Seven Swans A'Swimming ...

Today's writing prompt:

In this near-today world, increasingly outrageous behavior designed to get public attention has been the norm.  In the last decade, there has been a significant social backlash.  Our heroine, a canny manipulator of public perception, has taken full advantage.  She’s set herself up as the public arbiter of manners and good taste.  Much of her early success was due to her use of a piece of technology she stole.  At the time, she had no idea she’d become so successful.  Now, she suspects the owner of said technology has developed something else, and may be coming for her.  Like a swan, she must look stately and graceful above the surface, while underneath, she’s paddling for all she’s worth.  To survive, she …

For more writing prompts, check out:

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Six Geese A'Laying ...

Today's writing prompt:

Working on another world, our hero discovers that the deposits of material <x>, much needed and highly-valued by his society, are actually caches of eggs.  Momma isn’t pleased …

For more writing prompts, check out:

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Five Gold Rings ...

Today's writing prompt:

Still coping with the loss of a loved one, our hero finds himself (herself) in a situation where he must save an entire <family, ship, planet, civilization>.  He is offered help by a mysterious figure, but soon finds himself alone, walking in a circle.  He finds the clue required to get out of the maze, only to end up in another circle.  In all, he traverses five.  In each of them, he finds the means to get to the next one.  At some point, he discovers there is more to it than he dreamed …

For more writing prompts, check out:

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Four Calling Birds ...

Today's writing prompt:

Four school chums keep in touch with one another via social media.  Each of them is now living in a different place, with his(her) own lifestyle and career.  Suddenly, a fifth person inserts himself into their group.  He (she) claims to be a friend from their school days.  No one remembers him.  They discover he is an alien, making first contact.  He has been monitoring several communication streams, but he chose them because …

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Three French hens ...

Day three of the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' writing prompt challenge: 

It’s the time of the second world war.  Three sisters, members of the French resistance, are trying to bring an end to the conflict.  They’re all geniuses, some of the brightest minds of their day.  Because of their gender, no one in a position of authority will take them seriously.  However, one of them has invented a device that allows her to plant ideas in the heads of others.  Now, each of the ladies can plant thoughts so convincingly that the recipient will believe it’s his own. 

There are two catches.  First, their subject must already be receptive to the idea, or it won’t stick.  And second, the women need several minutes in close proximity for the device to work.  They decide to …

It's been a near thing, but so far, I've got them all out on the correct day.

For more prompts, check out:   

www.thestarsarenotmadeoffire.blogspot.com

Two turtledoves ...

It's day two of the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' writing prompt challenge. 

Here's today's writing prompt:

It’s the near future.  The world has split in two, cold-war style, and every country has chosen a side.  Your scientists have further developed the intelligence of crows.  Now, the birds can drop small bombs and set explosives, and they can detonate them at the appropriate time.  They can correctly identify people, addresses, even vehicles.  They can also follow instructions.  

Lately, explosives have gone missing, and targets are being detonated that weren’t on the list.  It appears, the birds have continued to develop in intelligence, and now have their own agenda.  They …

For more prompts, check out:

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... and a partridge in a pear tree.

Well, it's evening, but I've finally got my first 'twelve days' writing prompt up.  I left it until late, because it's a bit of a downer.  Anyway ...

here it is:


The pears and apples being fed to schoolchildren in some neighborhoods have been chemically engineered.  Over time, the fruit renders the children sterile, permanently.  Given which children are being targeted, the obvious suspect is a group with neo-nazi ties ...

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Christmas Writing Prompt Challenge - On the Eve

Merry Christmas!

This is the last pre-Christmas writing prompt challenge.  As of tomorrow, I'm going to switch to the official Twelve Days of Christmas challenge, and hope I remember to update everyday to Twelve Night (Jan. 5).

It’s Christmas eve, and on the rooftop, there arose such a clatter, your hero sprang from his bed to see what was the matter.  He put on his boots and a coat, and he ran outside into the snow.  What he found was supernatural, but it wasn’t a jolly, old elf with a sleigh …

And for more prompts, check out 
thestarsarenotmadeoffire.blogspot.com

Christmas Writing Prompt Challenge - Day 6

 For Christmas eve minus 1, we have:

Your hero is single.  He has a good job, but lives on the other side of the country from his family.  For the past several years, he’s flown home for Christmas.  This year, he decided to take the train instead.  He’s enjoying the trip.  It seems like a civilized way to travel.  He’s relaxed, with a drink in hand, and he’s enjoying the scenery.  The train enters a long tunnel.  It seems to go on, and on.  When the train finally comes out into the light …

Feel free to use the prompts, with the Christmas connection or without.  If you've found any of them useful, I'd love to hear from you.

