When I was first considering writing seriously, I was intrigued by prompts. But in truth I would just read them through and move on. When I actually started to let my mind explore the thought for a minute I was actually taken off guard by what my mind could do with the prompt. Now, getting ideas from prompts is good writing exercise for me. I've even outlined some stories because of them. But that's not all. I love to see different opinions that branch off the same idea. So choosing these prompts each month and reading what entries come in will expand my own imagination. (And maybe even yours too.)
Now, I want to present a newish set of rules--
1. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A WRITER TO PARTICIPATE!
2.View/Read/Listen to the prompt with a mind primed to explore the possibilities!
3. You don't have to answer all of the questions I pose. They are there merely to aid your mind in taking imaginative flight.
4. Share what ideas you gained in the comments. This could include a bit of dialogue, a general scene sketch, a plot problem, character names and place, or even the 'history' of a prompt. (But, if the idea you create happens to be so great, you might want to save it for a future date!)
5. Read and perhaps add to the other replies and answers submitted. (Recommended not required)
Well, after all that to do, I'll share the prompt now--
I'm not a huge Halloween girl, however, I did try and choose some kind of prompt that could go along with the slightly spooky feel that comes with October. (But then again, it can do something totally different as well!)
What's happened in this greenhouse? Is/was it a greenhouse? Is it known locally? Who previously owned it? Who owns it now? Where is it? Why is attention being drawn to it now?
Yours truly,
Cordy
I'll try and do this first comment to give an idea of what you can do here!
ReplyDelete“Ugh, Mark.” Aimee took her time stumbling out of the car. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She mumbled to her shoes before taking another look. “This is your payback project?”
Mark said nothing and leaned lazily against his truck.
Aimee sighed and took a few tentative steps towards the building. “It was one house, I had you paint one room, in one house, pink. That’s it.”
Mark made a scene of studying the dilapidated greenhouse like he would an interesting theory on life itself.
His partner interrupted his thoughts. “You coming with me to tour this—museum of the last great stand of the dirt mites?”
Caught off guard Mark snorted, breaking his composure. “Where do you come up with this stuff? Sure, the place as seen some action.”
Aimee scrubbed her hand down the side of the building which slimed her hand but left the window in the same condition. She frowned and then stepped back.
“There were wars fought in this place.” she scoffed rubbing her hand clean in the grass. “There are even mountains around to allow for plentiful hiding locations for the bodies.”
“You’re so warped.” Mark’s brow wrinkled in a smile. “Come on, ladies first.” He strode to the entrance and beckoned dramatically.
“Right,” Aimee agreed sarcastically coming to stand by him and looked into the inky green interior. “If I walk in there, it’ll be like walking through a 3D swamp.” She hugged her arms nervously, “why would anyone want this place fixed up?”
Mark assured Aimee he would be right behind her, to which Aimee replied,
“Excellent, when I scream and faint from something brushing my shoulder, it’ll be comforting to know I won’t sustain any brain damage.”
“Can’t wait.” Mark said sincerely, before following his colleague into the greenhouse.
See? Nothing amazing is required.
Wow! You make it look so easy when you do it! I really like what you came up with. It turned into a very intriguing story snippet, indeed! Thanks for the example. ('"You coming with me to tour this--museum of the last great stand of the dirt mites?"' '"Where do you come up with this stuff?"' Haha! I love the banter between the characters. :D)
DeleteCan't be here already!! I haven't even finished my September one!!! Yes, I am donig one but I'm busy, and I'm still figuring it out. I will get it out and this one too! Soon...
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I think your idea for doing a new storming prompt every month is really cool! Usually I tend to shy away from things like this because my brain always seems to freeze up on me, and then it's just too much work...haha!...but this one--surprisingly enough--has inspired me. So I'm going to embarrass myself and share what I wrote. (Yes, of course it's going to embarrass me. That's how it works. Don't give me that knowing look. ;))
ReplyDeleteTwo boys around the age of thirteen, made their way purposefully through the twisted, knotted pines of Laurel Hill forest; stumbling ever and anon over the helter-skelter array of overgrown grass, twisted brambles, and fallen tree branches; but coming out at least upon a small hill clearing where stood the imposing edifice for which they had been searching. It was an old glass structure, one which looked to have been, in better times, the elegant conservatory of a wealthy duke or baron, but which now belonged solely to the crow and to his numberless spidery companions.
