1. until it started raining

2. sacrificial teddy bear

3. scent of smoke

4. right into the ditch

5.dozen wilted yellow roses

6. manacled to the radiator

7. Snapple cap fact

(Next writing prompt will be in a new thread.)

These prompts were collected at the Kick-off in October.KatherineWriting will post one of these each day in the Naperville forum (and edit this post) and people can respond to the post with how they used it in their novel. (If they used it.) Or how it caused them to look at their story in a different way.

Special prizes will be award at the TGIO for:

* Most creative use of a prompt. (But keep it PG-13.)

* Most prompts used.

* Led to the most unexpected turn in the story. (Keep it clean.)

* Most ______ (to be determined)

* And, starting on December 1st, there will be a side contest to see who can use at least half of these prompts in the shortest short story that makes some kind of sense. (Maybe we'll read them at the TGIO, or the first Journey meeting. (Journey is the year-round writing group.)

Must RSVP and be present at TGIO (Thank Goodness It's Over) party on December 7th to win a prize.

But anyone, and everyone, can try to incorporate the prompts into their writing if they wish.

While I did get more than 30 from the kick-off (more like 60, but I picked 30 of them), if anyone wants to suggest one in the next day, feel free. Keep it short, though, I'm not doing long ones.

Prompt 1 (can be used at any point in November, it doesn't have to be on day one.

1. "until it started raining"

So, feel free to share a short paragraph with this line. (Once you've made your wordcount goal for the day.)

"I don't care," she said. "This is the first sunny day I've seen in over a week. I'm going to get outside and enjoy it."

"You mean until it starts raining?" He grinned.

(So, in case you were wondering, yes, you can modify the writing prompt a little--especially changing the tense or any she/he to the other gender.) Today's is easy. Wait until you see tomorrow's. :)

Oelson just pursed his lips but then when the view plates glowed a brilliant chartreuse. Transfixed he held his breath until it started raining sparks of silver lightning dancing around the chartreuse halo.

Forgot to post hereeee.

The buzz of the evening and the effect of the alcohol had them all in high spirits, And, except for June and Ale in the car behind of them, they remained that way until it started to rain. There was an audible sigh from Pete as he flipped on the wipers. While rain was calming to the two behind them, for Pete it just provided one more hazard on an already dangerous night to be driving.

It was a self-fulfilling prophesy in the worst way possible as the four of them watched in slow motion as a semi-truck jackknifed on the high way in front of them. He was immediately slamming on the brakes, trying to avoid adding themselves to the already mangled cars in front of them. It sobered them all up instantly as their bodies jerked forward from the sudden stop and their brains struggled to keep up and process what their eyes were seeing.

11/2 prompt is a little trickier. (You can still use the one from day one, by the way.)

'sacrificial teddy bear'

This should be interesting.

I present you... the sacrificial teddy bear.

On the passenger side of the car, in the backseat, the baby was lying in his car seat. The roof had been collapsed almost to the point of crushing the baby, and the only thing that provided a barrier between the baby and the hard, unforgiving metal, was a stuffed teddy bear. It looked mangled now; pierced through by the sheet metal that had been deformed by the semi. The haphazard angle that the bear was lying at looked almost like it had jumped there to protect the child, sacrificing itself to save the baby. No doubt itd been bumped and tossed in the sudden jerking stop that the accident had caused, but Ale was certain that it had protected the babys head and, in turn, saved his life.

Somehow I thought youd say that. If you want to be a sacrificial teddy bear you go outside, but not me, Oelson said. The EVA suits are beyond that."

"It was great! I went and got a street performer license and payed in a different spot of Chicago every day. Everyone seemed to really love it! It was a blast," Rachel says in a most enthused way.

"until it started raining," Meagan mutters under her breath. Frannie has to try to cover his laugh with a cough.

Maybe she'd buy a sacrificial teddy bear for Lupe. She usually didn't buy things at the airport, but she'd promised to take the kids to the zoo. If she promised Lupe a stuffed animal, she wouldn't complain when she called at bedtime

(Oh!!! I can get free cookies, just by adding in 'or a pink squid')

Score!

This one came in handy at the write-in today!

"Isada paid almost more attention to her recall and analysis of the council's discussion than to where she walked, until it began to rain.

