(Monthly) Short Story Writing Prompts

Discussion in 'Community Creations' started by Blob Translations, Oct 19, 2016.

  1. Blob Translations

    Blob Translations Group of the cutest and coolest blobs around

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    What is the Monthly Short Story Writing Group?

    This is a writing group dedicated to short stories (500-7500 words). @yuzuki started this thread because @yuzuki personally wanted to get more in the habit/practice of writing more short stories of many different genres, and @yuzuki finds it motivating to write alongside others! If this sounds like you, maybe this creative writing group might be something you are looking for.

    It's nothing particularly complicated -- every month, we select an official writing prompt or topic.

    We ask anyone participating to submit a short story (500-7500 words) based on that topic before the 15th of the month. Feel free to share/post your short story in the submission thread, and ask for criticism if you like! This is a very informal group, so we are a little disorganized right now, but definitely share any ideas you have!

    What are the rules?

    Short stories should be 500-7500 words long. They should be your original work, and they should be complete. This means that they have a full beginning, middle, and end. Anyone reading your short story should be able to understand it without prior knowledge of the setting, universe, etc.

    When posting your story in the submission thread, make sure it's in a spoiler tag. Include a title, genre list, word count, and short synopsis with your story.

    Short stories are due on the 15th of every month!

    What is This Month's Topic?

    Please see the first post of the the submission thread for this month's topic!

    How do I suggest a topic for next month?

    Post your suggestion in this thread, and it will be added to the topic voting list for the next month...
     
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  2. Zero300

    Zero300 『Mask Maker』『Kamen Rider Khaos』『Demon Immortal』

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    or a few of us could all band together and write a novel with each of our own avatars as protagonists in the story.
     
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  3. Kickuck

    Kickuck Well-Known Member

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    Me me,I am in,when is the deadline?
     
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  4. Aternus

    Aternus Well-Known Member

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    You could use this site as your prompts since most people here have such interests in the first place. Pick a popular novel for the week and have everyone write the next chapter or something.
     
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  5. Glaurung

    Glaurung Long Member

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    my avatar? protagonist?

    @yuzuki why not? if you get people interested- go for it. a critique workshop that's online may seem odd though.
     
  6. Potatos

    Potatos [Mostly Inactive] [Frozen Ink's Slave #2]

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    ...would work for some, but what about avatars like mine?

    Once upon a time there was a potato that cultivated to the delicacy realm; the highest rank ever in his realm called "supermarket". Unfortunately for him, he and his friends/minions/allies caught the eye of the biggest enemy yet: Housewife! They were taken, stuffed in plastic bags, rolled around until finally, Potato slowly watched his friends be cut into pieces. It wasn't fair! His hard work, his talent, it had all gone to waste in front of housewife. But at last, he too was grabbed, placed on wooden board and he watched a sharp object descend upon him. He slowly closed his eyes and though to himself "If I have a next life, I will use my talent to my best abilities and defeat "housewife"!

    He woke up in a start, and looked around and found himself as a mere seed.......

    Best novel on earth, I rate 11/10, too good for my eyes.
     
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  7. Zero300

    Zero300 『Mask Maker』『Kamen Rider Khaos』『Demon Immortal』

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    Potato=plant=plant demon=human after some cultivation
     
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  8. iampsyx

    iampsyx Have some rest, and let's do better tomorrow

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    Joining joining joining joining!!! \o/ \o/ \o/ @Pyoo @SpearOfLies @crimsonwolf8439 @Imnotarobot and I are all collaborating on a novel right now, so I won't be able to join in @Zero300's suggestion of another collaboration.

    A short story writing group would be awesome though, so count me in!! :X3::X3::X3::X3::X3::X3::X3:
     
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  9. yuzuki

    yuzuki [sweet night] [plum blossoms]

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    I think it's a nice idea, but I'm not really looking to write something like a novel right now. XD I kind of want to practice writing short stories (with an ending and everything), because I think it's a different kind of exercise..... ...also because I've never finished a novel before XD, and I kind of want to get good at writing complete short stories for now.

    I hope you find some people to work together with on a novel though!

    orz, I actually don't really read that many novels (only a small handful), so I think I might be out in this case. XD I haven't written fanfiction in a while though.

    I like the idea of using your profile picture or username as a writing prompt -- like somehow using something in your profile picture in your short story. If you have a question mark, well........ XD

    Maybe it might be good to come up with 3-4 prompts every month, and members can pick one that they like the most to write on.