And for more prompts, check out 
thestarsarenotmadeoffire.blogspot.com

Christmas Writing Prompts - Day 5

Well, here we are at day 5 - only two pre-Christmas prompts to go, before I switch over to the official Twelve Days of Christmas prompts.

Here is today's offering:

Your heroine is a solitary soul, with no close friends or family.  Christmas is a difficult time for her.  For many years now, she’s spent the holiday alone.  She owns a family heirloom, a large snow globe.  It’s so big she needs both hands to lift it.  There’s a whole village inside that globe.  When the sun goes down on Christmas eve, something magical happens.  Then, and only then, she can enter the world of the snow globe, where she can stay for twenty-four hours.  This year …

 

 For an alternative to day four's prompt, click on the comments hyperlink, in yesterday's blog. 

And for more prompts - up to 35 as of today, check out 
thestarsarenotmadeoffire.blogspot.com
 

Christmas Writing Prompts Challenge - Day 4

Here's today's prompt, the fourth in the pre-Christmas series:

 

Your hero walks to the door.  He has a bottle of wine in one hand, and some gifts in the other.  His friends have invited him to share their celebration, but no one answers his knock.  He tries the door and finds it open.  Inside, the oven is still on, and pots are boiling over, but no one is around.  Something has spilled on the kitchen floor, something brown and syrupy.  There are tracks in it.  They look like the prints of a giant bird claw …

Christmas Writing Prompts - Day 3

Continuing the countdown to the 12 Days of Christmas prompts, here's today's offering:

Your heroine, a busy professional, has decided to make her life easier by hiring a buyer to handle her Christmas list.  She goes to the meeting prepared with all the information she thinks the buyer will need-- ages, sizes, genders, hobbies, and interests, for her family and friends.  The buyer doesn’t even look at the information.  All she wants is a photograph of each of the intended recipients.  Your heroine is shocked when …

For more writing prompts, check out:  

www.thestarsarenotmadeof fire.blogspot.com

Christmas Writing Prompt Challenge - Day 2

Here it is, today's pre-Christmas challenge prompt.   (For the intro, the first prompt, and a link to other prompts, see yesterday's blog entry.) 

Your hero has met the girl of his dreams.  This will be their first Christmas together.  He wants to impress her, but he doesn’t have a lot of money.  He’s been through the malls and the specialty stores, but nothing has caught his eye.  And then, a small fellow with a white beard, wearing a green felt suit, offers him …  

 Check back tomorrow, for another prompt.  


Another friend asked me what will happen with the results.  I'll keep you posted ...

The Christmas Writing Prompt Challenge

Okay, so here it is.  A writing buddy suggested that, as a gift, we might offer writing prompts on our blogs, as a gift to readers.

In honour of the season, I decided to offer one new prompt every day, for the Twelve Days of Christmas.  All the stories have either an SF or a fantasy element.  Each one will be themed to correspond (with a good deal of creative license) with the verses of the traditional song.

But here's the thing.  The first day of Christmas is, well, Christmas day.  What to do until then?

I decided to do a countdown, with some pre-Christmas prompts.  I'll offer one a day until Christmas.  Then I'll switch to my Twelve Days of Christmas prompts, blog willing, ending up on Twelve Night, January 5th.

My goal is to keep to my theme, but also to offer ideas that I hope will entertain you, whether you're interested in writing about them or not.

Here's the first one.  I hope you enjoy today's offering. 
  

Your heroine is exhausted.  On top of her demanding job, she’s juggling the additional demands of three overexcited children.  She’s been up to midnight many nights in a row, finishing costumes, making cookies for bake sales, fielding the demands of relatives, planning holiday menus, and wrapping gifts.  Now, with only a few days to go to Christmas, she’s running a fever.  It’s time to resort to desperate measures.  She pulls out the small vial her grandmother gave her, of fairy dust.  Her grandmother's last words were, “It’s powerful stuff, dear.  Use it only in great need, and only one grain at a time.”  Your heroine opens the lid, and sneezes …

Feel free to join in, with your own prompts.  Let me know, and I'll add you to my list.

Check out these additional prompts:
http://www.thestarsarenotmadeoffire.blogspot.com/


 

Dancing for the Cure

A friend of mine sent this on.  It's a fun and novel way to raise money for Cancer research.

McGill's Dance for Cancer Research

Here's the info that was passed to me with the video:


  Every hit  gets money for cancer research

 Send this along  because…………..

 Listening for 5 enjoyable  minutes you get to make a donation without spending a  cent.

 

This was produced by McGill staff at the Goodman Cancer Research centre.  It's the same video that has been in  the news over the last few days.

The 3 older gentleman  dancing together, are 3 of the most internationally renowned cancer researchers in the world. The gentleman in the leather jacket is the head of the research center at McGill.
 For every hit on YouTube, a  donation is made to the Research Centre for Cancer Research