Hey!! Check in each Sunday afternoon for a new prompts! Most of them are short but I have a few longer ones I'll be posting.
10/14/19 - I know this is Monday but I was super busy yesterday and didn't get around to posting this.
I looked at my hands--or at least, where my hands would be if they were visible. Perfect I thought. No one can see me now. I laughed to myself as I thought on how foolproof this plan was. A few moments later I heard Cassie’s steady footsteps coming up the stairs. As stealthily as I could, I made my way into the hallway. I saw Cassie just step onto the carpet of the hallway, her nose stuck in her book. I made my way toward her. I walked toward her slowly. Cassie stopped walking right before I was about to jump-scare her.
“I know you’re there, Sam,” she said, unamused. She hadn’t even bothered to look up from the book.
“What?!” I said reappearing in front of her. “How could you know I was there?”
“I could see the imprint of your feet on the carpet. Nice try though, it was better than last time.” She squeezed around me and continued down the hallway.
“What the heck! You were reading!” I called after her. “How did--” Cassie shut the door behind her as she entered her room.
“Pfft! I’ll get you one time or another!” I called after her. I slumped back to my own room.
“She never gets scared--never! Not once has that worked on her!” I grumbled to myself before I started laughing again. I’ll get her tomorrow.
10/21/19 - Hi again! Yes...it's Monday. I keep forgetting to post my prompts. The funny thing is I remembered both Friday AND Saturday and wanted to do it but made myself wait until Sunday.
First, I want to give a little background on how this prompt came about. A few friends and I were sitting around scrolling Pinterest through all the sketches people have posted. When I see a drawing someone has made, lets say a person for example, I first am amazed at how someone could create such personality in a mere sketch. Then my writer's side of the brain takes over and I am thinking up backgrounds and history of the character and plots to what might have put them in this situation. This is what inspired the idea of writing my own prompts. Hope you like it!
“May I have this dance,” the captain said, bowing low before the beautiful lady.
“Of course, captain,” the girl said, accepting his hand. The captain led her to the dance floor, where a slow Allemande had just begun.
“When do you and your troops take leave to join the war?” the girl asked, dreading the answer.
“We depart tomorrow morning, just before dawn.” The captain spun the girl round, her blue dress swirled like a wave. She was a young girl, no more than nineteen. Her hair was as black as ebony which made her green eyes shine, although behind the glossy surface there was a sign of melancholy.
“I feared as much,” she sighed. “We will dearly miss your company.”
“I hope to return one day, to see you again--if you would permit it.” The young captain blushed at his proposal.
“I would gladly permit it, captain." The girl's cheeks grew red. The dance ended and the captain led his partner out on the terrace. A cool summer breeze spiraled by, catching a few stray hairs from the girl’s braid.
“I hate to leave you so early in the night,” the captain said. “But as I said, we leave before dawn so I must return to my troops.”
“Yes, of course,” the girl said sadly. “It has been a wonderful evening.”
“I will return,” the captain said, kissing her hand. “I promise.” He gave one last bow before turning and descending the stairs and into the night.
The girl sighed and a tear rolled down her cheek. This war had taken so much, and would take more still. She knew, deep in her heart, the captain would not be able to keep his promise--she knew she wouldn’t see him again.
10/28/19 - I cannot believe I forgot to post this AGAIN! Maybe I'll change it to every Monday morning.
Okay, this is NOT my prompt but my friend Amy's. We have a "Short Story Group Chat" where we share our prompts and she shared this last Saturday. And so, with her permission, here is her haunting prompt!
I stood facing a hideous beast. I searched for the bullet that deeply skimmed my neck, put there by a German soldier. My stomach dropped and my hand fell limp. It was gone. Remembering the beast, I strained to see him clearly through the gloom; the gloom that made even the darkest of nights on earth seem a happy place. The monster flashed his flaming eyes at me: the harshest eyes I had ever seen in my life. His name was the one the centuries feared: the one that the world still despises and hates. The merciless thief that has taken everything and never given back.
“Well,” Death said. His lips curled upward in a sneer. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
--Amy
11/4/19 - Happy November! This prompt is a little different because there isn't a lot of context or background given. This is more of a one-scene prompt. The rest is up to the writer who uses it. I liked writing this prompt because it gives an idea that the hero is really the villain. I love the idea that there are always two sides to the story. We only here the hero's side. This prompt makes room for the second side to the story. “UNTIL THE LION TELLS THE STORY, THE HUNTER WILL ALWAYS BE THE HERO.” If you have an idea to finish this I'd love to hear it!
Sidekick flinched as Villain raised her hand to reach the small bottle on the shelf above him. Sidekick hoped his reaction would go unnoticed--it didn’t.
“I’m not gonna--” Villain stopped. Sidekick watched as villain’s eyes widened in realization.
“Hero hurts you…” Villain said. Sidekick nodded slightly. “So I’ll take it he doesn’t care if I kill you or not?”
Sidekick looked down. “No...he wouldn’t,” he said softly. To the villains surprise, she saw a small tear roll down sidekick’s face. Villain softened immediately.
“Why do you help him then?” she asked gently.
Sidekick wiped his nose with his sleeve and looked up at villain. “I don’t have a choice.”
“What if I gave you a choice?” Villain looked at sidekick with a small smile. Sidekick looked at villain, confusion clouding their face for a moment.
“Really?” he asked.
“Really,” Villain assured him.
11/10 - This next prompt is actually a small sneak peak on a story I am writing. The reason I haven't posted any other stories after my Robin Hood Adventure is because I don't like to post something until it is completely finished. That way I have the room to change the whole plot if needed, which happens a lot more than you probably think :) Anyway, enjoy this small prompt and maybe one day, you'll get to read the rest of the story!
