The Prompt
Food can trigger visceral memories and strong emotions. Think of your favorite thing to eat and also your least favorite. Today, write a story inspired by food. Maybe your character is at a grocery store, or maybe they’re cooking at home with the kids. Maybe they’ve come across a fruit stand on the side of the road. The item you choose can be of central importance to the story or not. Anything goes!
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The Author
Windy Lynn Harris is the author of Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays: The Essential Guide to Getting Your Work Published (Writer’s Digest Books). She’s a prolific writer, a trusted mentor, and a frequent speaker at literary events. Her long list of short stories and personal essays have been published in literary, trade, and women’s magazines across the U.S. and Canada in places like The Literary Review, The Sunlight Press, and Literary Mama, among many other journals.
P. S. A little bird tells me it’s Windy’s birthday today, so feel free to celebrate in the comments! – Julie
Read A Book, Support An Indie
This year’s StoryADay May official bookseller is Reads & Company, a privately-owned indie bookseller in Pennsylvania. Any purchase from the site this month supports Reads & Co.
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Leave a comment and let us know how you used the prompt, and how you’re celebrating!
Today’s story is called TOFU, and it’s about a young girl finding out that her parents are separating when she falls off a chair at a Saturday night market.
This prompt gave me a scene in my novel. My protagonist and her husband are trekking in the mountains and happen to pass by a farm which had oranges for sale at their door. Stopping to buy some, they get chatting to the residents of the farm and discover there is another farm for sale nearby. It has neglected land with almost derelict buildings but the farmhouse is habitable although in poor repair. On their onward trek they couldn’t stop talking about it so they obtain the sellers details, view it and so their adventure began.
For the second time, I am postponing a prompt, and giving myself a day off. This time of the year– home stretch for the school year– is mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting. This year more than ever. Be back tomorrow.
Again, I applaud this decision and I definitely hear you!! (You can tell I started StoryADay in May before my kids were really in the school grind, can’t you?!)
Enjoyed today’s prompt!!
Happy birthday, Windy! Have some cake 🎂