again, just a couple
of days ago (I think it was off the California coast) they found a
new type of sea life that's big and red and... well, it's 4' big but
it's a deepwater creature.
We seem to be uncovering new life forms on our world.
What if... Say, what if scientists reported on the news that they had
found a colony of rare, winged horses that coud actually fly? Or a
lost amazonian tribe with snakelike hair? How do you think the news
reports would run? Think of a first contact situation with a creature
that might heretofore have been thought of as mythological but which
might turn out to have a basis in reality? Yes, it can be a story
about a banshee or a kraken too--or anything.
(Now I have to get rid of the image of El Chupacabra sitting in my
living room, smoking a pipe and talking about the goat he had for
dinner last night.)
Subject: Writing Prompt for Friday 09 May 2003: The trouble with levitation
Suppose you were walking, and then suddenly you stopped. Suppose your
legs were still moving, but they weren't landing on the pavement.
Suppose that no matter how quickly you tried to walk, no matter how
fast your legs move, you were propelled as if you were walking
through thick molasses?
Gravity not only keeps us rooted to the ground, it lets us move on
sidewalks, climb stairs... many things. How would your character deal
with the lack of gravity in a familiar environment--say, the kitchen
or bedroom, or perhaps the bathroom?
Subject: Re: Writing Prompt for Wednesday 07 May 2003: The best of times, the worst of times
- "Disgorge thy tidings," languourously bade the prince.
This one just seemed like a fun line to use as a writer's prompt. I
don't know from whence the line came, but it's from the third book in
a fantasy trilogy. Someone posted the line to another list and it
made me think of a vomitorium, where you would "disgorge thy tidings"
when overfull of belly.
It did seem like a fun prompt, so... enjoy!
Writing Prompt for Wednesday 07 May 2003: The best of times, the worst of times
What's the best thing that ever happened to you? Write a paragraph or
so about it (more if the muse moves you).
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you? Write a paragraph
or so about it (more, if the muse cracks a whip LOL).
Your challenge today is to write sometyhing incorporating elements of
both the best and worst times and see what you can come up with,
fictional or factual. What if both happened on the same day? Perhaps
at the same time?
Writing Prompt for Monday 05 and Tuesday 06 May 2003: When Disaster Strikes
Write something about a major disaster happening and how a character
acts and reacts during the calamity. The disaster could be a meteor,
an earthquake, a nuke, a mass computer systems shutdown (a la, if you
recall, the great Y2K debacle nad what scared everyone about it).
Tuesday 06 May: Personal Disaster
From bankruptcy to personal injury, from finding out that someone
you'd thought of as a friend betrayed you (stealing boy/girlfriend,
job, et cetera) to finding out that you had inadvertently betrayed
someone, there's enough here to provide a good source of story
fodder. You have a wealth of personal experience at your disposal for
this prompt, so I think you can make good use of it.
Date: Fri May 2, 2003 10:35pm Saturday: THE NAME GAME
In many writing sources, names are an excellent resource for
characterization. For example, one flash fiction piece I wrote
recently figured a lunar transformation so the names I chose, Selene
and Oberon, both had something to do with the moon according ot one
naming database I used for my research.Here is a partial list of
online databases, resources for character naming.
http://www.homepagers.com/names/
http://ohme-ohmy.com/Name_%20Keepsakes.htm
http://www.incompetech.com/named/
http://www.behindthename.com/
http://unusual-baby-names.com/links.htm
One exercise you could try is to use the meaning of your own name to
create a character for a story. For example, the name "Elizabeth"
(that's mine) provides fodder for several that might spring to mind.
According to one resource I checked it means "God's Promise" so its
usage may be open to interpretation. I know that its origins are
rooted in Judaism. I also know that you can get Eliza, Lizzy,
Ellspeth, Betsy, Beth, Liza, Zabe (just an example of uncommon
derivation LOL) Lizab, Bessie, Betha, Livvy (yes, it is a common
nickname for Elizabeth, according to some books)
Let's make the exercise stretch over two days. Today, look up your
own name. Decide what character(s( you could create, using different
varuations of your name. What kind of person does the name suggest to
you? Can you picture the character as the star, or in a supprting
role?
