The Weekly Prompt Thread

[Neo Emolga]

Your prompt this week:

What can I do to make the prompt better?

I'll nibble. I read these things all the time but I don't usually say anything.

I would say go with prompts that stray away from the everyday stuff. The stuff we've all probably done before or happen all the time in real life every hour of the day. Stray more into the weird, odd, uncanny, fantastical, and mysterious stuff instead that never happens. Prompts are really meant to push a writer out of writer's block and hit them with things and inspiration they haven't seen before. Not to mention readers would like to read about things that take them away from reality for a while and make them think in a whole new way.

I would say go with prompts more like these:


Normally your character wouldn't be shocked and alarmed about waking up on a normal day, and while this wouldn't seem strange to anyone else, your character distinctly remembers dying yesterday.

Your character has an amazing dream about being a dragon and hearing a voice telling them to "awaken." They wake up to start the day and everything seems normal until they find a strange claw-like marking on the back of their hand.

Ten years ago, your character walked through their hometown's streets and everything was fine and good with the world. Today, your character straps into a gas mask, body armor, protective hazard suit, and prepares their firearm in case they face the worst today.

Your character gets a text message from their father. Normally this wouldn't seem alarming, but your character's father died five years ago.

Your character used to get annoyed whenever they heard a baby cry. Today, they would do anything just to hear a child's voice once again.


All of these touch base on things that almost never happen to anyone and I feel like these kinds of things make for the best writing prompts. There's nothing wrong with using "how are your characters coping with the cold" or things like that, but most of us have dealt with the everyday stuff before. I think to really nab a reader in well and to kill off Writer's Block for a writer, there's got to be something deeper, darker, and stranger for them to explore.

[EmeraldSky]

Great ideas--I'll see if I can come up with some in that vein (and keep it kinda Pokemon related)

[Neo Emolga]

Great ideas--I'll see if I can come up with some in that vein (and keep it kinda Pokemon related)

No problem, and hey, if you ever want me to submit a few more to you, let me know! These were fun to come up with. :)

[EmeraldSky]

@Neo Emolga

Go nuts! I await your suggestions.

[EmeraldSky]

This prompt was suggested by @Neo Emolga:


Your character has an amazing dream about being a mage and hearing a voice telling them to "awaken." They wake up to start the day and everything seems normal until they find a strange star-like marking on the back of their hand. Was it really just a dream?

What powers did your character get? How does your character react to having powers? Do they use their powers for good, or evil?

[EmeraldSky]

Your prompt this week is a picture:

Right here

Tell me about the world in the picture--what kinds of beings live there? What's their culture like?"

[EmeraldSky]

Your prompt this week:

Suppose it was possible to implant Z Crystals inside of humans, granting them superpowers. Your character is one of the first few that has survived the battery of physical and mental tests to become one of the first ones to undergo Z Infusion, as the process is called.

Which of the 18 type based Z Crystals does your character choose? What powers (besides a longer lifespan and dramatically increased defense) does this Z Crystal grant your character?

[EmeraldSky]

Your prompt this week:

We all know Bulbasaur is one of Ash's most reliable Pokemon. But what do you think his life was like in the Hidden Village before he met Ash?

[Cleobel]

Your prompt this week:

We all know Bulbasaur is one of Ash's most reliable Pokemon. But what do you think his life was like in the Hidden Village before he met Ash?

Hello everybody! Here is my story for the prompt of this week. There are sad elements in the story :

Spoiler:

The Bulbasaur who would eventually become Ash’s Bulbasaur was born in a forest near Cerulean City. He grew up there, surrounded by his parents.
As he was getting older, he became more and more independent. One day, when he was walking alone in the forest, he met another male Bulbasaur. Both Bulbasaurs immediately fell in love with each other. Consequently, Ash’s future Bulbasaur started spending less time with his parents and more time with his boyfriend. They loved each other very much.
A few weeks later, when the Bulbasaurs were kissing each other and "holding vines", Ash’s future Bulbasaur’s parents saw them. That’s how they found out that their son is gay, and they were really upset about that. As a result, they brutally attacked both Bulbasaurs and they abandoned their son.

Both Bulbasaurs were severely injured during the attack. Fortunately, soon after it, Melanie found them and brought them to the Hidden Village. She took care of them as well as she could and they did their best to stay strong together.
Eventually, Ash’s future Bulbasaur recovered from his injuries, but his boyfriend died due to his injuries. The surviving Bulbasaur had loved his boyfriend until the end and was heartbroken about his death. He cried for weeks as he was grieving.
While Bulbasaur was grieving, Melanie did her best to take care of him and of the other Pokemon of the Hidden Village. Eventually, Bulbasaur started helping Melanie take care of them, in order to avoid them suffering like he had suffered. After all, that’s what his compassionate boyfriend would have wanted.
For a few years, Bulbasaur helped Melanie take care of the other Pokemon of the Hidden Village… until Ash and his friends arrived there.

This story could also explain why Bulbasaur says "Just call me an orphan. I have no family." in the episode "Island of the Giant Pokemon".

[EmeraldSky]

@Cleobel

Thanks for your answer--you do come up with a plausible explanation here...