Writing Prompts Consolidated

For convenience, I've consolidated last year's writing prompts into two lists. 

Here is the first one.  Merry Christmas!

1. 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 grandmothers’ 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 … 

2. 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 … 

3. 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 …

4. 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 …

5. 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 …

6. 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 ...

7. 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 finds is supernatural, but it isn’t a jolly, old elf with a sleigh …

Here We Are!

Well, we've got here, to the totally ridiculous, made for the credulous, end of the world.

The obvious thing to do is to have a party. So, I thought I'd scoop a link to a band that got its start at kitchen parties, and their very appropriate song for the day. Thank you, Great Big Sea!

Four Days to the End of the World--Or is it?

You've got to love it. World leaders are making speeches to reassure the populace.

And people are buying bottled water and candles.

Personally, if I believed the world was ending, I would not be going for bottled water and beeswax.

I'd be making reservations at the most exclusive place in town. And I'd charge dinner to my credit card.

And it's the end of the world!

Alternatively, of course, it might just be where the Mayans ran out of wall space.

Well, it might not be the end of the world, but it's the end of my 2012 challenge. As of this post, I'll have completed a year's worth of writing prompts on silly ways for the world to end.

I've tried several approaches, including serial silliness, piggybacking on the silliness of others, and using news stories to inspire my silliness.

For December, I decided to go with fiction to inspire my prompt that might inspire more fiction.

You may have seen reports that the new 48 fps movie format is nauseating some viewers.  

That story inspired this, my last silly, world-ending writing prompt:

All over the world, movie-goers find that, after watching one of the new format movies, they leave the theatre nauseated. The feeling doesn't go away. In fact, it gradually gets worse, until it becomes life-threatening. And it spreads, fast, even to those who haven't been to the movies.

Your hero has to mobilize forces and coordinate internationally, both to protect those not yet affected and to figure out how to stop the spread.

Happy December, everyone.

Last year's Christmas writing prompts are available here.

Big Fracking Disaster

I'm close to the wire, but once again, I found myself short of inspiration. 

I was rescued by a news story and a report on hydraulic fracturing. This technique for extracting oil and gas is more commonly known as fracking. 

I thought it would be perfect for November's silly disaster. It's time to go big. (As if I had an alternative.)

Anyway, here's the writing prompt:

One frack too many, and all of a sudden, the earth is facing a series of earthquakes, both big and little. Not only are they growing in frequency, they're cascading, as the movement in one area exposes frack-induced weaknesses in another.  If our hero, a scientist, and his/her team can't find a way to stop this, the entire planet may soon become uninhabitable.

Is it scientifically feasible?  Well, beats me. But I thought it sounded good.

October's Silly Disaster

Well, here I am in the home stretch, but with no inspiration to guide me.  Drat. 

Perhaps the biggest benefit of this blog, from my perspective, has been in the research I would otherwise not have done. 

For October, I turned to New Scientist. It didn't let me down.

Here's the prompt:
In this month's silly disaster, organized crime has created a new initiative.  Using sophisticated technology that dissolves in the body after use, they're killing public figures who refuse to play ball and replacing them with those who will.  Your hero has only a limited window in which to figure out who's behind it, how they're doing it, and how to stop them.

A phenomenal ride

I just had to share this. 

This young woman is deaf and mute.  According to the person who passed it on to me, she doesn't own the horse; she's been training it for a client, and has only had twenty days with it at the time of the ride.  The ride itself is a tribute to her deceased father.  Make sure your sound is on when you watch.

 

Note that she rides without a saddle or halter and bit and (obviously) without voice commands. She is using the method used by American Indians. Even non-riders will recognize the difficulty level and the magnitude of her accomplishment.  She truly is an inspiration.

September's Silly Disaster

Okay, I'll soon be into the home stretch.  After this month, I have only the last quarter to deal with--three more silly disasters to round out 2012's collection.

Am I running out of ideas, getting desperate, piggybacking off earlier stuff?  Oh, yeah.  That's old news--it happened months ago.  Here, I'm using something similar to July's idea, with a slightly different twist.

