Time travel stories are quite popular. Whole series have been explored, lasting for years.
Most begin on a lark, with the character accidentally falling through a portal. He meets people on the other side. Perhaps marries and has children, a job, and so on. Meanwhile, back in the “real” world, the character has a family and job.
Your task is to write a story in which time travel plays a part.
Have fun with this one.
Picture your worst day. People yelling. Things being dropped or thrown. Pictures being ripped from the walls. Children painting on the walls.
Loud music blaring incessantly. Horns honking. Drills drilling. Noise everywhere, getting louder and louder.
A party springs up, with dancers and karaoke singing. Or maybe a DJ pumping out deep bass tunes.
Alcohol flowing. People jump in a pool fully clothed. Dogs bark. Bite someone.
A sudden storm comes up.
Your task is to write a story in which chaos surrounds the protagonist.
Have fun with this one.
Imagine that a friend is dying and has requested that you do something for them, something that will allow them to die without worries or fears. Perhaps it’s something simple, like call a family member. Perhaps it’s more complex, such as find a classmate from years ago.
Your task is to write that story.
Have fun with this one.
Events in our lives often trigger change. Or are a result of change.
Deciding to go to college or trade school might open up job opportunities. But what happens when you get the job of your dream and discover that you hate it?
You need an operation, not to save your life, but to improve the quality of your life. You get that knee replaced, expecting to run marathons. But then reality hits. Unless you’re a premier athlete, the replacement you receive will allow you to walk without pain, but most likely not to run.
Your task is to write a story in which your character confronts what turns out to be the biggest decision in their life.
Have fun with this one.
Your life has ended, but the townspeople aren’t finished with tormenting you. Ghost hunters prowl the rooms of your house. Priests swing containers of burning incense as they circumnavigate the building.
That’s just the beginning.
Your task is to write a story in which you’ve died and transformed into a ghost or demon. Make yourself a petulance, a haunt terrorizing the area.
Have fun with this one.
There are general rules about gift-giving.
If an invitation says no gifts, then you don’t appear with a gift in hand.
If it says bring a gift for a shelter pet or a hospitalized child, then you don’t show up with an expensive bottle of wine. Or a fancy crystal platter.
When someone hands you a gift, you thank them even if it’s something you can’t stand. Or if you’d specified no gifts. Or if it’s your in-laws whom you don’t want to offend.
Your task is to write a story in which an unusual and perhaps unwanted gift is involved.
Have fun with this one.
We expect our acquaintances to behave in predictable ways. Tom might be a show-off, except when spiders are involved and Wilma is reserved until she’s drunk.
Our friends are known, including strengths and faults. What happens when they don’t react the ways we’ve come to expect? We tilt our heads to the side, scratch our necks, and wonder what’s possessed them.
Your task is to write a story in which your character steps out of character and says or does something random.
Have fun with this one.
Picture a house stacked with stuff. Piles of paper everywhere. Unopened mail on the desk. Dirty dishes overflowing the sink. Clothes on the floor. Baskets of craft projects. Buckets of who-knows-what.
Dust motes flutter in the air. Strong odors tickle your nose. Doors stick and floorboards creak.
Your task is to write a story in which something happens to a hoarder, and your character is forced to deal with it.
Have fun with this one.
There’s a game in which players select Truth or Dare. If Truth, then they must answer honestly to whatever question is posed. If Dare, then they must complete, or at least attempt to complete, whatever challenge is presented.
Imagine choosing Truth, then being asked to reveal a deep, dark secret that you’d thought buried in the past. What emotions would you experience?
Now think about the Dare. What if you had to climb a ladder to retrieve something from the roof? Or ride a camel? Or dive to the bottom of a pool?
Your task is to write a story in which the characters participate in the game and are faced with difficult decisions.
Have fun with this one.
Speculative Fiction stories often feature monsters. Some fly, some burrow underground, some spew poison, while a rare few, love humans.
They come in all sizes and shapes. Tinker Bell, while not a monster, was tiny. Godzilla and King Kong were gargantuan. Some, like Shek, are jolly, while others, like the evil stepmother, have viscous tempers.
Your task is to write a story in which at least one monster plays an important role.
Have fun with this one.
Have Fun with This One 