Here’s another prompt that’s going to make it difficult for you to try to write a brilliant story. We’re focusing this week on productivity, quantity not quality. And here’s the secret, when you’re not too worried about the quality, you quite often find that your writing is better than you expected.
The Prompt
Write a story containing all of these words from a fourth grade spelling list.
- Blame
- State
- Frame
- Holiday
- Relay
- Waist
- Pail
- Gain
- Raise
- Mayor
- Airplane
- Remain
This is a ridiculous and fun little exercise. Try it!
Post a comment, telling us how you got on. Share your story if you’re brave enough!
They certainly did turn up something interesting!
I finished mine earlier in the day, but, as it was my son’s fifteenth birthday, I’m a bit late with posting my link.
The words turned up something interesting:
http://shanjeniahslovelychaos.com/lovely-chaos-blog/2016/9/2/no-more-games-stad-3016-day-2
I’m apparently feeling morbid. That’ll teach me to go on vacation. Hmpph. http://tidbitsbyshannon.blogspot.com/2016/09/day-2-fourth-grade-spelling-list-blame.html
Wow, that was a weird exercize! lol But I got it done and am glad. Looking forward to the next one.
Here’s mine! (BTH, I did a better job writing as a fourth grader than I did now.)
I can’t believe that my family is going on holiday. Especially since it’s out of state. I mean, why did the mayor insist that we fly on an airplane to get there? Was there no other way to relay that message?
I blame Carlos for everything. I bet he had something to gain by making my family take that vacation when we didn’t need it at all. I mean, a vacation is a waste of time, time that we could spend convincing my brother to take some of that unnecessary fat from his waist. If he doesn’t, we’ll be feeding him his meals in a pail.
I would like for us to remain at home, where dad can finally fix that broken photo frame and the rest of us could raise that chandelier that needed to be cleaned.
A “getting to know my character” day. I combined both prompts, and here’s what I came up with:
https://shanjeniah.com/2016/05/03/and-still-two-remain-stad-kifo-project-for-may-2/
I ended up writing rather a revenge story for this day, but I’m thinking of keeping this list for a future story (these were my favorite challenges in school, so I am here for this, lol).
this was a fun prompt. love making up new worlds! many thanks! 😀
https://atomicindigo.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/local-made/
Whew, it is 11:04 p.m. but I made it–about 250 words and I used every word on the list, turning some into participles. Mayor was the hardest. I did some major gardening today so I didn’t get around to starting until late and then I opted to do it the old fashioned way–pen and tablet. This archaic method works best for me when I am in a hurry. Spell check and keyboards slow me down, maybe because I learned to write cursive with a dip pen and an inkwell. The story was about the Westall UFO Incident because I watched a documentary on it this week. I will polish it up and write it on my computer tomorrow. –s6
So, I wrote a weird, short thing with these words today. I kind of like it, though.
https://notwhereilive.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/story-a-day-may-day-two/
So, this felt like it was going well until about about 2/3-3/4ths of the way through. That’s when I started looking to wrap the story up and realized I was writing a scene, not a story. Thing is, as a scene it was working so I wanted to leave it for future additions to novels or novellas. What resulted was an attempt to create a story with the ending that I’m not especially proud of. It’s done though, so there’s that.
http://myhrfamily.net/the-playground/
This one is very wandery for me. Mostly because I started with no idea what the story would be. I gave myself a very general premise- trip to Vegas doesn’t go as planned. Then I worked from one word on the list to the next.
http://susan-reads.blogspot.com/2016/05/what-happens-in-vegas.html
I took some liberties with the two prompts for today: https://storiesbystolle.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/day-2-time-will-tell. I had more in mind that I wanted to write, but I have a feeling I’m not going to have the time I desire this month to write long stories. But at least I have a draft that perhaps I can do something with in the future.
Here is my story for day 2. I did a prompt mash up with the guest prompt … hope my attempt is decent!
https://annieswritingchallenge.wordpress.com/may-2016-story-a-day-challenge/day-2-story-a-day-in-may-the-secret/
Here’s Story No. 2. A short story about war, brothers and what makes a hero.
Until I Get Home,
http://wp.me/p1AR9N-2J0
Here is my attempt: https://promptlywritten.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/the-grand-plan-flash-fiction/
My attempt at a wee story using the words given:
The race for Mayor was just beginning to get interesting, the red one was dissing the blue on and everyone was just like who knows who is better, they are both as bad as each other.
Morris, the blue party Mayor was a person to really understand, he was a typical upper class politician, putting the blame on others for the state of the way the country was turning out. He couldn’t see that he was part of the problem – the party he stood for were not really moving forward in their political gain, instead it seemed as if they were going back to the days of old.
They say they stand for one thing and then never actually provide what they promise. They just knew what to say in order to raise their votes and remain in control of the country, even though it seemed as if things were just not going anywhere. It was a shame.
But even though Morris was a bit of an idiot at times, he was a lot more better than Den, the red parties contestant in the mayoral campaign. He ran before and he did a few good things in his days, but now he just seemed to falling into a pail of trouble, always saying the wrong things as the wrong time.
However, in all honesty they both said a lot of stupid things – it sometimes seemed like they were in a relay race of who was trying to say the dumbest thing to the press! Some people never learn.
The time was coming to decide which one – the red or blue was the best person for the job – who should the public put in the frame – the tiny one or the one with the big waist!! And which one should be put on the airplane for a very long holiday. The case is still open – so which one will win the race, or will it be like the Milky Way advertisement – the red car and the blue car had a race, but all the red car wanted to do was stuff his face!!
Fun! This prompt really sends my inner editor on a vacation via an airplane. 🙂 Wrote a short short story laughing as I went.
I stuck with my (antiquated) spelling 🙂
http://whenthedogsbite.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/may-shorts-201602.html
Here is my attempt: https://angietrafford.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/story-a-day-day-two/
Am printing out the list. I am looking forward to this one!!!
I wrote a story about a girl revising for a spelling test. The only problem is that it doesn’t have a punchline/proper ending.
I think I did it — a complete lack of brilliance at play here:
http://tidbitsbyshannon.blogspot.com/2016/05/holiday.html
egads! ‘airplane’ instead of ‘aeroplane’? Is that seriously what they teach children now?
Yup. It might just be in America, though. Not sure what British children are being taught these days. But I imagine it’s probably ‘airplane’ too.
I checked. Apparently civilization is safe, as my UK friends and family assure me “aeroplane” is still de rigeur in UK schools.
Also, it appears my family members are rending their garments and plucking out their beards, since I am clearly lost to them, when I didn’t even notice this spelling glitch!
This is really interesting to me. I am in Canada, started school in 1973, and only ever was taught ‘airplane’ (although many other British spellings were used). I have always thought of ‘aeroplane’ as somewhat antiquated, as a result.
phew! My snobbiness is safe!
… i was gonna go with just plain old “plane”. … teehee.