Happy Friday!
I don’t know how you spent your week, but I spent mine at an environmental conference in Arizona where it was surprisingly chilly. My hotel room got down to 60 degrees before I finally found the heater control. Thank goodness for fuzzy bathrobes and down comforters.
The conference itself was great, although like all environmental conferences I’ve been to, the tone did tend to fluctuate between “it’s too late, the world is ruined beyond repair” and “we can fix this!”. Fortunately, there was excellent food to compensate for the emotional ups and downs and I had a great time using my fancy new work title. Really, it’s amazing how much enjoyment I get out of that.
Now that I’m home and unpacked, it’s time to get back to work. I had a new story idea while waiting at the airport today, but before I dive into that, I think I’ll give today’s writing prompt and/or random words a try to warm up my creativity.
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 random words and writing prompt will catch your creative fancy.
Ready?
What if: “Your character has to deal with an annoying neighbor?
Feel free to interpret the “What if” any way you choose (or ignore it completely) and include any (or all) of the following random words:
cable abattoir drumbeat encounter
slippery guilt plaything firecracker
history blubber watch fiery
banana regret binge dilemma
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 
I’m glad you’re getting so much enjoyment from your new title, Elizabeth! And that the conference had some compensations. I had fun with the writing prompts. I think I was caught in an Alfred Hitchcock program, or something, but here goes.
Saturday Chores
“What is that sack of blubber doing out there?”
My husband looked up from the cable bill, which was always too high. To assuage my guilt that it was too high, I watched too much television, binge-watching my favorite programs, most of which were on the history channel. I seemed to like the real-life fiery battles rather than the fictional ones.
Except for “Drumbeat.” I really liked that show. It was an early one, from the late 1950s, a close encounter of the musical kind of thing, launching the careers of a lot of British singers and song writers. Petula Clark was on it. I love her. What a firecracker!
When I was growing up in the 1960s, my favorite childhood program was “Captain Kangaroo,” and my favorite character was the Banana Man. He never spoke, but just made funny sounds, and he dragged around a train full of bananas. He was hilarious, if you were five. I regret that show was off the air by the time my kids started watching TV.
But it’s a slippery slope, watching TV. There’s always more good programs. It becomes a huge dilemma: watch “The Simpsons”? Or “The Big Bang Theory”? Watch “Perry Mason” or do the laundry? The choices are practically infinite.
“Carrie?” my husband said, impatient, writing a check for the cable bill, thank heaven. “What’s Fred doing out there? He’s making an incredible racket.”
I looked out the window.
“I think he’s building an abattoir in the driveway,” I said. “That, or it’s some kind of plaything with a sharp knife.”
My husband tore open the water bill.
“Well, if that’s all,” he said.
What a fun trip down memory lane, Kay, though I do have to wonder exactly what Fred is doing out there.