Day 22- #StoryadayMay2021

Day 22 Prompt

THE PROMPT

The banging on the cabin’s door is incessant. Your character throws the soufflé into the oven and rushes to open the door. No one is there, but on the floor, they see three antique brass keys and a Tarot card (JUSTICE, MAIDEN OF CUPS, or any other card). Write what happens next.

You can read this prompt and see the picture at storyaday.org

Soleah K. Sadge is the author of this prompt.

###

There is so much food that keeps appearing in my stories this month! Today I used the Hansel and Gretel tale for inspiration. In my centered call with Sarah Selecky earlier in the week one of my small groups talked about fairy tales and retellings. It is always recommended to reread the original tale. A couple of weeks ago I read the original The Three Bears tale and discovered it was an old woman in the first publication. I love to be inspired by fairy and folk tales anyway.

[Can I tell you I wish these Centered calls were more often than once a month???]

Today’s story ended up being longer than other days due the nature of the prompt. My main character had to figure out what to do with the keys and what they opened. I used part of my dream from last night in order for my main character to figure out what to do with them.

The tarot card is a tool in my writing practice already. [I am working on a class about how I use these visuals as prompts for my writing…stay tuned] I pull cards everyday and have the deck that is in the photo on the Storyaday website. This morning I pulled three cards as I have been doing for weeks and I pulled the Maiden of Cups! I guess that card really needed to be in my story today.

I am a recovering overthinker and the tarot cards allow me to think around something. I can see the visual and approach an issue in a different way than I normally would. They allow me to surprise myself much like freewriting does.

Keys are a personal icon for me as well so this part of the prompt resonated with me. I have a tattoo on my upper back that incorporates a skeleton key.

Day 22 anchors: 3 keys, white stones, purple fire, doorways

What did you write today?

Do you freewrite as part of your writing practice? I am curious so please comment!

I am teaching a Fabulous Flash Fiction class June 9-13! You won’t want to miss it. You can register here. Space is limited, so don’t wait! Spaces are filling up.

May 22, 2021 by TammyB Categories: Challenge, creativity, Delights, Mywriting, sarahselecky, storyaday, Writing Challenge, Writing Exercise, Writing Group, Writing Prompt, WritingLife Leave a comment

Fabulous Friday – #StoryadayMay2021

Happy Friday!

Today I am sharing Thursday and Friday’s writing process reflection.

If you don’t already subscribe to my newsletter it comes out today! Make sure you sign up so you don’t miss anything. I share writing tips, prompts, stories and inspiration!

I inspire others to read, write and converse because curiosity compels them to do so. I provide resources, challenges, and space for people to be inspired.

https://mailchi.mp/f99ff5fdfc67/newsletter-sign-up

###

The challenge is still going well and I am continually inspired. The fatigue of writing a full story with intention is setting in. It is about this time of the month every May I start to think that I have already come this far I might as well finish!

No one is holding my feet to the fire – it is all internal. Writing is my happy space, always. I love to be immersed within it. I think this is why the idea of an MFA comes up for me. I am in conversation with my friend Nicole from Stop Writing Alone about this very topic. You can check her podcast episode out this week here: https://www.instagram.com/stopwritingalone/

Day 21 Prompt

Write about the boy you see on either side of the reflection.

C. McKane is the author of this prompt.

You can find her at @cmckane on Twitter or at https://cmckane.com. She is a friend and you should check her out!

I combined this prompt with the Sarah Selecky prompt of writing from the POV of darkness so the first part of the story is from the POV of the little boy and the next part is from the shadow’s perspective. The boy wants to get rid of the shadow and feels that the shadow teases him and plays games keeping quiet when he thinks he is gone and then appears again. He tries several approaches to rid himself of the shadow.

He takes some desperate measures in order to get rid of a part of himself.

Anchors: shadow, book, blackened forest, silence

Day 20 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!

Windy Lynn Harris is the author of this prompt.