Arthur entered the cavern, his sword drawn. To his horror, he saw her, chained to the wall, looking pale and weak. He ran over to her, falling to his knees before the weak girl.
“Nadia, what happened to you!” he cried. Arthur placed his sword on the ground and began to pick the locks that shackled her wrists.
“You have to get out of here! Before they come back!” Nadia cried. Her eyes were red from crying and her cheeks were streaked in dirt.
“I can’t just leave you like this!” He got one of the shackles unlocked--it clattered to the ground.
“You have too--”
“No! I’m not going to leave you behind!” The second shackle clattered to the ground. Nadia staggered and almost collapsed when Arthur helped her get to her feet.
“You don’t understand. You have to get out of here! Before...it’s too late...” The girl’s gaze lingered behind him.
“You should of listened to the girl...” A deep voice came from behind.
Nadia clung to Arthur’s arm, struggling to stand. The tall intimidating figure of the villain stepped out of the shadows.
11/17 - I actually remembered to post my prompt today! This prompt is more on the fantasy side of fiction.
“Something’s caught in the net!” the first-mate of the pirate ship yelled. “Pull harder!”
The crew yanked hard at the net, which was five times heavier than its normal daily load of fish.
“PULL!” First-mate yelled to the men. They pulled with all their might but to no avail--something was fighting back. Finally, with one last heave, it broke through the surface. A great fish, long and green, was seen, flailing and fighting the ropes that bound it. The crew pulled it aboard, then stood in silence when they realized what they had caught. This crew of blood-thirsty pirates, strong and ruthless killers was silent--scared of this one creature.
“That’s no fish,” one pirate muttered.
“We’ve brought the anger of Poseidon against us now if we hadn’t before...” another whispered.
The anxious murmuring of the pirate crew grew silent as the heavy footsteps of their captain thumped against the wood stairs. Slowly, threateningly, he walked towards them.
“WHAT IS IT?!” His voice echoed against the silence of the crew, carrying out across the open sea. The first-mate stepped aside, revealing what lay behind him.
“A mermaid…” the first-mate said, barely able to be heard.
11/23 - This next prompt was actually prompted from another prompt. As a gift, my mom got me a book filled with short-story starters. They give you a topic and then ten words to use in the short-story. I tried one the other day and was actually pretty pleased with the result. This has not been edited. What you read were my first thoughts. The words I was given are in bold lettering.
Write the Story: Selling a Childhood Home
Each box I packed overwhelmed me with memories. Most were good, but then came the ones I had tried hard to erase from my mind. Postcards from old vacations, letters from friends I had long-forgotten about, old artwork, badly written poems. I filled the box with little trinkets and knick-knacks and worn-out stuffed animals. Once the last box was filled, I looked over my old, empty room. I looked at the window, the gold curtains I had loved were gone. My once-cluttered desk stood bare, although still covered in dried paint from my mixing and mashing of the liquids on canvas. The desk was the genesis of my creations; the origin of the dreamscapes of my stories. A single tear rolled down my cheek. Mother had died a few years ago but this year my brothers and I had finally convinced our father to live with one of us children. This jump into action had us all busy packing up our childhood home. It was fun at first, finding old, forgotten things of our past lives--but now that the last box of my old room was packed, sorrow flooded my heart. One condition of selling our old home was letting go of the symbol of family, love and safety. We were now pioneers leaving behind a familiar landmark, starting a new chapter. We were grown now, our childhood was a memory. Now it was time to make new ones. This house would give another family refuge, giving them a symbol of love and safety.
12/2 - This next prompt is like the previous, and just as before, this is unedited.
Write The Story: First Love
Lucas observed the dogwalker, pass the porch where he sat. He smiled slightly at the picture before him, the petite girl walking--or rather being waked--by the gigantic dog in front of her. He had seen the girl many times this summer but couldn't work up the nerve to talk to ask her name yet. She was very pretty, he thought. Suddenly a frightful rabbit rushed across a yard. the dog launched forward, chasing the small creature. The girl lost grip of the leash and the dog raced away. The girl ran after her pet over a garden of broken and trampled violets. Lucas jumped up and ran after her, hoping to help catch the runaway beast. He found her in the neighbor's backyard.
"UGH!" she stamped her foot. "That dog!"
"Can I help you look?" Lucas asked, coming up to her. Up close, he thought the girl was even prettier. She had curly brown hair and honey brown eyes. "My name's Lucas."
"I'm Layla," she said. A dog's bark echoed through the woods in front of us. Lucas and Layla raced through the maze of curvy trees and leafy bushes. They got closer and closer to the barking. Finally they found the runaway dog digging at a rabbit's hole.
"Maximus!" Layla shouted, picking up the leash. "Bad dog!." Layla turned to Lucas. "Thanks," she said, her cheeks turning red.
BONUS: I wrote this small idea down because I thought it was funny. I was being weird while I fed Buster and commented how he never thanks us for his food ;)
“He never says please and thank you is a term unknown to him!”
“He’s a dog…”
“That doesn’t mean he has to be rude!”
RebekahAvery a prompt can be anything that gets your brain working. Most are one-liners, some are one-scene stories. I love your commented prompt. So touching!
what is the prompt? just the few words "I looked at my hands"?
I looked at my hands- and I remember my mother's hands. As a little girl I would hold my mom's hand during church. I remember her smooth skin and her strong long nails. She had the most beautiful hands that I had ever seen. I always thought my hands would look like hers when I became a woman, when I was older. I thought one day my little girl would hold my hand and think they were beautiful.
Love these prompts! Very creative!