The Prompt
Write outside your comfort zone with a random genre, weather type, and errand. (see below)
When you are stuck for new ideas, working from specific suggestions can open up new possibilities. They can also take you out of your normal way of working and help you explore different approaches. You never know what sort of story will result.
Roll a die for each category. (Don’t have a physical die? Google can do that for you.)
Then, write a story in your genre, with the particular type of weather and errand.
(Bonus: choose a favourite childhood character as your main character.)
Genre
- mystery
- romance
- fantasy
- political satire
- science fiction
- thriller
Weather
- snowstorm
- light rain
- heat wave
- extreme cold
- strong wind
- sunny and warm
Errand
- buy groceries
- return library books
- make a bank deposit
- pick up a child from an extracurricular activity
- deliver a birthday present
- renew a piece of government identification
The Author
Monique Cuillerier lives in Ottawa, where she writes fiction, long and short, when she is not procrastinating on Twitter at @MoniqueAC or sporadically posting at notwhereilive.ca. You can read one of Monique’s stories in the anthology Bikes, Not Rockets
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.
Leave a comment and let us know how you got on and how you’re celebrating!