Sunday: THE NAME GAME, part II
Look through newspapers, magazines and books. The name could even
come from an earlier story of yours. Find a name that you like and do
a bit of research on its etymology. Do the meanings suggest a story?
What kind of person is this? What form do you think this character's
fictional journey will take?
Writing Prompt for Friday 02 May 2003: Typos
Have you ever committed a typographical error which led to to a
different story than the one you were working on?
Typos can be one springboard to creativity. For example the
fannish "filksongs" at SF conventions were created thanks to a
typographical error. An "i" instead of an "o" and "folk"
became "filk". It's a genre all its own. (A "filk" is a parody of a
common song, BTW--such as "Smaug the Magic Dragon" rather than "Pull
the Magic Dragon"--a different song, though sung ot the same yune.
Think "Weird Al Parody" and Dr. Demento here, except I think the
genre predates them.)
Typos are pesky critters that can be found anywhere. Keep your eyes
on them, you never know what will turn up.
Writing Prompt for Thursday 01 May 2003: A Good Argument
Life is full of conflict and disagreement. Yes, there are wars, but
they usually start with some form of disagreement, some argument with
the other party or parties.
Write an argument / disagreement. Let it have a beginning, a middle,
and an end (if not a resolution). The end could be one of at least
three things--an agreement, one party wins over the other, or someone
decides to fight over it ("Might Makes Right").
Well, in this case "Write makes right"--try to write something about
it, LOL. And have fun!
Writing Prompt for Wednesday 30 April 2003: Twisted Sister
Today's writing prompt returns to a fairy tale.
Do you recall Cinderella? There was the original tale, which includes
one stepsister cutting off a toe while the other trims her heel, and
then there were lighthearted versions like Disney's own, both
animated and live versions.
Let's ponder the stepsisters. Yes, they were mean to their
stepsister, who they named Cinderella. They must also perhaps have
been in competition, one with the other, as well; this may well have
been fostered by their mother who, if memory serves, goaded them into
the self-mutilation to insure for what she thought was their own
future as princesses. If something like this had happened in real
life, these two rivals may have engaged in serious competition for
romance, promoting their own agendas and encouraged to do so by their
mother.
What kinds of conflicts do you think arose between these two rivals,
aside from the contest to see which of them would get to marry Prince
Charming? Yes, I know neither of them did marry the prince, LOL--but
this exercise is in characterization and in conflict. The arguments
between them could have taken many forms, fromwho would be a real
princess to who would inherit their mother's jewelry to who was the
prettiest of them. Write a story in which the two of them compete
over a common object--a hairbrush, makeup, a dress... something like
that.
Writing Prompt for Tuesday 29 April 2003: The Name Game
Have you ever thought of naming your character after a genre? Say,
for example, that you had a character named Mystery Smythe. Would you
make her (or him) a sleuth or secret agent, or would you go against
type and make him or her a starship captain or crewperson?
Just for fun take a genre of choice and write a scene using that
character in a situation. Set it at a bar, in a coffeeshop, library,
or starship. For that matter, have fun with it and write it, perhaps,
in a context that goes against the implication fo the character's
name. If you named your character Mainstream, for instance, what
could you picture for his or her occupation?
Writing Prompt for Monday 28 April 2003: Opposites Day
What genre do you usually write?
If you write horror, try your hand at writing its opposite. To my
mind, one of the closest opposites to horror might be humor
(although, like in the Nightmare on Elm Street and Buffy the Vampire
Slayer series, the boundaries may well blur from time to time). If
you write science fiction, try your hand at science fact; write an
article about something that may interest you, whether it's the basic
principle of rocket propulsion or about the process of
photosynthesis, or anything related to science. If you write fantasy
(you know, fantastic worlds, dragons, elves, fairies, sprites,
leprechauns), why not try to write a short romance? Children's
fantasy? Why not drama about a "grown up" problem using mature
characters?
