Hi, all! I’m Monique and I’m going to be posting prompts each Friday this month.
The theme is “Friday Favourites” and means that each prompt will be a generic premise for a story that is also the description of a classic (or favourite!) novel.
The Prompt
A person wakes up, not quite remembering what happened the night before, and is surprised and upset by what they see outside the window.
(The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams)
Tips
Change the genre. Instead of science fiction, turn it into a mystery. Or a romance. Or a children’s story.
Where (or when) do they wake up? ‘Window’ can be interpreted broadly.
Have fun!
Monique Cuillerier has always loved to write. She also enjoys procrastination. These two interests are frequently in conflict. Her stories have appeared in Round Up Writer’s Zine, Black Heart Magazine, (parenthetical), and elsewhere. She blogs sporadically (although more frequently during Story A Day!) at notwhereilive.ca
https://storiesin5minutes.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/in-a-different-world-storyaday-post/
I’m caught up, but have not posted all the links here! Here’s the one for this prompt: http://jahangiri.us/2013/eliana-argonaut-storyaday/
Finally finished Day 4. I’ll catch up eventually!
https://unusualstrangeness.wordpress.com/2015/09/05/story-a-day-challenge-day-4-displaced/
Finally got a post up about my story using prompts 1-4…writing by hand so I took pictures.. WordPress is being wierd with the pix so you’ll have to click on each picture to read. :/ Yeah. I should’ve just typed it up!
http://www.lesliemariedawson.com/story-a-day-september-update-prompts-1-5/
I mulled this prompt over all day long, not convinced that any of my ideas were going to work. I ended up going back to the first idea I had when I read the prompt (since that’s been working for me so far) and it ended up being one of my longer stories of the challenge. It just needed a bit more time than the others, so post is late, but accomplished! https://fynralyl.wordpress.com/2015/09/05/story-a-day-challenge-day-4-josephine/
This was my first day participating in the challenge and I think I did okay. https://awritersoutlook.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/story-a-day-challenge-sept-4/
I’ve been reading lots of entries over the past few days and I finally decided that maybe I should participate too. I don’t post enough to my blog anymore, nor do I write enough (expect for my job) so this should help.
I wrote something: http://notwhereilive.ca/2015/09/04/story-a-day-september-day-4/
It took a while, as I wasn’t sure where to go with the prompt (even though I wrote it). I guess I hadn’t really thought of writing anything using it…
I love the prompt but I’m not sure I did it justice: https://sonyca.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/off-my-lawn/. I may have to put this one on the list for longer stories…
Ha! I like it, Sonya. Glad you enjoyed the prompt.
Ah, I just got a rejection for a short story I sent to a competition. Hey ho. I have to say, coming here and hanging with you writers, encourages me to keep going!
You have more chutzpah than I do. I can’t bring myself to submit any of my stories anywhere. 😀
Thanks for the great prompt Monique. I’ve only done the start of a story, definitely a mystery. I’ll come back to this as I think it has the makings of a good short story. I’ve managed to resurrect my blog, so it should now appear.
https://storyadayseptember2015.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=4zqom08BAAA.VIvncveB8QUCQeuG3vbLKQ.IYJ_i4DQLysXNC2jHtvipg&postId=492188358591676348&type=POST
You’re welcome! I glad you liked it.
Your story beginning is very intriguing. I like it.
The idea that spawned out of this will definitely go places. Guy waking up after a bender to find he signed up for a deep space expedition. I’m loving these prompts! 😀
Haha! Sounds like a good start!
My story to day is ridiculous and I love it!
http://writerishramblings.com/2015/09/04/story-a-day-challenge-day-4-betrayed/
Well done Kristi, I felt really sorry for Bailey! His manhood gone in a flash!
Ha! Well done, you sucked me right in and then…bam!
I had fun with this one!
http://susan-reads.blogspot.com/2015/09/out-window.html
I loved this, Susan. Great opening line that set me up to enjoy some really lovely writing. Well done. (And: oops!)
Oh dear! Great story 🙂
Did not see the end coming. Nicely done!
I didn’t see that ending coming at all. Very enjoyable!
I had a tough time getting into the writing today, but I did my best to at least write something. You can read it here: https://storiesbystolle.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/day-4-wishing-yearning-repainting. The password is 4.
Whoa! Dark. I love the image of the window.
See, at this point my critique group would cry, “tell me the rest of the story” and I would cackle and say “that’s a short story, right there, kiddos!”
Well done!
I must have forgotten to request replies to my comments for this day. But I appreciate your comment, Julie. This was a weird story to write, but I had some fun with it. And I cackle all the time. I don’t even like novels that seem complete. Maybe I’m weird that way. But I like having a chance to fill in some of the gaps myself. 🙂
Dark indeed! The misunderstanding would be funny if it didn’t come with such horrible consequences… Like it 🙂
Thanks! I can’t write something as a straight dark story, so I have to add in some humor. My favorite thrillers have that element of farce to them. The darkness pulls you in, but the humor keeps you focused. 🙂
I thought it was all good but I thought you did an especially good job on the seventh paragraph where the window melts and people are like molten marbles. I would not have wanted to be there. Yikes
I love writing about dangerous situations and what happens when they occur with a ferocity. Perhaps this one was a little too much, but this is all about experimenting with limits, right? 🙂
Oooh! Very nice. Your writing is wonderfully vivid.
Thanks, Monique! I’m often terrible at painting scenes, so I’m working a little harder this month at trying to do that. I think I’ve forgotten that in recent days, as I’m always too much into narration and dialogue than using adjectives and good verbs, but I need to come back to this one and read it again when I feel like I can’t describe something. 🙂 I can’t wait to see more of your Friday Favourites prompts! 🙂