Category: Story Challenges

“And I’m afraid that we can no longer use your services since they are not a good match for the responsibilities of this position.” I sat stock still. Yes, these two women I’d worked with for four years were firing me. No wonder my IN box had gotten so empty; it wasn’t because I was suddenly super-efficient. “We’re sorry that the promotion to manager didn’t work out. You

Claude Monet, the Impressionist painter, was famous in part because he decided that it might be interesting to try painting one scene over and over but on different days, at different times of day, in different weather, but always from the same perspective. You might try Googling Monet’s “series paintings” to see what I mean. He did many of Rouen Cathedral and many of some haystacks. I’ve seen

Without meaning to offend anyone, I do claim that we mere mortals can also come up with a meaningful creation myth. Well, “myth” might be the wrong word, but how about taking a stab at answer this question: How did we get here? Were gods sitting somewhere up very high, waving wands and creating the cosmos and our planet? Did an egg crack open and give birth to

Celeste paused on the threshold of the log cabin that leaned to one side, ready to topple. Ramon peered out of the woods at the woman who had just arrived.

How about telling a holiday story, but including one of the following very un-holiday-like items as a way to yank your story into new territory. –Easter eggs –motorcycle sidecar –Franklin Roosevelt’s dog Fala –tire iron –Tarot cards –tree bark

Peanut inspired me on that last challenge. I’d like to set up a story that we can all build on. In this challenge you have a play to put on. Feel free to be yourselves as characters if you wish since the casting has not been finalized. We need a director and also a sponsor putting up the money who isn’t quite sure what to think. The setting:

Albert (actually Alberto, with Italian parentage) is a social worker, mid thirties, living in Chicago. He has fallen in love with Roberta, single mother to a two-month-old baby boy. She has recently separated from her somewhat feckless husband, Stanley, who wants to be a professional musician. Albert has plans to woo the lovely Roberta, so he can take care of her. Roberta is currently living in a third

He has a heart of molasses.

You are in a small train station. It has long, old-fashioned marble benches along the walls with two down the middle of the room. The ticket office has a window with a set of six vertical cast iron bars, closely carved, with a half an oval opening at the bottom where the ticket man would take your money in exchange for a ticket, if it wasn’t closed. Posters

I want to invite you to our imaginary college class: Creative Writing 101. The setting is a typical institutional room with individual desks, arranged in rows. Florescent lights cast a dull white light. A white (not black) board covers the wall in front, and the teacher has a table to arrange his/her materials on. I am not the professor for this class, but I may decide to add