Welcome, A-Z Blogging Challenge friends. This year, my theme is Prompt-a-day, with fun or thought-provoking writing prompts to use as a story start, warm up, or creativity stretching exercise.Nervous
A singer waits to go onstage to compete in a televised singing contest.
Writing prompts can be a helpful tool, no matter where you are in your writing journey. Here's how: 5 Reasons to Write with Prompts.
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Check out my latest release, 1001 Evocative Prompts for Fiction Writers. It will stimulate your thinking wherever you are in your writing journey and get you writing today. It provides story starts and writing inspiration for a wide variety of genres by focusing on emotions, character development, and pivotal moments.You can face a blank page with confidence when you use these prompts to warm up, beat writer’s block, develop and maintain a writing habit, change up your routine, start a new project, experiment in a new genre, deepen parts of an existing story, or overcome burnout.
What are you waiting for? Dig in and get writing right now!
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Q4U: How might you spin this prompt in an unexpected direction? How about as dystopian, cozy mystery, or a farce?
I will have to wait for my clammy hands and flip-flop stomach to subside before I can think of a way to spin this prompt :) I distinctly remember my freshman piano recital... my mind went blank... and I couldn't finish the piece. Devastating! To this day, I can't watch these kinds of reality shows without feeling nauseous
ReplyDeleteClearly this elicits a very visceral response for you--great to get you writing.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
The contestant finally goes onstage, but aliens choose that moment to storm the studio and lock it down, believing it to contain the world's leaders. As the singer is onstage with a microphone, they assume her to be in charge; now how does she deal with the situation?
ReplyDeleteLove it. How she deals with it will depend so much on genre, won't it? In a farce, she'd use the power to gain some very silly advantage, if dystopian, as a power-grab to oppress her enemies and build her idea of perfection.
DeleteOf course there's a complete blackout and she gets carried off by Faeries to sing for their Queen forever... Happy A-to-Z-ing.
ReplyDeleteGreat fantasty twist! Here's hoping she overcomes stage fright enough to win the Faerie Queen's favor.
DeleteI guess I'd have to either take it as a mystery--naturally, the accompanist keels over just as the singer approaches the piano--or else as science fiction/fantasy, in which case the singer is some kind of alien :)
ReplyDeleteThe Ninja Librarian’s Favorite Characters
Great thinking. The singer might also have a near-death scrape with a falling stage light or scenic drop sandbag...but who is behind the attacks?
DeleteThe singer perhaps kept her alien singing powers under wraps, but now the world will know. Will they embrace her or freak out in fear?
Hi Laurel - sweaty, palm wiping forehead ... as one runs for a train that probably has left the station ... lots of ideas ... that stomach drop is another ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeletehttp://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/o-is-for-orkney-islands-adapted-breeds.html
Great sensory details. Glad it stirred up ideas for you.
DeleteI'm all about writing farces. Reminds me of the Canterbury tails.
ReplyDeletetheglobaldig.blogspot.com
Just about any situation can gradually turn quite ridiculous if you think creatively about it. Thanks for visiting!
Deletelol Canterbury Tales, in particular the Miller's tale.
ReplyDeleteGreat example. The Hitchhiker's Guide series is usually considered farcical Sci Fi.
DeleteI have Willoughby drying up, sweaty palms and trying not to gabble when he finally gets going when he does his first public story-telling competition (in my new book).
ReplyDeleteLike your theme!
Jemima on Ornithology
Ah yes, that sense of performance anxiety nervousness can work in lots of contexts. Thanks for visiting!
DeleteI love the idea of writing with prompts, although I don't often do it as I have so many other writing projects on the go. Please send me your A to Z URL so I can follow it daily. Thanks. P is for Plan with Purpose as you Build a Better Blog. #AtoZchallenge.
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