She was not familiar with rain, really, as snow was nearly all that fell from the skies of Tilldrakis. She was especially not familiar with the skies seeming to open beneath the thick clouds that had amassed themselves over the course of her day inside, letting torrents of frigid water pour down in sheets. She was quickly shivering even in her long wool coat (which she would certainly /not/ cut short, thank you Amara), and wished desperately that she had coin with her to duck into a tavern, at least for dinner an some time by the fire to dry out."

Not the loveliest writing, but I do like that my poor, runaway assassin got lost in the rain :)

This is fun.

"We were planning on walking to the costume contest, until it started raining. The three of us got a ride to the Coliseum for the town Halloween parade because our parents werent about to walk five blocks in drizzle. As my rotten luck would have it, Tank was the first kid from school I saw when we got there."

Here she comes, the blue eyed blond German Sorceress, he jeered as I joined the circle of parading kids on the gymnasium floor. Yeah, she thinks she doesnt need a brown one to give the evil eye. Whats her incantation? A Yodel? What does she sacrifice at the full moon? A teddy bear? Yeah, Smutterbeck, no prize for you, AGAIN.

Day 3, 'scent of smoke'

I open the front doors to the school, and am immediatelyhit with a blast of air that is significantly colder than when I got here this morning. Well, I guess it's officially fall. I walkdown the street(heading to Vivi's house)really fast. The scent of smoke drifts through the air, a mean reminder of the barbecues of the summer andthe warmth of those sunny days.

I may have a few grammar mistakes in there. Sigh. I shall have to live with them for now.

scent of smoke

"I just wanted to let you know that I think your eggs are burning."

"What?"

Hillary grabbed the pan, noting a distinct scent of smoke. Now she'd have to start over, again.

# # #

Until I wrote the last line, I had no idea that this poor omelet maker would have to try three times to get a picky customer's order right. I bet I could even work a squid in there if I really tried. :)

I leaned over the fireplace and looked up at the small opening that lead up to the sky. The fire was gone, the embers were dying, but a light scent of smoke still lingered.

Do you think theres some trick to this? I asked. How was my grandfather able to fool all these people into thinking he could climb a stupid chimney like this?

#####

Yes! I finally did one!

While in most situations, the victims would have been left until the paramedics arrived, the sight of gasoline pouring from the side of the truck and the scent of smoke from somewhere within the wreckage alarmed all of them into action.

Haha. When in doubt, put a squid in it.

In the twilight between sleeping a waking Sol realized two things. First, the scent of smoke permeated his quarters and second he was security netting had collapsed onto him.

Day 4.right into the ditch

Thank you for the extra wordcount! I needed that!

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Be prepared to move out at first light tomorrow. Someone called, and Kila nodded.

Think everyone has heard? she asked, waving for the young woman to stop and chat.

Probably, but we cant be too sure. Although Im certain theyll figure it out in the morning. Hard to move this big a group silently. Im Esteirya by the way. Kila nodded.

Nice to meet you. What do you say we take a break? she suggested, and Esteirya nodded gratefully. My tents pretty far, but if you dont mind a walk, we could eat together. She offered.

Mine is closer. Right there, actually. Kila smiled, pointing. Join me? Esteirya grinned.

Of course! Beats a two-mile walk any day. Especially in this crowd. Kila murmured her understanding and led the way over the her fire pit.

As they drew closer, Kila took in a deep breath, savoring the aroma of the forest, before she paused, sniffing the air carefully. Then she stopped dead as she recognized the scent of smoke.

Forget tomorrow morning. She muttered, swearing. Get everyone moving now! <!--[if gte mso 9]>Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>

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It grew even colder once outside the three sided shelter of the gondola loading area. He couldnt tell if it snowed, but what the wind blew felt disorienting enough. Illumination from the gas lampposts lining the path gave some frame of reference. Hed need someone to guide him back as his footprints shifted into nothingness at each step.

Hed better stay as close to the center as he could. No sense walking right into the ditchor worse. No broken bones today, thank you.

"It is like we are driving in the Jeep of music theory. This form keeps going and keeps going and keeps going!" Professor N says in his naturally enthusiastic way.

"And then we use up all the gas and drive it right into the ditch," I say. The students around me laugh.

The tavern was overwhelming: chatter, laughter, yelling from the kitchen, movement as people bustled here and there and the barmaids hustled right on around them, the sour smell of beer and wine, a mix of food smells that seemed to include some kind of meat, and under it all but still noticeable, the scent of smokea muddled blend of woodsmoke from the fire burning in the corner and the scented herbs being burned at each table.