I think the same thing may apply to recipes. If you're stuck creating
one dish, if you lack a certain spice, don't you sometimes try
another one? I've brewed regular coffee with cinnamon and with some
vanilla, but allspice adds a unique and satisfying flavor all its own
to the brew.
Sometimes, when your writing hits a slump, taking a break like this
may help revitalize your writing. You may even find something else
that you like to write.
Writing Prompt for Wednesday 23 April 2003
Writing Prompts
===============
Thursday 24 April 2003:
Try writing a piece with the feeling of passion and
the color red or shades thereof. What can you come up
with? It doesn't have to be a naughty piece, y'
know--folks are passionate about causes and the like.
Friday 25 April 2003:
What's the worst thing that you could imagine
happening to you in high school? It doesn't have to be
anything that really happened, this is just a "what
if" scenario, but it should be something that you,
personally, would have dreaded or do indeed dread. Try
to write a short story or scene around that event. It
doesn't need a resolution (yet) but do your best to
handle it and if a solution comes, all well and good.
Otherwise, put it aside after you get it down and
maybe we can return ot it at a later date--say
"unfinished business" day.
Saturday, April 26, 2003:
If someone offered you a ride to another planet, free,
in a flying saucer, would you believe them or not? Why
or why not? Try to write something along that line,
whether real or phantasmagorical.
Sunday, April 27, 2003:
Yes, we know that ET phoned home. What happened the
last time you had to phone home? What if there was a
storm and a flash flood watch and the phone you wanted
to use wasn't working? What if you really, really had
to call home and your cell phone died on you? If
you're in the car in a storm and you see this unknown
shadow shadow on the road... Try to write something
using that scenario, serious or humorous.
Writing Prompt for Wednesday 23 April 2003
Let's try something a bit different today, shall we?
Write a little story set in a haunted ice cream
parlor. Who would haunt an ice cream parlor, and why?
Writing Prompt for Tuesday 22 April 2003: Scary Stuff
What scares you? Spiders? The IRS? Blood? Hollywood?
Madonna? The Osbournes? The Osmonds? Take that feeling
and try to turn it into a story with one of your
characters. Describe the feelings of fear that you get
with such a thing, translate them to your character.
You can use colors and objects as symbols. I think if
it's going to be a fear of blood you might want to use
lots of reds as part of your description. See the fear
as well as feel it. In essence, _be_ the fear for your
character.
Writing Prompt for Monday 20 April 2003: The Crutch
Called an addiction, a crutch, a support, whatever you
call it, it's something that we rely on to help us get
through the day. There are the actual ones (crutches,
canes, mobile supports of any type), the lighter ones
(coffee, that morning cigarette, et cetera) to the
darker ones (from heroin or crack addiction to S&M and
beyond).
Whatever the genre you write, there will be some form
of crutch you could use to support your story or add a
characterization. Try it, write a bit around it; who
knows what you'll come up with.
Writing Prompts for Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19, 2003
Saturday, 18 April 2003: Broken mirrors
Between disillusionment, shattered creams and Lewis Carroll, we have
the prompt "broken mirrors" (Yes, I know it's also the theme for a
flash/anthology, but I liked the analogy). This might be fun to play
with and see what you can create using that analogy or object.
#
Sunday 19 April 2003: Games
What kind of games do you like to play? What if...
Regards,
Your virtual librarian.
8
From: Stark Raving Mad Onna
Date: Thu Apr 17, 2003 10:06am
Subject: Writing Prompt for Friday, April 17, 2003: Childhood Heroes writers_libr...
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We have all been children. Surely there must have been
at least one person who, when you were a child, you
admired and emulated. (Personally, one of mine was Mr.
Spock from Star Trek; also, my oldest sister, although
I didn't do so good a job mimicking her, LOL).
Who did you admire as a child, and why? What qualities
did you see in them that you admired and perhaps
wanted to emulate?
You can use this exercise when generating a character
in your story or stories, too; who did they admire,
why did they admire that person. I think this exercise
might help you get into the head of your character
just a bit more and help you to bring that character
to life on the stage of your tale.