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.

If you do not have her book you need to order it. It is amazing and was a huge part of me learning HOW to publish. Her podcast on Storyaday that deals with flash fiction is amazing and highly recommended.

###

I had trouble with the initial idea for this prompt today. I have written about food several times over the last 19 days. I thumbed through some newer cookbooks that have come onto my radar. Then I used phrases from poems to start new sentences that cobbled together to make an interesting and unusual story.

Day 20 anchors: toast, soft boiled eggs, vinegar

What did you write today?

I am teaching a Fabulous Flash Fiction class June 9-13! You won’t want to miss it. You can register here. Space is limited, so don’t wait! Spaces are filling up.

May 21, 2021 by TammyB Categories: Challenge, creativity, Delights, Mywriting, sarahselecky, storyaday, Writing Challenge, Writing Exercise, Writing Group, Writing Prompt, WritingLife 2 Comments

Day 19 – #StoryadayMay2021

THE PROMPT

Venture into an unfamiliar thrift shop or antiques market and find an object you’ve never seen before. Even better–one whose function you can only guess! Then, tell a story in which that object plays a key role. Perhaps you can explain how it arrived there; perhaps it’s a lost heirloom or the key to unimaginable power. Or perhaps the object itself isn’t as important as how it brings two strangers together–or sunders a seemingly impenetrable bond.

Michele E. Reisinger is the author of this prompt.

###

I wrote my story this morning before work in my notebook. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go when I started writing ,but the story took on a life of its own and it moved along for several pages. I am happy with it overall. The title came out of the last part of the story which was a surprise.

The character moves after losing things and her new downtown has a thrift shop she frequents looking for treasures. On this day, she finds something that unlocks a whole new adventure. A box has a hidden treasure inside.

Day 19 anchors: box, lost things, new town

Visual representation: wooden box with a red velvet

My Sarah Selecky community had a call this evening which was delightful and about wonder. Sarah poses questions we write to and then we share out with partners. It is always a fueling conversation. She recommended 3 books which are on my wish list. The prompts were thought provoking. There is only one call per month and I am glad I was able to make it today. The times and days of the week are rotated month to month in order to allow people from all over the world to attend.

What is something you find to be a wonder?

What did you write today?

I am teaching a Fabulous Flash Fiction class June 9-13! You won’t want to miss it. You can register here. Space is limited, so don’t wait! Spaces are filling up.

May 20, 2021 by TammyB Categories: Challenge, creativity, Delights, Mywriting, sarahselecky, storyaday, Writing Challenge, Writing Exercise, Writing Group, Writing Prompt, WritingLife 1 Comment

Day 18 – #StoryadayMay2021 Llama Tuesday

THE PROMPT

There is a llama sitting on the seat beside you, drinking coffee. No one else finds this odd. He turns to you, about to speak.

Rin Chupeco is the author of this prompt.

###

Many years ago I made a joke about it being Llama Tuesday to see what would happen. To see if people noticed. They did and it became a thing. I wrote an article about it. In fact, the llama comes up in communities I am only associated with now, and not a full participant. You can read the article here.

If you google Llama Tuesday my article comes up at the top of the search.

The prompt is about a llama in an unusual situation although no one around the character seems to think it is odd. It lends itself to a surreal or dream like story. In my story, the main character isn’t sure if it is reality or not. The llama offers my character a tarot card reading because he is learning. The chair next to the llama just happened to be open!

The Sarah Selecky prompt was about something going in circles. I didn’t incorporate this idea into the story but I am still contemplating it. I had fun with this prompt but there is some magic missing from it yet. Maybe it will come to me later.

Day 18 anchors: llama, coffee, conversation, tarot reading, strength, death

Visual representation: llama sitting at a counter with coffee and tarot cards in front of him – coffee and steam in the border

What did you write today?

I am teaching a Fabulous Flash Fiction class June 9-13! You won’t want to miss it. You can register here. Space is limited, so don’t wait! Spaces are filling up.

