Free the Monstrous Enemies

            A spell has held the monsters inside their personal prisons. The world has been safe and at peace for as long as anyone can remember. But underneath, behind the scenes, so to speak, the evil lord has been plotting and planning.

            Nothing makes a story more interesting than a monster or two set free. Think how mesmerized the world has been with the concept of King Kong, the giant gorilla who terrorized New York City and appeared to kidnap a beautiful woman.

            Or the evil shark in the movie Jaws who indiscriminately attacked and ate a how variety to humans. Even the music, that steady beat, beat, beat, told viewers that Jaws was coming, putting them on the edges of their seats.

            Your task is to write a story in which at least one monster is set free or escapes its bonds. Depending upon the length, you might want to have only one monster, but make it evil enough for an entire army.

            Create an interesting setting, a place where the monster can cause the most terror. Decide upon the protagonist. The young, the olders, and those with disabilities are the most vulnerable, the ones most likely to win sympathy. Decide how the monster gets free. It can be by accident or by intent, but make sure that it causes plenty of fear and havoc.

            Have fun with this one.

Fantasy Worlds

Some writers find it easy to create worlds from the ground up. They design mountains, valleys, forest, rivers and lakes, cities and villages. They populate their worlds with people who are like us, as well as with those having superpowers.

There are languages and clothing and foods that suite that world, perhaps even as identifiers of their position in society.

Just like in our world, some in the new world will be peaceful, others warlike. Some meek, while others aggressive. Some are masters of yoga, while fight with weapons.

Your task is to design a new world. Draw the outer borders. The seas and mountains. Inlets and ports. Where resources are found. Where are the farms and ranches?

What type of government is there? How do individuals get in power? Are they compassionate rulers or despots? What are the main rules that impact ordinary citizens?

How do the different peoples get along? With understanding or with conflict?

When you are finished, look back at your design, paying attention to what should be added as well as what won’t work or those things that need to be change.

If you have a storyline, start writing!

Have fun with this one.