Sunday, November 29, 2020

Writing Prompt: A Dystopian Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is right around the corner.  It's the day that everyone in the United States who didn't shop for Christmas Gifts on the Black Friday of Thanksgiving gets bargain deals on gifts online.  Everyone is supposed to be working, but people sneak away for a few minutes to get a gift or two.

 

Internet Map image by The Opte Project, CC BY 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons

The concept sounds innocuous.  People don't leave their homes.  Shopping gets accomplished.  Gifts get sent.  But, for those with an eye towards totalitarian and dystopian futures, the concept of Cyber-Monday can be a bit unnerving.  What if people were forbidden from leaving their homes?  What if there weren't any people and e-commerce continued without them?  What kinds of scams and spying mechanisms could be in place?

For today's writing prompt, create a short story about a -

sinister cyber monday! 

 

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Writing Prompt: The Hardships of Settlers

In December 1620, one hundred people who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower established a settlement near Plymouth Harbor in what is now Massachusetts.  Many of them had broken from the Church of England and were seeking religious freedom in the new world.  Half of them died from malnutrition in the winter of 1621.  

Fortunately, they encountered an English-speaking Native American named Tisquantum or Squanto (who had previously been held captive by Captain John Smith, escaped to England, and returned).  Squanto taught the colonists to plant corn and other vital crops.  This allowed the surviving colonists and nearby native Americans (the Pokanokets) to celebrate with a first Thanksgiving meal together in the fall of 1621.

Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor - William Halsall, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

For today's writing prompt, create a short piece fiction that depicts --

 the hardships faced by settlers in a new world.

Saturday, November 21, 2020

Childrens Story Prompt: A Tale of Two Turkeys

 As Thanksgiving approaches in the United States, it's natural for our thoughts to turn to turkey dinners, sweet potatoes, and dressing.  But, before we imagine ourselves into food coma, this seems like a good time to write a story for kids.  For today's writing prompt, we have a great photo from Wikimedia.  It's just two turkeys taking a leisurely stroll through town.  For today's writing prompt, write a children's story about

these two turkeys and their adventure.

Two Turkeys stroll through Omaha, Nebraska - Photographer: Dan Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

For a great children's book, check out this one from Judy and Keith -

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...