Subject: Writing Prompt for Thursday, April 16, 2003
This prompt is just the fantastical; play with it, use your
imagination and see what you can write for it.
What if, for some reason, your tax refund was one million dollars?
It's not much, but you could have fun with it.
Make a list of the benefits. For every benefit that you list, try to
think of a liability. Let's say that one benefit is that you get to
pay off your bills. One liability is that you have friends you never
even heard of, trying to sell you things like the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Brooklyn bridge is an exaggeration, but you know what I mean;
honey attracts flies, flame attracts moths, money attracts--what?
Write a story about the pluses and minuses, the positives and
negatives. These are opposites and they're supposed to make for good
stories; even if you don't have the money, you can have some fun with
it.
Regards,
Your humble moderator.
Subject: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Exercises
Monday:
Look through a newspaper for an article that catches your interest.
Why did it catch your interest? write a story about whatever hapened
in the article.
Tuesday:
Watch the news on television or listen to it on the radio. Did
anything that was mentioned on the news catch your interest? Why?
Write a story or scene around it.
Wednesday:
Read your horoscope. Seriously--even if you don't beleive in
astrology, it does provide some interesting character profiles. Look
up the general profile for your sun sign and write a character sheet
using those traits. Then write a scene for the characte rin a place
where (with those character traits) you would not normally find them.
Perhaps a Leo as a bookkeeper or a Virgo as a lion tamer. What
motivated your character to do something that would be considered
very different from the type of person that they are on their profile?
Have fun!
Regards,
Your humble moderator.
Subject: Weekend Exercises
Saturday 12 April 2003
Put a usual character in an unusual situation (Gandalf meets, say,
The Powerpuff Girls or Elric meets Spock). This is just a minor
exercise in a situation where characterization is important. How
would they react to Mojo Jojo or Harcourt(?) Fenton Mudd stealing the
One Ring?
Sunday 13 April 2003
Use these word- to craft a scene;
brick
shed
lunch
hammer
baking
oven
twilight
gather
apart
together
shame
glory
musty
bologna
Have fun!
Subject: A prompt for 11 April 2003:
Write a scene or story using these images.
Rag doll
Rice bowl
Radio
Dominant color: Brown
Key image: mouse
Subject: A prompt for 10 April 2003: Young at Art
Take a fairy tale and turn it on its ear.
For instance, have Cinderella save Prince Charming form the wicked
stepsisters, or sleeping beauty try to wake the Prince with a kiss
and, when it doesn't work try something else (like turning on a
football game or something).
The idea of this is a "what if" circumstance. You can even
take "Beauty and the Beast" where Beauty is the guy and Beast is the
Princess.
Subject: A prompt for 9 April 2003: Snow job
Write a story about a snowstorm or a blizzard, whether
expected or unexpected. Key to the snowstorm (real or
anticipated) are snow, ice, cold, wind. Sledding,
skiing, skating are okay, too.
Subject: A prompt for 8 April 2003: Sensory Deprivation
Write something using color, odor, texture. Set it in a place--a
library, a garden, in the kitchen. Add an element of the unexpected
from one of the sensory descriptions.
Subject: Writing Prompt for Thursday 15 May 2003: For The Birds. ElizabethAEnsley@aol.com
Imagine that you're a bird. What kind of bird would you be?
Think of the kinds of adventures you would face as a bird. What kind of predator would be after you? Would you be able to outsmart it? If so, then how would you get away from it? Helicopters and cars are not permitted (unless the bird finds a way to perch on one without falling off, LOL).
Have fun!
Writing Prompt for Tuesday 13 & Wednesday 14 May 2003
Tuesday 13:
Today's might be a little short. I just want to you write three
paragraphs about how you feel right now, then put it aside until
tomorrow.
Wednesday 14:
First, write up to three paragraphs about how you feel today. After
you're done, read what you wrote yesterday: how you felt then isn't
exactly how you feel today, after all. Try to write a story using
those feelings, moving from yesterday's feelings to today's for your
character. How do you think s/he got to here from there?
