Thursday, December 30, 2021

Add a new element discover a different story

Changing one element can transform a single scene into a whole new story. Today’s prompt is inspired by my interrupted sleep the last couple of nights. Two nights ago, my sleep was interrupted by slashes of red emergency lights swirling through the cracks in the window blinds, followed by a bright white light. I peeked through the blinds to see an ambulance in the neighbor’s driveway. It is the third ambulance visit in two months. I could go on and tell you more, but I’m not telling the story, I’m just including a few of the elements that kept me awake for two hours before finally going back to bed.


The next night, stormy weather blew through with a vengeance. Rain, wind, lightning--and the cat was outside. I hurried to the door. When I opened it, he ran up the stairs, grumbling at me with each step. I wiped him off with the cat towel, gave him a few treats, and headed back to bed. I just about drifted back to sleep when the cat stood at the bedside wanting to go out. Furious gusts of wind rattled the windows. “You’re not going out right now.”


He disagreed. The driving winds and rain were freaking him out.  And so I was not going back to sleep for the moment. Finally, the storm subsided and the cat went out and I went back to bed.

Both of these stories take place at night, when I should have been sleeping. Different life elements entered the scene and changed the story. That’s what today’s writing prompt is going to help you discover.


Change the weather—change the story

For today’s writing prompt, choose an existing scene from your WIP or a stale story you've set aside. If you don’t have one, write up a quick one based on one of these story starters:

  • Changing a tire
  • Going to the grocery store
  • Teaching someone to drive
  • Looking for your pet outside

Now, take your scene and rewrite it adding a change in the weather. If it was a summer scene, make it a winter scene. If it had been sunny, make it rainy. You get the idea. What you change is up to you. It doesn't have to be an opposite, just something different.

Element ideas to add:

  • Wind: blustery wind, a light breeze, no wind, tornadic wind, calm
  • Rain/snow: driving rain, rain showers, a rainbow, lightning, thunder, rain mixed with sleet, blizzard, first snow, dirty snow, melting snow
  • Sun/Moon: Partial sunlight/moonlight, noonday sun, clouds with no moon or sun, lighting other than sun or moon (spaceship, comet, vehicle headlights, etc.)
Changing a single element can help you discover something new. It may even add a layer of complexity to your character or plot.  

About Donna Sundblad's Dragonborn


Contact dragonbornbooks @ gmail for a free review copy of Dragonborn.




Thursday, December 16, 2021

Connect the dots with 60s songs

 

This writing prompt is inspired by a book I’m currently reading titled, “Purple Haze” by Andrew Einsprunch. It’s a YA fantasy loaded with humor at many levels. One agent he uses to deliver humor are song titles and lyrics or, I should say, a play on song titles and lyrics. Granted, if the reader doesn’t know the song or recognize the reference to the lyrics in the story they will miss out on the joke, but they are hard to miss for those familiar with them. And, they blend well enough into the dialog of the story, that those who don’t get it, will carry on reading probably unaware of the gem they just missed.


Pumping Your Muse writing prompt

With this fresh on my mind, I thought about playing a game of connect the dots with popular 60s song titles to come up with a scene or short story. Challenging but fun, right? It’s a great way to find a new creative nugget for your muse to mine.

Choose at least three to five 60s songs titles from this song list and connect them with a plot thread using the genre of your choice.

  • Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)
  • Pale Blue Eyes (Velvet Underground)
  • Mustang Sally (Wilson Pickett)
  • Barbara Ann (Beach Boys)
  • Help Me Rhonda (Beach Boys)
  • Bernadette (Four Tops)
  • Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You (Frankie Valli)
  • Save the Last Dance for Me (The Drifters)
  • Louie Louie (The Kingsmen)
  • Sugar Sugar (The Archies)

 


  • I Can’t Get No Satisfaction (Rolling Stones) – For this one you can just use the title “Satisfaction” if you prefer.
  • Fortunate Son (Credence Clearwater Revival)
  • These Boots are Made for Walking (Nancy Sinatra)
  • White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane)
  • Born to be Wild (Steppenwolf)
  • Eight Days a Week (Beatles)
  • Piece of My Heart (Janis Joplin)
  • I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Marvin Gaye)
  • I’m a Believer (The Monkees)
  • House of the Rising Son (Animals)

Once you discover your character(s), if you find them interesting, do a character interview to learn more about them. You'll be surprised where it can take you.

A sample connect the dot writing exercise
Born to be wild by Donna Sundblad

A hooded brown eyed girl with caramel skin and long wavy ebony ringlets stood before me. “Are you Mustang Sally?” She closed her eyes without answering. A wave of dizziness washed over me. I thrust my arms out to the side trying to keep my balance. The spinning sensation eased and I opened my eyes. “What was that?”

The girl’s eyes fluttered open. Her icy pale blue eyes sent a chill down my spine. Feline features transformed her face. I couldn’t move. Fear clutched me. I wanted to scream, but I only squeaked out, “I can’t take my eyes off of you.”

She moved her head from side to side purring with her tongue as she released me. “Louie, Louie. I warned you but did you listen? I am born to be wild.”

 

Photo credits: wikipedia