Here's my inspiration:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2095571/Natural-tilts-earths-axis-alter-temperature-cause-ice-ages-says-Harvard-scientist.html

And here's the prompt:

The earth's tilt is changing .  Not only is it causing deglaciation, but a lot of other problems.  This is a true disaster, with no hope of saving the majority.  Your hero has to make a decision over who can be saved, and where that can best be accomplished.

Unlike a certain disaster movie, our hero realizes that, if his goal is to preserve humanity, concentrating his efforts on saving a bunch of old men is probably not his best option.  And in practice, that means he can't count on the support of the politicians.

August's Silly Disaster

For this month's material, I received a stroke of good fortune.  I can't claim good planning or brilliance, just dumb luck.  And I'll take it.

I was looking at another topic on Wired Science, and happened to notice this post:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/07/chicken-farm-vaccine-virus/

The gist of it is, it appears that two chicken vaccines, two benign entities that work to keep chickens healthy, have combined into something new, something that's killing chickens.  It scary to think that it might not only be possible, it's real.

Well, for the purposes of my August silly disaster, it could hardly be more obvious, right?  This is practically cheating.  I didn't have to even come up with an idea.  I just had to lift it from the pages of current science.

So, you already know what this month's prompt is:

Two vaccines have mutated and combined to produce a virus that's both deadly to humans and highly contagious.  Our hero has to combat both the disease, and the ensuing panic.

July's Silly Disaster

Well, it's double-digit time in July, and I have to come up with another silly disaster idea.  I tell myself, I've gotten through the first half of the year.  Now, I'm in the home stretch. Right.  Five more months to go. 

One unforeseen consequence of this situation is that I have to recall what other silly disasters I've come up with, in order not to repeat myself. 

Well, this one looks safe enough.  The inspiration for it comes from the idea that the poles of the earth have reserved themselves in the past, and may do so again.  What might the impact of something like that be?  So many of the creatures in our world depend on the magnetic fields of the earth.

So that's my silly disaster for July.  The poles are reversing, or have reserved.  And somehow, to stave off disaster, your hero has to come up with a way to mitigate the effects. 

June's Writing Prompt and Make-Believe Disaster

Well, I don't mind admitting, I was getting a wee bit nervous about June.  Mid-month was approaching, and I was still stuck for this month's way for the world to end. 

Finally, I won't say fortunately, because this prompt is inspired by a sad news story, I have something. 

Here's the prompt:

A mysterious rash of suicides assails a small town.  It starts with teens, but soon spreads.  Within weeks, another town is affected, and another.  There is no pattern that anyone can discern, except this one.  The spread follows a spiral, moving outward from the first town, the point of origin.

Our hero, a young police detective, must discern the cause and rally the resources to find a cure.  And he faces an additional challenge.  Despite their precautions, some of those doing the investigating are also affected.

May's Silly Disaster

Well, here I am, trying to get back on track. 

It's month five, with seven more to go in the annals of silly disasterdom, and the grand inspiration isn't coming.  I'm still scrambling along, one month at a time, or at best, two. 

Perhaps it's time for a little refresher.  In honor of the supposed ending of the world, my personal challenge was/is to create a new way for the world to end for every month of 2012. 

For inspiration, I checked out Youtube again.  This time, I did a general search on disaster and prophecy. 

There, I discovered that I am a rank amateur in the world of disaster silliness.  I have to admit, though, I was impressed.  There's no way I could have done even a minute of some of that stuff with a straight face.  And several of those guys went on for hours.  I'll admit I didn't watch more than a bit of any of them.

I did find my inspiration for May.  Here's the writing prompt:

A charismatic cult leader has suffered a few embarrassments.   He's been calling for the world to end, and it hasn't been cooperating.  Now, he's planning to take matters into his own hands.  Using his existing network of followers, he's been recruiting.  The new members don't realize they're part of a cult.  Using strong drugs to influence them, they're been shaped into tools.  At a specific time, all around the world, they're going to poison water supplies. 