May 18, 2021May 18, 2021 by TammyB Categories: Challenge, creativity, Delights, Mywriting, sarahselecky, storyaday, Writing Challenge, Writing Exercise, Writing Group, Writing Prompt, WritingLife 2 Comments

Day 17 – #StoryadayMay2021

THE PROMPT

Here’s a prompt from Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem Travel:

. . . there isn’t a train I wouldn’t take,
No matter where it’s going.

Create a character who cannot wait to leave their town. Why do they want to leave? What or whom will they leave behind? Will the decision to start anew prove to be a good one?

Robin Stein is the author of this prompt.

###

I adore the idea of writing on a train. I even wrote several grants trying to have a writing retreat that way. I am thinking of planning a trip for myself this summer. It doesn’t matter the destination really. It is all about the time on the train to write and watch the people and the scenery go by.

I have a story that takes place over the span of 2 hours that I have been rewriting for years now. It is called, 12:34 because I ALWAYS look at the clock at that time, usually daily.

The prompt is about the idea of escape, a common theme in my stories one way or another. Today’s story seems like it about a person’s escape from a demon, however the real escapee is the demon itself. It is a story about appearing to be something that you are not, or trying not to be.

I am not in love with this story if I am honest. I started it and it felt familiar. I search the Google Drive [if you are following along…do you sense a pattern here? Compost piles/documents are helpful people!] I did find a few lines that took the story in a different direction which I liked better.

The real winner from today was a 100 word essay I write in response to Nicole Breit’s email today. I had to play with the word count about 6 times after the initial draft was composed to get exactly 100 words.

Here is the essay:

PAPER DOLLS

Paper dolls do not have knives in their backs. Coworkers paid attention to my clothes and they made me a paper doll to change my outfits every hour.  Another time, Flat Tammy was taken to a writer’s conference. The proof are the posed photos. I made myself paper dolls and used my Bitmoji and scraps from food magazines into collaged outfits I would never wear. Other dolls I made had no face. Today I wear a dress that came from the girls’ section at the store and I am told I look like a doll. If only I was flat.

Day 17 Anchors: demon, ashes, costumes

What did you write today?

I am teaching a Fabulous Flash Fiction class June 9-13! You won’t want to miss it. You can register here. Space is limited, so don’t wait! Spaces are filling up.

May 17, 2021 by TammyB Categories: Challenge, creativity, Delights, Mywriting, sarahselecky, storyaday, Writing Challenge, Writing Exercise, Writing Group, Writing Prompt, WritingLife 3 Comments

Day 16 – #StoryadayMay2021

THE PROMPT

It’s a sign!

This prompt idea came from an episode of Valley 101, a podcast about Arizona [https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2021/01/18/who-writes-the-highway-signs-in-arizona/4183558001/] This episode was about who writes their funny highway signs, the history of them and what sort of messages they deliver. The idea of constraints appealed to me, often it drives creativity in unexpected directions.

Arizona’s highway sign messages are three lines long, with up to 18 characters per line. You can have commas, spaces, apostrophes, and dashes, which all count toward the 18 character limit. Now 18×3 characters isn’t long to tell a story, but it is long enough to deliver an important message. So the prompt is this:

Your character is in the middle of doing something mundane when they see a message that causes them to change course. The message could be something they see on a highway sign, a sign on the window of a store, a dashboard displayed in an office, or even a text message, but the limit is 18×3 characters and the message causes the character to change what they were doing/going to do.

Janine Griffin is the author of this prompt.

###

The ironic part about this prompt today is that I was inspired by a podcast for my story yesterday. [I wrote about it here.] I drove up to the Wisconsin Dells yesterday and these “clever” signs are everywhere and I find them incredibly distracting. They are rampant in Wisconsin. It seems the perfect fit for my story today.

