Since some people may finish early, here's all the writing prompts for week three:

15. someone tripped her

16. barefoot in a bookstore

17. orange pekoe tea went cold

18. like a flying skunk

19. truth comes out

20. growling got louder

21. 3.14

First week--with uses--can be found at:http://nanowrimo.org/forums/usa-illinois-naperville/threads/131364

These prompts were collected at the Kick-off in October.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.

"Maybe. One of the girls was walking toward her piano on the stage and someone tripped her."

"Was she hurt?"

"No, but she was pretty shook up, which is what I think they wanted. The competition is fierce here."

Day 15

Derinda Sue. Shed been closer than most of his cousins. That Jenn would include her in Derrikks name as a memorial typified what had drawn him to Jenn in the first place. How he missed them. Derrinda Sue and how angry shed gotten when someone tripped her when playing touch football on the back lawn. He chuckled. That was probably why she went into intelligence; bound and determined to find the culprit and bring vengeance.

TRRDEDEAN wrote:Day 15

Derinda Sue. Shed been closer than most of his cousins. That Jenn would include her in Derrikks name as a memorial typified what had drawn him to Jenn in the first place. How he missed them. Derrinda Sue and how angry shed gotten when someone tripped her when playing touch football on the back lawn. He chuckled. That was probably why she went into intelligence; bound and determined to find the culprit and bring vengeance.

"I don't think that goes there" / Smell of old books / Orange pekoe tea went cold

I dont think that goes there. David Hargrove stood in front of a giant chalkboard. The only person in the room, his comment was muttered for the benefit of no one but himself. His office smelled a lot like old books and stale air, and itd been close to two weeks since hed left the room. Empty take out boxes were stacked on the floor in the corner, and his cup of orange pekoe tea had gone cold a long time ago.

3.14

For all of the times that he had written 3.14 or P = in the last few weeks. For the countless avenues hed gone down that led him nowhere and the dead ends that he had encountered. He could restnow. Knowing that he had finished, and that it was good.

Squiddish wrote:"I don't think that goes there" / Smell of old books / Orange pekoe tea went cold

I dont think that goes there. David Hargrove stood in front of a giant chalkboard. The only person in the room, his comment was muttered for the benefit of no one but himself. His office smelled a lot like old books and stale air, and itd been close to two weeks since hed left the room. Empty take out boxes were stacked on the floor in the corner, and his cup of orange pekoe tea had gone cold a long time ago.

3.14

For all of the times that he had written 3.14 or P = in the last few weeks. For the countless avenues hed gone down that led him nowhere and the dead ends that he had encountered. He could restnow. Knowing that he had finished, and that it was good.

Impressive!

I had to learn math just to write that story.

Not exactly the same words, but it captures the spirit of the prompt. --TRRDEDEAN

He was a kid when it happened, just six or seven. His mother owned a used book store. They lived upstairs. Hed been home from school long enough to start playing his video games.

I have some of the originals, and the adapter. But they were designed for a flat screen not a holo. Still some of the games are pretty good. I like the one about the alien Dominion alliance whose goal is to wipe out humanity.

Does your ancestor have a name?

Jacob, Jacob Mendelson. The power fluctuated during the Disappearance. He hollered to his mom. Before he got an answer the cars on the street crashed. He ran downstairs barefoot through the bookstore and to the cars. Didnt find anyone, nor his mother.

Ended up wandering down Route 34, dazed and wary. Three or four adults approached him but he ran away. Ran his feet raw until the Reverend found him. He joined them because Lizbeth called him. Lizbeth was the Reverends granddaughter. He recognized her. Eventually he married her. So the Reverends my ancestor too.

This is the downtown. Sura explained, And that is City Hall. Thats where all the action happens. Over that way is the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center.

Wow, thats... Kokkoroh stopped mid sentence and started coughing as a foul odor hit his nose in the wake of a passing cart.

Whew! Kuo swatted at the air. Oh man, that smelled worse than a flying skunk squirrel!

Yeah, garbage carts are not fun, Sura chuckled. Dont worry, you get used to them.

I had to change "skunk" a little since about 95% of the animals in the Avatar world are hybrids or chimeras to some degree.

They talked so much, the orange pekoe tea went cold.

"My skin is all wrinkled," Sandy said. "I'd better get out of the tub."

"Do you want another cup of tea?"

# # #

And I learned a lot about orange pekoe, like it isn't orange flavored. It's black tea.

And delicious. ;)

Barefoot in a bookstore.

Lily spent a lot of her time trying to find new places that would inspire her. Days spent exploring the local park. Hours spent barefoot in the local bookstore, tucked into a back corner. The few, short times that she had sat down at a table with a complete stranger and struck up a conversation.

Day 17

Good, finally you speak some sense.

Sol stood. My gears all stowed, lets go.

Oelson gulped his tea. Ug.

What? Said Sol, Your orange pekoe tea went cold?

When Sandy returned with two cups of coffee and a small bag, Candice asked, "Did you talk with anyone?"

"The person I bought the coffee from. Why?"

"I, ah, I wondered what places were open this early."

"I found a small cafe by the train station," Sandy said. "What's with you? You're as jumpy as a flying skunk who missed a tree branch. I thought your conversation with Paige went fine."

