The Prompt
Write a story inspired by a plant.
I love plants, whether they are in pots on my desk, in my community garden plot, or–best of all–growing where they choose outdoors.
Do you have a favourite plant? One that you find particularly fascinating? Or repulsive?
It could be a tree or shrub, a vegetable or a plant known for its flowers, or a so-called ‘weed’.
What does it make you think of? Do you have memories, positive or negative, associated with it? Do you associate it with a favourite food or a terrible rash or a wonderful fragrance?
Think about the texture of the leaves, petals, or bark. How would you describe the smell? What does it taste like?
Use some of these ideas as the basis for your story.
The story could be a fleeting encounter with someone wearing a floral scent you find repulsive. Or a story about a child planting pretty flowers with their grandmother. It could be about the struggles of growing hops in a Martian settlement.
Or maybe your story won’t be about the plant itself at all.
Monique Cuillerier
Monique Cuillerier writes (mostly) science fiction. She lives in Ottawa (Canada) and spends her non-writing time running, knitting, getting angry on Twitter (@MoniqueAC), and (unsurprisingly) gardening. Her work can be found at notwhereilive.ca
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