Writing Prompt for Monday 12 May 2003: To Sleep, Perchance To dream
You know the old joke about dreaming that you ate a
marshmallow and when you woke up, the pillow was gone?
Have you ever had a vivid dream? What if you woke up,
only to learn that it wasn't a dream? What if it was
life and this was the dream? Only, of course, you
don't remember anything about your life there becuse
it's all been lived here? What kinds of adjustments do
you think that you would have to make?
Subject: Writing Prompt for Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 May 2003
"Mystery Ape Discovered: Scientists Baffled Groups of Giant Chimps"
That's the news blurb on the AOL welcome screen at the current time.
Sounds like a crazy headline, doesn't it? Then again, just a couple
of days ago (I think it was off the California coast) they found a
new type of sea life that's big and red and... well, it's 4' big but
it's a deepwater creature.
We seem to be uncovering new life forms on our world.
What if... Say, what if scientists reported on the news that they had
found a colony of rare, winged horses that coud actually fly? Or a
lost amazonian tribe with snakelike hair? How do you think the news
reports would run? Think of a first contact situation with a creature
that might heretofore have been thought of as mythological but which
might turn out to have a basis in reality? Yes, it can be a story
about a banshee or a kraken too--or anything.
(Now I have to get rid of the image of El Chupacabra sitting in my
living room, smoking a pipe and talking about the goat he had for
dinner last night.)
Subject: Writing Prompt for Friday 09 May 2003: The trouble with levitation
Suppose you were walking, and then suddenly you stopped. Suppose your
legs were still moving, but they weren't landing on the pavement.
Suppose that no matter how quickly you tried to walk, no matter how
fast your legs move, you were propelled as if you were walking
through thick molasses?
Gravity not only keeps us rooted to the ground, it lets us move on
sidewalks, climb stairs... many things. How would your character deal
with the lack of gravity in a familiar environment--say, the kitchen
or bedroom, or perhaps the bathroom?
Subject: Re: Writing Prompt for Wednesday 07 May 2003: The best of times, the worst of times
- "Disgorge thy tidings," languourously bade the prince.
This one just seemed like a fun line to use as a writer's prompt. I
don't know from whence the line came, but it's from the third book in
a fantasy trilogy. Someone posted the line to another list and it
made me think of a vomitorium, where you would "disgorge thy tidings"
when overfull of belly.
It did seem like a fun prompt, so... enjoy!
Writing Prompt for Wednesday 07 May 2003: The best of times, the worst of times
What's the best thing that ever happened to you? Write a paragraph or
so about it (more if the muse moves you).
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you? Write a paragraph
or so about it (more, if the muse cracks a whip LOL).
Your challenge today is to write sometyhing incorporating elements of
both the best and worst times and see what you can come up with,
fictional or factual. What if both happened on the same day? Perhaps
at the same time?
Writing Prompt for Monday 05 and Tuesday 06 May 2003: When Disaster Strikes
Write something about a major disaster happening and how a character
acts and reacts during the calamity. The disaster could be a meteor,
an earthquake, a nuke, a mass computer systems shutdown (a la, if you
recall, the great Y2K debacle nad what scared everyone about it).
Tuesday 06 May: Personal Disaster
From bankruptcy to personal injury, from finding out that someone
you'd thought of as a friend betrayed you (stealing boy/girlfriend,
job, et cetera) to finding out that you had inadvertently betrayed
someone, there's enough here to provide a good source of story
fodder. You have a wealth of personal experience at your disposal for
this prompt, so I think you can make good use of it.
Date: Fri May 2, 2003 10:35pm Saturday: THE NAME GAME
In many writing sources, names are an excellent resource for
characterization. For example, one flash fiction piece I wrote
recently figured a lunar transformation so the names I chose, Selene
and Oberon, both had something to do with the moon according ot one
naming database I used for my research.Here is a partial list of
online databases, resources for character naming.
http://www.homepagers.com/names/
http://ohme-ohmy.com/Name_%20Keepsakes.htm
http://www.incompetech.com/named/
http://www.behindthename.com/
http://unusual-baby-names.com/links.htm
One exercise you could try is to use the meaning of your own name to
create a character for a story. For example, the name "Elizabeth"
(that's mine) provides fodder for several that might spring to mind.