I used some of the actual signs that have been on the road as headings for the parts of my storyline. A character is escaping a relationship and has made a decision to leave finally. The signs are the pieces of the story that help put the pieces together for the reader to reveal what is happening.

I sometimes like a device to pace a story for the reader. I have used the grief framework to pace stories before and I enjoyed that the signs emerged as a similar device. I have also used the 12 Steps to write stories. It is a fun way to experiment with a form and structure.

As far as a productivity and management writing thing I have noticed that I have been charging my laptop and writing until it gets so low on charge that it will die. That seems to be a good chunk of time to get work done!

Day 16 Anchors: Signs, highway, escape, safety, Seattle

Visual Representation: Digital sign, safety cones

What did you write today?

If you would like to read what I reflected on in Day 1 click here. I have blogged about every day of the challenge so feel free to scroll through the posts. Comments are welcome!

Day 2

Day 14

I am teaching a Fabulous Flash Fiction class June 9-13! You won’t want to miss it. You can register here. Space is limited, so don’t wait! Spaces are filling up.

May 16, 2021May 16, 2021 by TammyB Categories: Challenge, creativity, Delights, Mywriting, sarahselecky, storyaday, Writing Challenge, Writing Exercise, Writing Group, Writing Prompt, WritingLife Leave a comment

Day 15 – #StoryadayMay

THE PROMPT

At the midpoint of May, I want you to write a story where your character is half way between one thing and another — at a transition. This can be literal, emotional, or metaphorical.

Julie Duffy is the author of this prompt.

###

The idea of transitions is not a new concept for a story. When I did my morning writing with my coffee on this Saturday morning nothing was coming to mind that excited me to form into a flash piece. The routine was a bit broken this morning and so I went for my walk early.

I listen to the Qwerty podcast hosted by Marion Roach Smith and her guest for the latest episode was Alexandra Stafford who is a food writer. Her mother had a peasant bread recipe that went viral after Alex finally got permission to share it on her blog. It was her mother and Alex’s “party trick.” because it was always so good. I find the idea fascinating that bread can be a party trick. I am well aware of the idea that certain people are known for brining certain foods to a potluck, carry in at work, etc.

Alexandra has a new cookbook out called Bread Toast Crumbs which has recipes that use the remnants of all those homemade loaves of bread. She created it after her freezer was filled with heels and crumbs and misshaped loaves.

I love bread and in fact it is my favorite food. I used to love to cook and try new recipes. There are a few ideas for stories that I have had in the compost pile that have not found the right fit for a story and today they came out! The idea hit me about a character and I wrote notes while on my walk and I wrote it when I came back home. They were ignited by this podcast.

This May, I have found many ideas that have not had the right fit for so long are clicking into place with these prompts. It is a satisfying feeling when ideas find the stories they are supposed to be in.

The draft is more an essay than a story. I will put some kitchen witch magic into it so it will be more fiction and fun. I will keep thinking on it today and make more notes for the next rewrite.

Day 15 Anchors: Spoons, bread, recipe, transition from recipe follower to nourishing kitchen witch

Visual Representation: Bread in the center, bowls in the corners of the card and swirling spoons. Fire and a hearth

What did you write today?

If you would like to read what I reflected on in Day 1 click here. I have blogged about every day of the challenge so feel free to scroll through the posts. Comments are welcome!

I am teaching a Fabulous Flash Fiction class June 9-13! You won’t want to miss it. You can register here. Space is limited, so don’t wait!

May 15, 2021 by TammyB Categories: Challenge, creativity, Delights, Mywriting, sarahselecky, storyaday, Writing Challenge, Writing Exercise, Writing Group, Writing Prompt, WritingLife 2 Comments

Day 14 – #StoryadayMay

THE PROMPT

Your character is doing something innocuous and habitual like washing dishes or driving in a car or picking up dry cleaning or taking a walk in the neighborhood when a ghost/spirit appears to them. Whether it is human, animal, or other, what is it saying and why has it appeared to the character at this moment?

