Sunday, July 26, 2020

Writing Prompt: The Typo as a Catalyst

In a world where computers think they are smarter than us and where our fingers move faster than our pre-coffee brains, typos are to be expected.  For some reason, my phone keeps changing "No" to "Now."  In this era of "No means No," I'm surprised that "No means Now" hasn't caused some sort of litigation.  In real life, typos have caused some rather serious problems.  For example, police departments have sometimes served warrants on the wrong home based on a typo, misspelling, or data entry error.


photo by Richard Croft / Strickly No Parking / CC BY-SA 2.0

For today's writing prompt, create a short piece of fiction based on a misunderstanding caused by a -

typo.

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Writing Prompt: The Eccentric Character

In recent times, the quirky girl has become a fiction trope.  She always wears glasses and often hides a gorgeous figure under the most nerdy attire.  She specializes in something technical or arcane and often saves the day.  At least, that's the way it works on television shows.  However, eccentric characters have long been a staple of literature, television, and movies.  The eccentrics are the inventors, the philosophers, and the slightly crazy people who invent gadgets, solve vexxing problems, or point out obvious absurdities in the conventional world.

For today's writing prompt, spin a short story or flash fiction tale that involves an -

eccentric character.

A vintage car in Croatia - photo by photographer Mia Felicita Bertelli from Firenze, Italia / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)


Saturday, July 11, 2020

Writing Prompt: Mythical Creatures

Once upon a time, our world was filled with dragons, flying horses, unicorns, centaurs, and minotaurs.  We had fairy tales, legends, and myths.  They are gone now.  We replaced them with corrupt politicians and confused scientists.  In our post-modern times, if we see a myth we feel a need to explode it.  In the end, we feel empty as the pick our way through the cultural shrapnel.  Perhaps it's time to bring back fairy tales, legends, and myths?  Of course, we can't start them without the creativity of writers just like you.  

For today's writing prompt, invent and write a short story about a -


mythical creature

Pegasus - photo by Lex Loeb / Public domain


Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Writing Prompt: Bitchin' Camaro

According to a recent article in Hot Rod magazine, development of the 7th generation Chevy Camaro may be delayed.  That leaves it to writers to envision the future or the past of the great American hot rod.  For today's writing prompt, write a story that features 

any generation of Camaro and a hero.

A 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS Hotrod - photo by Bull-Doser / Public domain
Come on people.  We can't have an Oprah-story writing prompt every week!

Setting Writing Prompt: The Old Shack

America's countryside is littered with old houses, barns, and shacks.  Many of these are documented and explored in Abandoned Places pho...