According to one resource I checked it means "God's Promise" so its
usage may be open to interpretation. I know that its origins are
rooted in Judaism. I also know that you can get Eliza, Lizzy,
Ellspeth, Betsy, Beth, Liza, Zabe (just an example of uncommon
derivation LOL) Lizab, Bessie, Betha, Livvy (yes, it is a common
nickname for Elizabeth, according to some books)
Let's make the exercise stretch over two days. Today, look up your
own name. Decide what character(s( you could create, using different
varuations of your name. What kind of person does the name suggest to
you? Can you picture the character as the star, or in a supprting
role?
Sunday: THE NAME GAME, part II
Look through newspapers, magazines and books. The name could even
come from an earlier story of yours. Find a name that you like and do
a bit of research on its etymology. Do the meanings suggest a story?
What kind of person is this? What form do you think this character's
fictional journey will take?
Writing Prompt for Friday 02 May 2003: Typos
Have you ever committed a typographical error which led to to a
different story than the one you were working on?
Typos can be one springboard to creativity. For example the
fannish "filksongs" at SF conventions were created thanks to a
typographical error. An "i" instead of an "o" and "folk"
became "filk". It's a genre all its own. (A "filk" is a parody of a
common song, BTW--such as "Smaug the Magic Dragon" rather than "Pull
the Magic Dragon"--a different song, though sung ot the same yune.
Think "Weird Al Parody" and Dr. Demento here, except I think the
genre predates them.)
Typos are pesky critters that can be found anywhere. Keep your eyes
on them, you never know what will turn up.
Writing Prompt for Thursday 01 May 2003: A Good Argument
Life is full of conflict and disagreement. Yes, there are wars, but
they usually start with some form of disagreement, some argument with
the other party or parties.
Write an argument / disagreement. Let it have a beginning, a middle,
and an end (if not a resolution). The end could be one of at least
three things--an agreement, one party wins over the other, or someone
decides to fight over it ("Might Makes Right").
Well, in this case "Write makes right"--try to write something about
it, LOL. And have fun!
Writing Prompt for Wednesday 30 April 2003: Twisted Sister
Today's writing prompt returns to a fairy tale.
Do you recall Cinderella? There was the original tale, which includes
one stepsister cutting off a toe while the other trims her heel, and
then there were lighthearted versions like Disney's own, both
animated and live versions.
Let's ponder the stepsisters. Yes, they were mean to their
stepsister, who they named Cinderella. They must also perhaps have
been in competition, one with the other, as well; this may well have
been fostered by their mother who, if memory serves, goaded them into
the self-mutilation to insure for what she thought was their own
future as princesses. If something like this had happened in real
life, these two rivals may have engaged in serious competition for
romance, promoting their own agendas and encouraged to do so by their
mother.
What kinds of conflicts do you think arose between these two rivals,
aside from the contest to see which of them would get to marry Prince
Charming? Yes, I know neither of them did marry the prince, LOL--but
this exercise is in characterization and in conflict. The arguments
between them could have taken many forms, fromwho would be a real
princess to who would inherit their mother's jewelry to who was the
prettiest of them. Write a story in which the two of them compete
over a common object--a hairbrush, makeup, a dress... something like
that.
Writing Prompt for Tuesday 29 April 2003: The Name Game
Have you ever thought of naming your character after a genre? Say,
for example, that you had a character named Mystery Smythe. Would you
make her (or him) a sleuth or secret agent, or would you go against
type and make him or her a starship captain or crewperson?
Just for fun take a genre of choice and write a scene using that
character in a situation. Set it at a bar, in a coffeeshop, library,
or starship. For that matter, have fun with it and write it, perhaps,
in a context that goes against the implication fo the character's
name. If you named your character Mainstream, for instance, what
could you picture for his or her occupation?