The woman pushed her hair back from her face with a trembling hand. "I hate to bother you, dear, but my stomach is a wee bit upset."

Her husband spoke up from the window seat. "We had a problem driving to the airport in all the rain. The car in front of us drove right into the ditch. Mary almost followed him, and then we wondered if we should have stopped, but we didn't want to miss our plane."

day 5:dozen wilted yellow roses

And my use:

"I can't promise you much in tips," she said. "But if you're lucky, you can take home a dozen wilted yellow roses."

"The leader was speaking again, and while Dolittle could only see the mans eyes, he imagined there was something akin to a scowl on his face. He wasnt so sure what that guy was pissed about. He wasnt the one strung up like a pig in a slaughter house.Hed probably go home to his little dirt house later and have a nice night and Dolittle would end up dead and thrown right into a ditch somewhere. Bastards. Couldnt even count the blessings that were right in front of their faces."

"Probably wouldnt even get sympathy flowers. Not that he thought shed really want them. The last thing she needed was a vase of wilted yellow roses that reminded her of what happened."

When his eyes caught the dozen now wilted yellow roses lying as haphazardly as when Jenn had thrown them against the wall yesterday. He frowned. So much for my favorite color; my favorite flower; they always cheer me up.

I finally got my first one to fit!

By this point we were both yelling at each other and Im sure everyone in the house could hear us but I certainly didnt care. I was furious. With both of them. To be honest I was mostly mad at Derek for keeping such huge information from me but I was still pissed at Jack for being the messenger. Even more so for the fact that I knew he was perversely happy about it. We stayed outside fighting and talking and fighting some more until it started raining.When Jack saw I wasnt planning on moving, my feet still firmly planted where I stood even as the sky opened up on top of us he picked me up andflung me over his shoulder running straight for the shelter of the house.

Prompt 1: Jackson opened his mouth, but he wasnt sure what he intended to come out of it, until it started raining and the girls attention shifted.

This actually provided me with a good way to get two characters away from the group that wouldn't normally interact with each other, in order to have Marlene give Jackson some information (or misinformation). It also worked well to show Gemma a different side of Jackson when he offered to walk Marlene to the bus stop under his umbrella.

TRRDEDEAN wrote:When his eyes caught the dozen now wilted yellow roses lying as haphazardly as when Jenn had thrown them against the wall yesterday. He frowned. So much for my favorite color; my favorite flower; they always cheer me up.

lol.

(This really made me laugh, Dave. Good job.)

6. manacled to the radiator

In case anyone is wondering, I plan on starting a new thread on Friday to keep this one from getting too long. And I'll recap the first 7 prompts. So far, I've been using them each day, but this one is going to be tough for me, I think. Probably a piece of cake for Squid, though.

I agree with what Jez said in that these prompts can help with the writing, giving a transition or a reason for interaction between characters.

Oh man, my world doesn't have radiators! I'll have to find something vaguely equivalent to manacle someone to... Maybe there's a grate by the fireplace? Hmm...

A sharp cry caught their attention, and Lesed tensed. Run! he hissed, leaping away from her side. The cold air immediately attacked her exposed skin, and she shivered.

Which way? she yelled after him, not caring who heard anymore. Theyd already been found.

Lesed didnt answer, instead disappearing over the slope, where the sounds of chaos reigned. Kila mounted up, and her mount lunged forward, stumbling a few paces before rolling right into the ditch, crushing the princess for a moment before rolling onto her side. Kilas leg was still trapped underneath, and as she pushed and cried out, she noticed a barbed arrow protruding from the creatures side. Its breathing was labored and heavy, and her heart twisted in sympathy. She sat up as best she could, twisting her body awkwardly to reach the shaft enough to pull it out carefully. The creature shuddered and moaned, but was too weak to fight. Kilas brow furrowed.

Too weak to fight already? From a simple arrow?

I can't share more and keep it clean, but here's a little:

"Did I tell you about the time I was manacled to a radiator?"

(And afterI posted today's prompt, I changed the scene from yet another lunchto one that takes place at a lingerie shop.)

Do I get extra points for combining two prompts into one?

Dave

I said my ancestors had eclectic taste. Sol rolled his eyes. This is one of the more unusual pieces.

