Prompted to Write

You’ve always been fascinated by mummies and ancient ruins, and you’ve spent years saving up for a trip to Egypt.  When you finally get there, you find yourself transfixed by ever minor detail, lingering when others move on.  In a move that’s just as predictable as any Adam Sandler comedy, you suddenly find yourself left behind after spending a bit of extra time on a particularly interesting site.  It starts to get dark, and the temperature cools dramatically.

What happens next?  What dangers lurk in the desert at night?  How will you survive?  Is anyone else out there?  And are the rumors of Egyptian curses true?

Give us 100 words (or more) in the comments or on your blog.  And of course, let us know if you blog it so we can all enjoy!

photo credit: archer10 (Dennis) (on and off)

photo credit: bluinfaccia

When I was in college, I had some outstanding writing professors.  They were all very accomplished and they had plenty of good stuff to say, but one single piece of advice stands out among all the others.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say that 80-90% of the value from those classes was wrapped up in that one simple rule – cut things ruthlessly.

As writers, we have a tendency to fall in love with our words – our clever turns of phrase and obscure references – but trust me, no one else cares like we do.  And, as Kurt Vonnegut advised, we should, “Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.”

One great way to do this is just to take your piece and cut it in half.  If you’re particularly wordy, do it one more time after that.  It may seem impossible, but trust me, your readers will thank you.

You’re out having a picnic and suddenly, you feel an incredibly calm.  You look up to the sky and the clouds are shifting in a menacing way.  What’s going on? Who were you with?  What happens now?

Give us 100 words (or more, if you like) and be sure to share if you blog it!

photo credit: Oslo In The Summertime

You’re working as a detective and a case demands that you seek out a hermit to get some potentially crucial information.  You arrive at the “address” to see a fantastic treehouse.  What happens next?  And why are you there? Give us 100 words or more to explore the topic.  Let us know if you write about it on your blog so we can all enjoy it

photo credit: jonrawlinson

You step out towards the curb and the doorman opens the cab door for you.  Ahh, the possibility of an open cab and a driver willing to take you anywhere.  Where are you going, though?  Are you free, or are you constrained by a specific mission?  Are you in a hurry?  Are you traveling alone?

Give us 100 words (or more) in the coments or on your own blog – Have fun!

photo credit: Tony the Misfit

There have been some great contributions in the last week so I just wanted to feature them here so everyone can enjoy them

Stacey M on Wednesday Afternoon in the Gardens – I can’t be the only one who wants to know what happens next.

Katirra on Nothing Left But a Half-Eaten Truffle – Creepy, and a little chilling.

WillowsPromise on The Faded Photo – I love the twist on this one!

I hope the prompts here are helping everyone get in a more creative frame of mind, whether you end up contributing or not.  I’m loving all the submissions so far, though, and I’m planning a contest for January’s best submissions (details to be announced after Christmas).

On a warm Wednesday afternoon, you talk a walk down an unfamiliar street.  Off to the side, you see a tidy path lined with neatly-pruned hedges.  Curiosity gets the best of you and you decide to follow the path.  When you get to the end, you find yourself at the entrance of an enchanting indoor garden.

What happens next?  Who is inside, if anyone?  What do you do?

Give us 100 words in the comments or on your blog (but let us know so we can all enjoy!)

photo credit: nosha

Your father has passed away and you’re helping your mother go through his possessions.  As you’re doing that, you come across a strange photo of a woman who most definitely is not your mother.  Knowing that your parents grew up next door and spent their entire lives loving each other, what do you do?  Do you ask her about the photo and risk tarnishing your father’s memory?  Do you keep it a secret?  Do you inspect the back for a message?

Give us 100 words in the comments or on your blog.  Just let us know if you write something so we can all enjoy it!

photo credit: amyelizabeth.

You’re driving across the country from Maine to Los Angeles.  Along the way, you stop for the night in a roadside motel.  The room’s not much, but it’s clean and quiet – until about 1 in the morning when you’re awakened to the sound of blood-curdling screams next door.

Needless to say, you don’t sleep well.  The next morning as you’re leaving, you walk by the door and see that it’s open.  The housekeeping staff hasn’t arrived yet, so you peek into the room and see no evidence of the night before.  In fact, the room appears untouched aside from a single half-eaten truffle on the table.

You can take this in two different directions:

A – What happened between the time you heard the screams and the time you left the next morning?

B – Why is there a half-eaten truffle and nothing else?

Give us 100 words, either in the comments or on your own website (and let us know so we can check it out).

photo credit: ginnerobot