Writing Prompt for Monday 28 April 2003: Opposites Day
What genre do you usually write?
If you write horror, try your hand at writing its opposite. To my
mind, one of the closest opposites to horror might be humor
(although, like in the Nightmare on Elm Street and Buffy the Vampire
Slayer series, the boundaries may well blur from time to time). If
you write science fiction, try your hand at science fact; write an
article about something that may interest you, whether it's the basic
principle of rocket propulsion or about the process of
photosynthesis, or anything related to science. If you write fantasy
(you know, fantastic worlds, dragons, elves, fairies, sprites,
leprechauns), why not try to write a short romance? Children's
fantasy? Why not drama about a "grown up" problem using mature
characters?
I think the same thing may apply to recipes. If you're stuck creating
one dish, if you lack a certain spice, don't you sometimes try
another one? I've brewed regular coffee with cinnamon and with some
vanilla, but allspice adds a unique and satisfying flavor all its own
to the brew.
Sometimes, when your writing hits a slump, taking a break like this
may help revitalize your writing. You may even find something else
that you like to write.
Writing Prompt for Wednesday 23 April 2003
Writing Prompts
===============
Thursday 24 April 2003:
Try writing a piece with the feeling of passion and
the color red or shades thereof. What can you come up
with? It doesn't have to be a naughty piece, y'
know--folks are passionate about causes and the like.
Friday 25 April 2003:
What's the worst thing that you could imagine
happening to you in high school? It doesn't have to be
anything that really happened, this is just a "what
if" scenario, but it should be something that you,
personally, would have dreaded or do indeed dread. Try
to write a short story or scene around that event. It
doesn't need a resolution (yet) but do your best to
handle it and if a solution comes, all well and good.
Otherwise, put it aside after you get it down and
maybe we can return ot it at a later date--say
"unfinished business" day.
Saturday, April 26, 2003:
If someone offered you a ride to another planet, free,
in a flying saucer, would you believe them or not? Why
or why not? Try to write something along that line,
whether real or phantasmagorical.
Sunday, April 27, 2003:
Yes, we know that ET phoned home. What happened the
last time you had to phone home? What if there was a
storm and a flash flood watch and the phone you wanted
to use wasn't working? What if you really, really had
to call home and your cell phone died on you? If
you're in the car in a storm and you see this unknown
shadow shadow on the road... Try to write something
using that scenario, serious or humorous.
Writing Prompt for Wednesday 23 April 2003
Let's try something a bit different today, shall we?
Write a little story set in a haunted ice cream
parlor. Who would haunt an ice cream parlor, and why?
Writing Prompt for Tuesday 22 April 2003: Scary Stuff
What scares you? Spiders? The IRS? Blood? Hollywood?
Madonna? The Osbournes? The Osmonds? Take that feeling
and try to turn it into a story with one of your
characters. Describe the feelings of fear that you get
with such a thing, translate them to your character.
You can use colors and objects as symbols. I think if
it's going to be a fear of blood you might want to use
lots of reds as part of your description. See the fear
as well as feel it. In essence, _be_ the fear for your
character.
Writing Prompt for Monday 20 April 2003: The Crutch
Called an addiction, a crutch, a support, whatever you
call it, it's something that we rely on to help us get
through the day. There are the actual ones (crutches,
canes, mobile supports of any type), the lighter ones
(coffee, that morning cigarette, et cetera) to the
darker ones (from heroin or crack addiction to S&M and
beyond).
Whatever the genre you write, there will be some form
of crutch you could use to support your story or add a
characterization. Try it, write a bit around it; who
knows what you'll come up with.
Writing Prompts for Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19, 2003
Saturday, 18 April 2003: Broken mirrors
Between disillusionment, shattered creams and Lewis Carroll, we have
the prompt "broken mirrors" (Yes, I know it's also the theme for a
flash/anthology, but I liked the analogy). This might be fun to play
with and see what you can create using that analogy or object.