(This is good for dredging up something from the character’s subconscious and also for throwing your character off track with something unexpected.)

CAROLINE KIM is the author of this prompt.

###

I adore ghost stories. I love reading them, hearing them, and writing them. I was surprised when an idea didn’t immediately pop into my head.

Another level of complexity exposed itself when I searched my Google drive and found only a few notes about ideas pertaining to ghosts. This led me to think if I use other words for ghosts.

I did find some notes in my Keep app that had not made it to an actual document yet but ended up having no bearing on the story I wrote.

It took some thinking today but then an idea came and I started with the line, “It was time to gather the bones.” I combined the Storyaday prompt with the Sarah Selecky prompt. My character is in the line at the post office, stuck without her phone for distraction because she thought she was just going to run in and out.

Since my day was busy I wrote it in sections today a few sentences at a time. It may add to the overall style of the story after revision or I will rewrite a lot of it so there is more smoothness to the next draft.

I like the idea of ghosts playing the part of spirit guides to impart wisdom for the people they are attached to so once I was able to get started the rest of the story flowed. I was able to add some elements from time I spent in New Orleans as well and some other details of ghost stories from others I liked. I may ask my kids this evening what they think a ghost would tell them. I am likely to get a strange answer.

I am sure I will come back to this prompt another day.

Day 14 Story Anchors: bones, prepaid envelope, photo from cemetery

Visual Representation: Bones around the frame and the black image in the shape of a girl.

What did you write today?

If you would like to read what I reflected on in Day 1 click here. I have blogged about every day of the challenge so feel free to scroll through the posts. Comments are welcome!

I am teaching a Fabulous Flash Fiction class June 9-13! You won’t want to miss it. You can register here. Space is limited, so don’t wait!

May 14, 2021May 15, 2021 by TammyB Categories: Challenge, creativity, Delights, Mywriting, sarahselecky, storyaday, Writing Challenge, Writing Exercise, Writing Group, Writing Prompt, WritingLife 1 Comment

Day 13 – #StoryadayMay

THE PROMPT

Write a story from the perspective of a character that is not a human or other animal.

The character could be something from nature, like a rock or a puddle or a tree, or it could be something built (for example, a lamp or a shoe or a fountain pen).

To consider:

How does your character think? And what do they think about it?

What is most important to them?

What happens to them and how are they able, or not able, to react?

How do they feel about this?

Monique Cuillerier is a science fiction writer living in Ottawa @MoniqueAC

###

I love a story written from the POV from an object. I think objects have a ton of potential. This is why I love thrift stores…tales tend to stick to old things. You can feel it when you walk in.

I combined Sarah Selecky’s prompt about a crocus with the storyaday one, so my flower is speaking. There is a lot of description but subtle conflict. I want some more transformation for the piece eventually. I did not know much about the flower and learned it is where saffron comes from. The most expensive spice in the world lends itself to conflict somewhere! This plant has some sass and I like it.

From another Storyaday participant I learned about a structure from Japan called Kishōtenketsu. It is a story told in four parts without conflict. There is an unexpected twist. I did some research today, and found it is similar to urban legends. I am realizing through my reading that a lot of what we think about story is just a Western cultural idea. We are taught that stories must have conflict to be a story where in other cultures that is not always the case. I am finding this structure interesting and am glad to know about it now.

I am also researching gothic structure. I am learning more about this style which is a favorite of Nina LaCour. I want to play with the drama and beats of this style.

Lots of writing rabbit holes to fall down.

I was also able to go into my Instagram and type out my #100dayproject sentences. After searching for the document in my drive I panicked when I couldn’t find them. 100 sentences are a lot to lose!

I like many of these sentences and want to use them as story stories for individual stories. Maybe I will use one to start my story tomorrow!

Story 13 anchors: crocus, saffron, expensive

Visual: purple and yellow crocus bursting out of the snow in the center, winter and spring icons as part of the border

What did you write today?