Our hero gets wind of the plot.  He has some resources to call upon, but he's going to need to mobilize more, and to coordinate a massive effort, if this is to be stopped. 

April (Just under the wire)

Well, it's been a horrendous April, and I'm glad it's gone. 

I still have work to do on the blog, but it will have to wait. 

Here, however, is April's disaster.  It's piggybacking off the March cause.

With the organics and big particles gone, the soil becomes made of of small particles.  Combined with the additional rainfall and higher water levels attributed to global warming, huge pockets of soil become supersaturated.  In essence, building, entire cities, become built on quicksand.

If a solution can't be found, millions may die, and will certainly be left homeless.

March Disaster

Where I live, March is one of the those months you just have to get through.  It's usually cold, grey, and blustery, with the kind of wind that frosts your skin and makes your eyes tear up.  So far, this one is a far cry from most.  Of course, it's still early.  Mother Nature may just be waiting for me to take off my snow tires.

This time of year, seeing new shoots of crocus, daffodil and tulip poke their noses, either through frozen earth or though snow, is welcome.  As is the daylight that's now arriving earlier and sticking around longer. 

Accordingly, it seems appropriate that this month's silly way for the world to end should involve the soil.

This premise is a big complicated, probably too complex for one short story.  So, I'm going to break it into more than one.  (And yes, this is also a marvelous way for me to cheat, piggybacking more than one disaster off the same cause.)

So, anyway, here's my base:

With global warming, the great ice sheets of the Antarctic are melting.  Among other things, ancient creatures are being set free.  Microbes, and perhaps other things, have survived. 

The depletion of the ozone layer means that these microbes are now being subjected to more radiation.  Some of them mutate.  When combined with warm soil and water, they reproduce rapidly.

And here's March's disaster:

These microbes are depleting the soil of nutrients, making them unavailable for plant and animal life alike.  Food production drops.  If our scientist hero can't find a way to tame this rogue microbe population, the entire planet may starve to death.  

Carl Sagan's Amazing Perspective on our World

My silly way for the world to end, March entry, will be along in a week or so.  Unlike the earlier editions, I actually have one ready.  (Shocking, yes).

I just happened upon this video.  There are other versions out there, but I like the visuals on this one.  It is on topic, sort of.  Anyway, I just had to share it.

http://en.video.sympatico.ca/tech-autos/science-and-space/watch/carl-sagans-pale-blue-dot/1454948489001/

February's Post

Well, it's mid-February, and it appears that Europe has absconded with our winter.  Not that I'm complaining about the ease of getting around, or the reduced heating bill.  And I do have a great deal of sympathy for those poor people who aren't equipped to cope with winter conditions.  This seems a particularly nasty trick to play on those who've endured some blisteringly hot summers. 

Still, by this time of year, we've usually had several good weekends of cross-country skiing.  It's hard to do on dormant grass. 

It does, however, provide the fodder for my February installment of silly ways for the world to end, as inspired by the misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar.

Here's the writing prompt:

The deep freeze in Europe causes both huge economic losses and increased spending.  It's the straw that breaks the camel, spiraling the entire world into deep depression.  If your hero, one of the world's leading bankers, can't find a brilliant solution that will reverse the trend, the entire world will be plunged into another dark age.

Doom and Destruction

Here goes, the first scenario for the end of the world, as inspired by the popular misrepresentation of the Mayan calendar for 2012.

January's entry is courtesy of the "weird sounds heard around the world" videos on youtube. 

Some folk believe these strange sounds are courtesy of HAARP, or one of the similar programs.

Some don't.

So, here's January's silly end-of-the-world writing prompt:

A atmospheric sound test goes awry.  It creates a harmonic that sets off a series of earthquakes all around the world.  Continents are ripped apart.  Some sink, pushing oceanic levels up, and leaving only the highest altitudes habitable.  Your character must decide who will survive, and how. 

Just Another Pretty Picture?

Ok, it's confession time.  One silly way per month for the world to end is probably my limit.  In fact, it may be more than I can manage.  I haven't come up with even one, yet.

