Throughout history periods of devastation have arisen that threaten the livelihoods of those who live in that area. Consider the affects that floods have when they sweep in and swamp the land, or hurricanes that snap trees in half and rip off roofs.

            What happens when insects fly in and eat plants down to the nubs? Complete crops are ruined, robbing farmers of any sort of income. On top of that, there is nothing to eat and so people starve. The link between pestilence and famine is so strong that the two cannot be separated.

            Your task is to write a story in which an entire region is destroyed by some form invasion. You might want to first do some research to determine which insects cause the most damage, which are most likely to appear in your choice of setting. Find out what plants they eat and what, if anything, they leave behind when they move on. Make note of what types of weather events invite the insects in and what makes them move on.

            Once you have the necessary information, construct your story. Begin with the “normal” world: what life is like when all is going well. Then bring in the pests and show us what happens through site and sound. What does your character do and think? Are there any means she can take to reduce the damage? Show us the results when the event is over. Include what the farmer is doing as she surveys the damage.

            Have fun with this one.