If you would like to read what I reflected on in Day 1 click here. I have blogged about every day of the challenge so feel free to scroll through the posts. Comments are welcome!

I am teaching a Fabulous Flash Fiction class June 9-13! You won’t want to miss it. People on my newsletter will be able to sign up first and spaces are limited. Registration opens tomorrow. It will be a unique generative experience no matter what level writer you are! Sign up for my newsletter here to be in the inner circle to get the details.

May 14, 2021May 15, 2021 by TammyB Categories: Challenge, creativity, Delights, Mywriting, sarahselecky, storyaday, Writing Challenge, Writing Exercise, Writing Group, Writing Prompt, WritingLife Leave a comment

Day 12 – #StoryadayMay

Today’s prompt is about a story within a story.

THE PROMPT from Storyaday

“One Thousand and Two Arabian Nights.” Story as survival: Your protagonist tells a story within a story in order to avoid some kind of disaster.

###

I had to read this prompt three times to notice the story within the story part. I haven’t read “One Thousand and Two Arabian Nights” so I looked up stories within stories and found a more apt connection for me: The Neverending Story. That text made more sense to me and now I know what I will be watching later this evening!

My Sarah Selecky prompt is story among the leaves and my original plan was to incorporate this theme in my story. Sarah is also sharing her “Writing through Uncertainty” prompts she published last year and that seemed to work today as well. “Today I discovered something new” is a sentence stem from that prompt.  

The writing from my notebook and PUSH group last night became the heart of the story. I wrote about a notebook my character finds on the train. I have tried writing this story before, or at least a version of it. A search in the google drive provided a freewriting draft of a similar scene. I have moved that document into the Google folder for this month’s storyaday.

I drafted this story on the computer. With the writing from last night being the bulk of the story, I needed the story to come out faster today than I could write it. One of the things I love about handwriting and then transcribing is I get an almost effortless revision as I type. I have found it easier to tighten the language when I transcribe fairly quickly. The idea of what I wanted to write is still fresh in mind this way. Sometimes if too much time goes by I lose my original intention. This is not always a bad thing, just something I have noticed.

Hemingway seems to be on my mind this week, and I remember a story where his wife was visiting him and brought a suitcase of his notebooks but left them behind on a train. This story has always stuck with me. I have no idea if it is true, and frankly, my writer brain doesn’t care! I hope one day to find that suitcase with the notebooks in a thrift store somewhere!

In management news, at the end of last month I moved the past years Storyaday drafts into one folder simply labeled “storyaday”. Some of the past year’s drafts are still preserved in notebooks and have not been transcribed. Google dates and time stamps the documents when I open them anyway.

I like to have the current challenge’s stories all together at the top of my drive since I dip into that folder everyday. If I choose to share my story on Centered, the private Sarah Selecky community, and comments are shared, then I copy and paste them to the bottom of the draft. That way, when I go back to revise I have the commentary right in the same document. Usually lines of note are highlighted and general feelings about stories. Many of my drafts have a dream like or surreal quality since I like to read and write that type of story. It is always interesting to hear other people’s take on a story created that day.

What did you write today?

If you would like to read what I reflected on in Day 1 click here. I have blogged about every day of the challenge so feel free to scroll through the posts. Comments are welcome!

I am teaching a Fabulous Flash Fiction class June 9-13! You won’t want to miss it. People on my newsletter will be able to sign up first and spaces are limited. Registration opens May 15th. It will be a unique generative experience no matter what level writer you are! Sign up for my newsletter here to be in the inner circle!

Details about the class are here: https://mailchi.mp/d376163c35bc/fabulous-flash-fiction

May 12, 2021 by TammyB Categories: Challenge, creativity, Delights, Mywriting, sarahselecky, storyaday, Writing Challenge, Writing Exercise, Writing Group, Writing Prompt, WritingLife 1 Comment