Is that blood on the teddy bear? Marcia asked.

I suppose someone analyzed it sometime. Sol said. But its another pre-Storms piece. Its encased in a k-null stasis field so the fabric wont deteriorate.

Who would put a cleaver in a teddy bear and attach it to an antique radiator? Mark said.

The artist was Dean Arnold and when he crafted that piece the radiator wasnt antique. Sol said. You need to drop off your things before we go to the lab.

Whats it called? Marcia said.

Mark leaned forward. This Arnold person had a complete lack of creativity. The piece is called A Sacrificial Teddy Bear Manacled to a Radiator.

I got 2 in one today.

I do understand why you werent there today. Really I do. I just wish you would have told me so we knew not to expect you, and knew that you hadnt gotten into an accident and had your car thrown right into a ditch or something crazy like that. I was imagining the worst when I called and called and you werent answering. I could see myself walking up to your gravesite surrounded by dozens of wilted yellow roses.

"That does not seem like it will be a problem for you. We would have to manacle you to the radiator to prevent you from being in the practice rooms," Brian smiles at me. I grimace in return.

Vivian's house is different from most houses. It's a little bigger, as all Council member's houses are, and looks a little different. The brick is a different shade than the house where I live, and the paint on the white shutters is peeling. The small garden was covered with a dozen wilted yellow roses, seeming to reflect on the state of the people who lived there.

PBJ63010 wrote:I got 2 in one today.

I do understand why you werent there today. Really I do. I just wish you would have told me so we knew not to expect you, and knew that you hadnt gotten into an accident and had your car thrown right into a ditch or something crazy like that. I was imagining the worst when I called and called and you werent answering. I could see myself walking up to your gravesite surrounded by dozens of wilted yellow roses.

Very nicely done. I expect soon we'll see three prompts in one paragraph, and we'll be well on our way to the short story contest after NaNo is over.

catatone1 wrote:"That does not seem like it will be a problem for you. We would have to manacle you to the radiator to prevent you from being in the practice rooms," Brian smiles at me. I grimace in return.

That seems to really fit in with the gist of your story. And it's not even dark. Cool.

kikitheouse wrote:The small garden was covered with a dozen wilted yellow roses, seeming to reflect on the state of the people who lived there.

Nice atmosphere!

7. Snapple cap fact

(Hmm, I could have a little trouble with this one. A search for 'Rome Snapple' brings up Rome, Ohio, not Rome, Italy (where my MC is at the moment.) On the other hand, she does have a daughter heading to Michigan....

The next writing prompt will be in a new thread.

One might think Moniquewas a mason and not a make up artist, as sheappliedlayer upon layer of powder to Allesandra'sface."Oh, now that is disgusting" blurted Allesandra. Monique paused, eyeing her."This Snapple Cap Fact #53says the average woman consumes six pounds of lipstick in her lifetime." Shaking her head, Monique resumed her stroke, adding"I believe that!"

Katherine here is an Italy based Real Snapple Fact I came across, not Rome, but Italian:

974

All gondolas in Venice, Italy must be painted black unless they are carrying an important person.

Paige: Not when Melanie is mad at me. She won't even play Snapple cap facts with me.

Lance: I suppose you had a great one.

Paige: Of course. Guess what the closest living relative of a T-Rex is?

Lance: Some type of lizard.

Paige: Nope. A chicken.

Lance: You know, they do sort of hold themselves the same wayat least in the pictures of T-Rex I've seen.

Paige: They're also close to Ostriches, but chicken was on the Snapple cap.

# # #

More words than I expected from that one.

"Sitting up a little bit, his gaze searched the bed. Maybe she left the key. He couldnt see through the pile of goodies that were discarded, and he doubted he could even reach, but he scooted over on the floor a bit and tried to stretch out and reach anything. No luck. Even his arms werent long enough for that. Narrowing his eyes and glancing around the room, he realized just how much space he had in there. Maybe he needed to redecorate. Move things closer. Make it easier to reach somethingthe next time he found himself manacledto a radiator in his bedroom."

Bet you wouldnt give up the perks. That estate is impressive and how else could you maintain the largest collection of Snapple cap facts? What did that last one cost you? A quarter of a mil?

Sol nodded. It completed my collection. No one else has a complete set.

And Im a quarter of a mil richer.