    As for the critique workshop, I'm not sure if I was thinking that seriously about that kind of thing. If people are open for that kind of thing, maybe they can get together? Personally, I wasn't looking for too much critiquing, but I know some person are, and I think it'd be nice to do so if they want.

    I think an avatar like yours would work great! It might be odd, but creative writing workshops do that all the time -- they give you a weird topic and force you to write about it. XD ...like potatoes.

    I dunno, I'm spinning random ideas, but if I had to write about potatoes, maybe I'd write a Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale spinoff that uses potatoes instead of beans.

    \o/ \o/ \o/ XDDDDD
     
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  10. yuzuki

    yuzuki [sweet night] [plum blossoms]

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    Maybe mid-November? There was the Halloween contest this month already, so maybe it we can think about the next month. What do you think?
     
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  11. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    I'm totally up for it if this becomes a thing.
     
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  12. Imnotarobot

    Imnotarobot [Primus Exemplar] [ Ex-Machina] [Omnifarious]

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    I've been summoned
    We'll need a name tho,
    Aye.. I used to be in a short story group we called ourselves the Fabulist, for we made fables and yarns...
    Its disbanded now...
    *Sigh loudly and look off into the distance*
    I wonder where they are now...

    Is the fastest way to learn (other than doing it)
    One learns how to explain flaws soundly, because even if I were to point out a flaw very nicely, but is unsound or unreasonable.
    the anger OH the anger, from the author it's like a solar flare, wipes out all electronics and rage quits.
    and after awhile you understand what people try to say in critiques even if it is said poorly or rudely.
    and from it, you know why and how something works. and if you don't know why but know it doesn't feel right talking about is a great way to explore it.
     
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  13. yuzuki

    yuzuki [sweet night] [plum blossoms]

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    orz I'm really bad with names. XD Maybe someone with much better naming sense than me can give a stab at it if they want.


    I think that's a good point and definitely true. I guess if you're a writer posting things in this part of NUF, you're probably looking for critique anyways. XDDD *sigh* It's been so long since I've written much too.
     
  14. craBebe

    craBebe Well-Known Member

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    I've heard about this in artist groups, where each month they choose a theme. And at the end of the month meet up to critique each other's work and decide a winner. The winner gets to choose the theme for the following month. They did the meet up as a dinner party, but obviously that's not really applicable here.

    Easy way to consistently try and improve a craft.
     
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  15. iampsyx

    iampsyx Have some rest, and let's do better tomorrow

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    Yeah! Maybe the atmosphere of NaNoWriMo would inspire other people to write more too! ><

    This. I've always wanted to be in a critique group! One-line comments like 'it's bad' or 'i like it' doesn't really help you much...
     
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  16. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    U mean we cant have potluck on weekends?!?!
     
  17. Imnotarobot

    Imnotarobot [Primus Exemplar] [ Ex-Machina] [Omnifarious]

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    @yuzuki
    *Convert* *Convert*
    Getting back into writing ?
    why not try the dribble (50 words) the drabble (100 words) or sudden fiction (750 words)
    or the highest tier we aspire to the glorious art of 6-word fiction
    all beginning middle end loaded with information

    "For sale: baby shoes, never worn" ~attributed to Ernest Hemingway
     
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  18. SpearOfLies

    SpearOfLies [Lucky Dad][Has a lovely daughter]

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    I prefer one generic theme to stimulate creativity. But if we going to make multi choices, make it more specific to not go to wild.
     
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  19. orang

    orang Fatewatcher

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    Perhaps it was a simple twist of fate, perhaps it was all a dream, or perhaps a bored time-manipulator took pity on it. No one knew, and neither did Potato care.
    What is important now is to gain strength. Strength enough to violently murder the fiend who slaughtered his brothers.
    With that in mind, Potato extended its tiny tendrils into the soil all around, and absorbed qi with all its might.
    Fortunately, only its physical form was affected by whatever phenomenon it was. All of Potato's knowledge and cultivation techniques were still intact.
    After an hour and half of relentlessly absorbing qi, Potato finally broke through to the first level of cultivation. It gained the ability to feel the earth around it, not much, but enough to know where it is.
    And Potato was shocked beyond belief.
    The qi quality was much inferior to his previous home's! To put it into comparison, if before it was fresh mountain-spring water, now it is sloppy mud mixed with a bit of rot.
    No wonder what took fifteen minutes before, now took an hour and half.

    This is bad, thought Potato silently.
     
  20. SpearOfLies

    SpearOfLies [Lucky Dad][Has a lovely daughter]

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    Oh right. November is impossible for me. Nanowrimo will take all my writing creativity to write a genre I never writed before.
     
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