#
Sunday 19 April 2003: Games
What kind of games do you like to play? What if...
Regards,
Your virtual librarian.
8
From: Stark Raving Mad Onna
Date: Thu Apr 17, 2003 10:06am
Subject: Writing Prompt for Friday, April 17, 2003: Childhood Heroes writers_libr...
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We have all been children. Surely there must have been
at least one person who, when you were a child, you
admired and emulated. (Personally, one of mine was Mr.
Spock from Star Trek; also, my oldest sister, although
I didn't do so good a job mimicking her, LOL).
Who did you admire as a child, and why? What qualities
did you see in them that you admired and perhaps
wanted to emulate?
You can use this exercise when generating a character
in your story or stories, too; who did they admire,
why did they admire that person. I think this exercise
might help you get into the head of your character
just a bit more and help you to bring that character
to life on the stage of your tale.
Subject: Writing Prompt for Thursday, April 16, 2003
This prompt is just the fantastical; play with it, use your
imagination and see what you can write for it.
What if, for some reason, your tax refund was one million dollars?
It's not much, but you could have fun with it.
Make a list of the benefits. For every benefit that you list, try to
think of a liability. Let's say that one benefit is that you get to
pay off your bills. One liability is that you have friends you never
even heard of, trying to sell you things like the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Brooklyn bridge is an exaggeration, but you know what I mean;
honey attracts flies, flame attracts moths, money attracts--what?
Write a story about the pluses and minuses, the positives and
negatives. These are opposites and they're supposed to make for good
stories; even if you don't have the money, you can have some fun with
it.
Regards,
Your humble moderator.
Subject: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Exercises
Monday:
Look through a newspaper for an article that catches your interest.
Why did it catch your interest? write a story about whatever hapened
in the article.
Tuesday:
Watch the news on television or listen to it on the radio. Did
anything that was mentioned on the news catch your interest? Why?
Write a story or scene around it.
Wednesday:
Read your horoscope. Seriously--even if you don't beleive in
astrology, it does provide some interesting character profiles. Look
up the general profile for your sun sign and write a character sheet
using those traits. Then write a scene for the characte rin a place
where (with those character traits) you would not normally find them.
Perhaps a Leo as a bookkeeper or a Virgo as a lion tamer. What
motivated your character to do something that would be considered
very different from the type of person that they are on their profile?
Have fun!
Regards,
Your humble moderator.
Subject: Weekend Exercises
Saturday 12 April 2003
Put a usual character in an unusual situation (Gandalf meets, say,
The Powerpuff Girls or Elric meets Spock). This is just a minor
exercise in a situation where characterization is important. How
would they react to Mojo Jojo or Harcourt(?) Fenton Mudd stealing the
One Ring?
Sunday 13 April 2003
Use these word- to craft a scene;
brick
shed
lunch
hammer
baking
oven
twilight
gather
apart
together
shame
glory
musty
bologna
Have fun!
Subject: A prompt for 11 April 2003:
Write a scene or story using these images.
Rag doll
Rice bowl
Radio
Dominant color: Brown
Key image: mouse
Subject: A prompt for 10 April 2003: Young at Art
Take a fairy tale and turn it on its ear.
For instance, have Cinderella save Prince Charming form the wicked
stepsisters, or sleeping beauty try to wake the Prince with a kiss
and, when it doesn't work try something else (like turning on a
football game or something).
The idea of this is a "what if" circumstance. You can even
take "Beauty and the Beast" where Beauty is the guy and Beast is the
Princess.
Subject: A prompt for 9 April 2003: Snow job
Write a story about a snowstorm or a blizzard, whether
expected or unexpected. Key to the snowstorm (real or
anticipated) are snow, ice, cold, wind. Sledding,
skiing, skating are okay, too.
Subject: A prompt for 8 April 2003: Sensory Deprivation
Write something using color, odor, texture. Set it in a place--a
library, a garden, in the kitchen. Add an element of the unexpected
from one of the sensory descriptions.
posted by Liz | 8:07 PM
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