My first criterion is, I can't draw on any of the normal disaster-movie fodder.  And, it also has to be something that will happen fast enough to meet my Dec 21 deadline.  I still hope I'll come up with something for January.  Maybe the first will be the toughest.  (Though I suspect not.)

In the meantime, I thought I'd share another photo. 

It was taken on the east coast of Newfoundland.  This iceberg was reputed to be one of the last of the season that year.  Thanks to the assistance of some friendly locals, we found it in time to watch it break apart.  The picture was taken midway through the process. 

Small Blessings

I decided, if I was going to spend time imagining ways for the world to end (albeit not serious ways, I think I've used up all my serious ideas), I should balance it out, by recording some of the small blessings in my life.  

Here's the first - sunrise.  We all get one.  One of the advantages of living in a northern clime is that it arrives at a sensible hour, at least in winter. 

For this shot, I hastily donned my coat over pyjamas, pulled on my boots, and shoved my digital camera into my pocket, so it would stay warm enough to work.  It was worth it.

What Next?

It's a question I'm asking myself.  Completing the 12 days challenge was fun, and I learned a few things.

Now, it's a new year, and time for a new challenge.  Given the whole 2012 Mayan destruction thing, I'm tempted to try to come up with series of unique and interesting fictional ways for the world to self-destruct, perhaps culminating on the big day, Dec, 21, 2012. 

Yeah, I know it's not really predicting the end of the world.  It's the end of the 13th something-or-other on the Mayan calendar.  But even if it was, it's not all bad news.  We'd no longer have to worry about the state of our retirement portfolios, for one thing. 

But I digress ... 

One idea a day is a bit much, I think.  Maybe one a week. 

Twelve Drummers Drumming ...

Today's writing prompt:

The hooves of their mounts pound on the hard-packed surface of the ground.  This troupe of twelve has worked together for so long that even at a full gallop, their horses run in staccato rhythm, booming like the beat of a drum.  Now, they race against time, and they’ll face the ultimate test of their abilities.  They must …

For more writing prompts, check out:

www.thestarsarenotmadeoffire.blogspot.com

Eleven Pipers Piping ...

Today's writing prompt:

Your hero is part of a military company with a long, illustrious history.  Their tradition has always been that eleven of them, playing the bagpipes, will pipe in all events of note for each of their members, both professional and personal, happy and sad.  When a new piper fills a vacancy …

For more writing prompts, check out:

www.thestarsarenotmadeoffire.blogspot.com

Ten Lords A'Leaping ...

Today's writing prompt:

Overpopulation has outstripped the world’s ability to feed itself.  Most of the next generation will starve to death unless its numbers are greatly reduced.  To do that, world leaders have implemented a plan.  It's designed to ensure that only the best specimens of today's humanity are allowed to breed.  

The final test, for our hero, is coming up.  He and his four teammates will be playing a game designed to test their strength, speed, agility, endurance, and their ability to work as a team, against five similar opponents.  Our hero has just learned something.  It makes him believe the test will be rigged against him and his teammates …

For more writing prompts, check out:

www.thestarsarenotmadeoffire.blogspot.com

Nine Ladies Dancing ...

Today's writing prompt:

A group of nine women, a synchronized dance team of ice skaters, are experimenting with a new form of entertainment.  A pressure-sensitive underlay has been placed under the ice.  When the skater’s blade presses down on it, it creates a line of light.  The light persists for a few minutes.  In their routines, the group are creating fractals to music.  They discover that some of the fractals …

For more writing prompts, check out:

www.thestarsarenotmadeoffire.blogspot.com

Eight Maids A'Milking ...

Today's writing prompt:

Eight friends, all matronly women, accidentally discover an herbal tea blend with an interesting side effect.  For a short time, it makes a person very susceptible to suggestion.  They decide to use their new-found ability to dispense Robin Hood-style justice in their community …

For more writing prompts, check out:

www.thestarsarenotmadeoffire.blogspot.com