It was no sight for sore eyes, that's for sure. With its broken pains of fogged up glass, rusted metal splintering in decay, and vines creeping through every available crack and cranny, it was a sight to give one sore eyes, that's what! And now poor Fred and Orville stood before it, staring in blank astonishment at its bleakness.
"Are you sure you want to go in there?" Orville asked, with that familiar expression stealing across his face, which read quite plainly, "I told you so."
"Of course," Fred replied, squaring his shoulders. "This is our chance to prove to Jason that we're not wimps."
"You mean it's your chance to prove it. I'm not going in there. Besides, I've already proven to Jason that I am a wimp. And I find I'm quite content with that."
"Oh you're not either," Fred said impatiently. "Now come on. Where would be the best place to enter, do you think?"
-Sorry. Too wordy. (As usual.) Had to split it into two comments. Hope that's alright. :P
"By the back door, of course. We'll have a much better chance of sneaking up on the resident ghosts if we come at them from behind, I think."
ReplyDeleteFred glared at his friend. It irked him that Orville was taking this whole thing so lightly. And he also greatly disliked the mention of ghosts. Not that he was superstitious or anything nutty like that, but one has to admit there is a time and a place for such talk. And this was not the time, nor the place.
"I think right here in front is our best bet," Fred said, making his decision quickly, as the thought of going around to the back was not exactly a pleasant one. "Anyway, this door looks like it stands a chance of opening without falling apart, and that's saying something, I think. No idea what the back door looks like...if there even is one. So, right. Shall we go in?" Taking a deep breath Fred moved cautiously toward the "ancient ruins", his senses alert, and his mouth clenched tightly in concentration. (Not fear. Concentration. It would take a lot more than an eerie, creepy old building to scare the likes of Fred Wilkins!)
"'Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee,'" came the funeral like tones of Orville from behind.
"Oh, dry up!" Fred exclaimed, spinning around to face him. "Did you come to give me moral support, or just to breath foreboding prophecies down my back?"
"The foreboding prophecies bit. Yeah, that sounds like my line of work," Orville said, with a provokingly cheerful smile.
"You're a big help," growled Fred.
"Thank you. I do try," was the infuriating rejoinder.
Fred gave it up. What was the use of quarreling? It was obvious he was in this alone. Well! And so what if he was? He didn't care. Let his best friend desert him. He was going in. And he was going in now.
Well, I guess that's all I've got. Thanks, Cordy! This was actually quite fun. :) Please pardon mistakes and nonsense and awkward sentences and all that. (Heehee. I just had to say that, didn't I? :P)
I love the discriptions! Even without the picture you can see it. And I love the character you put into your characters!
DeleteAww. Thank you, MovieCritic! :)
DeleteAww. Thank you, MovieCritic!! :D
DeleteOkay! Here it is! I'm sorry, I'm turning this in at the last posible moment!
ReplyDeleteI groaned as we topped the hill. There it was, the Hickman’s haunted green house. Everyone around here knows the story of it, they say it is haunted by Molly Hickman, that the green house was her prize possession, the glass came all the way from Paris, France. She won the prize every year for the best flowers in the area! Rumor says that when she died the green house was passed on to her son, Frank. Frank was resentful of his mother spending so much time in there, and not on him that he made plans to tear it down. When the wrecker arrived, a screaming banshee appeared that looked just like his mother! Everyone ran away. But that was years and years ago. I thought back to this morning when we were doing Halloween dares, I remember the looks in Ricky Smith’s eyes that said, “I’ve got a good one for you.” It gives me shivers to think of it. Anyway, we are here now.
“Go on! Go inside!” Ricky yelled.
I stepped gingerly through the door. then out of nowhere a ghost popped up and started screaming! At first I was terrified, but the I say Jane, my best friend hiding in a tree with a projector, so I put on a big show.
“What? You guys scared? It is just the ghost of Molly Hickman, what did you think we would find here?” They all ran away screaming. once they were gone Jane got out of the tree and I ran to her and gave her a hug.
“Thanks helping me!”
“It’s what best friends do! You know what, we should restore this a bit.”
“Yeah, I’m not scared any more.”