"It did. I need to talk to you."

"Don't you want your coffee? I also bought two croissants. I thought croissants were a French food, but these looked pretty good. What do you think?"

"Sandy, I want to talk to you."

"So, talk."

"I met our father last night."

20. growling got louder

The scraping turned into a growling, and for what felt like eternity, the growling got louderand louder. Just as it became unbearable, assaulting her ears almost physically, a great white form emerged from the smoke and the heat. Every fear imaginable coalesced into one shape, not unlike Orugat's, but covered in bones and spines, a graveyard rolled up and molded into dragon shape. His eyes, light blue as a winter morning just before the snow starts, were fixed on the humansinconsequential insects they werethat had wandered into his den. He snorted, steam blowing dark from his nostrils to join the pillar of smoke that billowed up around him.

"So you don't all live in Domodossola?"

"No. Fresca and I moved here after Mama had her operation, to help Dad with the restaurant and with her care. Gabe comes down every weekend, and for the summer. But our mother does not like being coddled. That's why she's visiting her sister. She said the three of us, watching her every move makes her nervous."

"So, the truth comes out," Fresca said. "I thought that might be the case, but you all said she needed to have no stress. She is stronger than you think. Just like I am." She patted her baby bump.

Day 19

Sol had to run to keep up with Oelson who had set the slice on a tray and inserted it into an electronic microscope scanner. Oelson whistled and said, The truth comes out. Englund Corporation would have us believe this is a delicate procedure, but this slice is perfect. Ill bed we get two hundred slices and no defective ones.

He was only partially correct in his prognostication. They did get two hundred slices but three were defective as a result of flaws in the crystal not in the cutting process.

Day 20

Candice laughed even though she hadn't followed all the details of the long story Theo and Gabe told. They kept interrupting each other to add the phrase, "The growling got louder." They did this in a menacing tone that made her giggle.

Not sure if this counts, since I mis-remembered "barefoot in a bookstore" as "barefoot in a library," and then broke up the phrase anyways, but this is what it got me:

When she fell asleep, she dreamed of home. Of the quiet Inn below Arakinden proper, with strange, foreign flowers and birds painted on all the walls, and embedded with colored glass and bits of shell and bone. She dreamed of going to the temple, of moving there, and learning to live with blank walls and strict priests. She dreamed of running through the library late at night, her feet aching on the cold floor, bare to keep from waking the librarian on her way to the kitchen's back entrance.

Day 20

Sol, can you believe these results? Oelson grinned. Five time the capacity of our current systems. These shields will be virtually impregnable, and the blast from the canons, well I cant think of anything out there that could withstand them.

Very good. Sol said. Whats that? Ive heard something odd for the last fifteen minutes. Just now the growling got louder.

Thats my stomach, you slave driver!

"Pi day?" he asked.

"You know, March 14th, 3.14. Aren't you going to answer your phone?"

Lance glanced at the display. "It's just my dad. He'll call back. Finish your story."

"We had Shepard's pie for a main course. And ricotta artichoke pie since my little sister loves artichokes. And, of course, a bunch of pies for dessert."

Day 21

How bad was it?

Bad. Since they arrived weve lost 3.14 billion in productivity and half that much in infrastructure. Were an agricultural planet for heavens sake. We only shielded the population centers and priority processing plants. They burned millions of acres of trees. Itll be years before we rebuilt.

TRRDEDEAN wrote:Day 21

How bad was it?

Bad. Since they arrived weve lost 3.14 billion in productivity and half that much in infrastructure. Were an agricultural planet for heavens sake. We only shielded the population centers and priority processing plants. They burned millions of acres of trees. Itll be years before we rebuilt.

Edit: I don't think this goes there...

Orange pekoe tea:

As the game drew on, one of the girls lifted her little tea cup and took a sip only to frown at it, Oh dear.My orange pekoe tea went cold. Thats no good. Dramatically, she placed a hand to her cheek and shook her head, Whatever am I going to do?

Ill get that warmed up for you! Hsien jumped to the rescue, reaching across the table and plucking the little cup from her hands. Sit back and be ready to be amazed!

He cradled the fragile ceramic cup in both hands and stared at it with intense focus. Wide eyed and with nostrils flaring, he concentrated on raising the temperature of the liquid. Slowly, almost timidly, a thin wisp of steam spiraled into the air.

Aha! There you are! Hsien triumphantly held it out for all to see.Firebending at your service!

Some of the guests, most of them young ladies, applauded the display, while most all of the remainder groaned and rolled their eyes.

Growling got louder:

Flamesburst to lifearound Kokkorohs fists when he was unable to contain the fire anymore. An almost inhuman growl eked its way out of his throat, and with every passing second, the growling got louder. With a roar, he erupted and threw a flaming punch at Hsien. The Fire National dodged and threw a counter-attack, hitting Kokkoroh square in the side and knocking him clear into the water.

Someone tripped herandlike a flying skunk

Did you hear about that jumper last night?

I heard someone tripped her.

Her? I swear it was a guy.

Well whoever it was. Someone told me they looked like a giant flying skunk.

What are you talking about?

What? I dont know. Arent we talking about the same thing?

The conversation was interrupted as the door across the room opened and the press started to pour in and take their seats.