This week started with a twisted ankle and is ending with a multi-day mail server outage at work – someone must have released a bucket of negative energy into the universe. Hopefully next week will be better. True it starts with Tax Day (in the U.S.), but that means it can only improve, right?
Although this week has been a bit of a loss, the weekend should make up for it. The cloudy grey weather of today is supposed to transform into clear skies and sunshine. Perfect for my plans which include a band, a parade, and an adorable dog or two.
Theoretically my plans should also include some writing time, but we’ll have to wait and see how that goes. I have a stack of books from the library, as well as The Lion in Winter DVD, so there will be some tough choices to make. Especially since there are those pesky taxes to finalize as well.
I was able to spend at least a little time brainstorming about today’s writing prompt while working out at the gym earlier today and would like to get those ideas down in writing before theyfall completely out of my head . . . as my ideas often do. I’m determned to set aside at least a short bit of writing time before I get distracted by something else bright and shiny.
Care to join me?
For those of you working away on a story (whether a first draft or a polished version on its way to publication), if you’re not feeling random, we’d love to hear a bit – whether it’s a scene, a paragraph, or even a phrase that you are especially pleased with and would like to share.
If you don’t have a story in progress, or just want to work on something new, I hope today’s story prompt and/or random words will catch your creative fancy.
Ready?
What if: “Your character witnessed a crime?”
Feel free to include any (or all) of the following random words:
heavyset hopscotch chameleon boast
ashes dignitary barricade farm
thunder camel prophecy puppet
loudspeaker practical grizzly signal
I look forward to seeing your stories in the comments. If you’re not feeling in the writing mood today, or don’t have time, feel free to post suggestions you might have for future “what-if” prompts. Ideas are always welcome.
Happy writing to all!
Eight Ladies Writing 
It surprised her how easily the knife disappeared into the back of the heavyset man. She’d always imagined Hollywood’s rendition was based on make believe and that bones would block the blades entry. Fascinating.
What was the doing standing and staring. She should be running and screaming. She’d just witnessed a murder, for goodness sake. The man with skin the color of cold ashes and a hump on his back –Oh, it’s a backpack–turned and faced her. He still held the knife. How had she missed him pulling it out of the crumpled heap on the sidewalk? Truly, the victim looked less like a human and more like the pile of laundry presently sitting in the corner of her bedroom, which is where she should be, barricaded behind her locked apartment door.
She trained her eyes on the murderer and the bloody knife he was swinging as he walked her way. In a grizzly voice resembling thunder he proclaimed she was next. That was her signal to run.
5 minute sprint. Thank you, this was fun.
Hi Tinthia. Thanks for stopping by and playing along. That’s great for a five-minute sprint. Of course now I want to know what happens next, an why was she still standing and staring?
Five minutes! You are the CHAMP. And an excellent and creepy story, to boot.
I meant to write a crime, and then, I just didn’t. Or not exactly, anyway.
The Kickoff
The crowd hushed momentarily when a disembodied voice came over the loudspeaker.
“The zoo will be closing in ten minutes,” it thundered. “Please move to the exits.”
Little Liza Jane checked with her parents from their location at the camel exhibit.
“It’s still early,” she complained.
Her father, a heavyset but otherwise practical man who’d have preferred on this Sunday to barricade himself in the living room with the remote and a football schedule, signaled his willingness to depart.
“We can go out past the grizzly enclosure,” he said.
That prophecy was cut short when they met a zoo dignitary, waving them in another direction.
“The zoo is now closed,” he said.
“What happened?” Little Liza Jane’s mother asked.
“The chameleon bought the farm,” the dignitary said.
“Is that it?” Little Liza Jane said, gazing at the tiny pile of ashes on the sidewalk. “Is that the chameleon?” She did a little hopscotch around it.
“It is,” the dignitary said.
“I saw it!” she boasted.
“Our finest specimen,” the dignitary agreed.
“What was the cause of death?” Little Liza Jane’s mother looked stricken.
“Spontaneous chameleon combustion,” the dignitary said. “Very sad.”
“Very,” Little Liza Jane’s father said. “I wonder how it got out in this hot sun? Oh, well. Come along, now. Mustn’t be late for the kickoff.”
“Spontaneous chameleon combustion” – LOL. Good job Kay.
I had a Bully Goat chasing me around in my thoughts from a few writing sprints ago. Well, here he is again.
I jogged down the mountain trail and out of the tree line when I felt the rain drops. The trail merged into the dirt lane that ran behind Albee’s farm. If I cut through his pasture, I’d be home before the heavy rain. I ran around the bend and saw Albee’s back gate was already opened and there stood Bully Goat. That stopped me.
I looked into his alien eyes and my nerve twanged causing willies to shake down my head, neck, and shoulders. He backed up, getting ready, set. I went go, turned and ran for the nearest tree. I monkey climbed it. He just missed me and head butt the tree.
I was shaken but hung on. He was staggering and stumbling around, eyes moving around in different directions. His tongue hung out the side of his mouth and slapped his nose, wop wop wop, like a belt whacking shoe leather, wop wop wop.
He seamed to get his senses together and screamed at me. He backed up getting ready for another attack. I took my Nike off and threw it at him. It bounced off and fell at his feet. He sniffed it. Crazy-assed goat’s eating my shoe!
I would hate to meet that goat in a dark alley!