October's Let's Write Together
PROMPT POST!
We just finished our October Writing Prompt Party on Zoom for the Great Substack Prompt Celebration. Loved the participation from a new batch fiction writers on Substack, but we know there are even more of you out there waiting for this month’s prompt so you can get started on your story of the month. Let’s get started!
First, Let’s Talk Prompts!
Alright Fictionistas, let’s hear about your opinions on prompt types. In the comments below, let us know:
What kinds of prompts do you prefer?
Do you like highly detailed prompts/scenarios leading you into a story you must continue? Do you prefer a “less is more” approach to prompts? Are you most inspired by visual prompts? Is there something else you look for in a great prompt? In short what kind of prompt inspires you most to get new words, worlds, and characters on the page?
Now, On To Our Month-Long Fictionistas Prompt Celebration!
If you missed the post with all the information and instructions you can read via the link below. Don’t worry you can still participate. Grab your laptop or pen and paper and join the fun!
And Finally… The Prompt
This month Nicole shared a prompt from a book called The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood. The prompt simply said
Do something with these words:
vale, simper, fling, cranberry, kiosk, winsome, prey, and quacky
What now?
Now that the party is over, it’s time to polish your piece to get it ready for next week’s discussion thread. Get your polished story (no longer than 1000 words) on your Substack page, or on a a view-only Google doc, and put the link in the comments of the thread post we will share next Thursday.
Once you share your stories, the community will start reading, and we’ll be looking for the stories that impress us most!
(Note: One of our special guest participants this month was Brian Reindel of both Fictionistas and LUNAR AWARDS fame. He informed us that we are in the middle of a Lunar Awardds season, so if you are a spec fic writer, you may want to check that out to see if what you craft with this prompt qualifies for submission!)
Let’s write together this month, Fictionistas!
Share the Fiction Love!
Do you know a writer who is looking for this kind of inspiration and community support? Don’t forget to share this post so we can read their stories too!
I’m Heather, creator and face behind Sprinkled Inspiration. If you’re looking for more prompts, I’m your girl! I post daily prompts and Have a feature Friday where other creatives share a prompt of their own. Join Here
I’m Nicole creator of all things Stop Writing Alone including a podcast, a YouTube channel, and a Substack community hosting multiple monthly Live Zoom Events for writers seeking community. If you are ready to truly stop writing alone, join here.
I actually prefer prompts like this one which are kind of vague and open ended, because then I just start making associations, and the story comes from there. When it’s a more detailed prompt, that gives me a situation, setting, and/or character, it’s sometimes harder for me to find the story.
Thank you for the shout-out! I was nervous going in because I'm terrible under pressure and want to get better. I was pleasantly surprised, but then really blown away by the output everyone had. It was great to see how each writer tackled this in their own way and unique voice.
I would encourage everyone to do this at least once, even if you only write a few sentences. You meet and hear other writers, you get some immediate feedback, and hey, it's Fictionistas! We're like, you know, a bunch of writer nerds. 🤓