Linda’s Ten Writing Prompts for Unusual Stories

1)

A woman named Helene (the last “e” is silent so it’s just pronounced the regular way you would pronounce Helen) who was born into an aristocratic family in 1614 goes for a walk in the woods and finds a toothbrush left by time travelers.  Write a novel chronicling Helen’s life-long attempts to figure out what it is.

2)

A man named Mr. Kneedyy (in this case the “k” isn’t silent but the last “y” is) leads a lonely existence as a shy, tightrope walker whose only joy in life is vacuuming. He often wonders whether his life is worth living at all —  that is until the morning he wakes up in a bed of overly-ripe bananas.

3)

Write a story about the life of a New York City, albino,street urchin in 1882 who is sent to live in an orphanage where they kill his parrot and tell him sawdust is sugar.  One day he contracts a horrible ear infection.  Write the story from the point of view of his eardrum.

4)

A woman who is afraid of her own shadow, opens the door to her closet to find the bogie man dressed in her clothes, but instead of being afraid, she falls instantly in love.  Write this story from the point of view of the red stiletto heels the bogie man is wearing.

5)

Colonel Conrad Bleen (most of the letters are silent but the word colonel is still pronounced nothing like it is spelled) has been shipped a faulty coffee machine from the aliens who reside on planet Wubbly. The Wubblyians are coming for a visit next week and are expecting Colonel Conrad Bleen to serve them coffee.    Choose your favorite historical figure to explain why the Wubblyians won’t be getting any coffee.

6)

A girl named Swanda Smithers (the “s’s” are almost silent but not quite) is told a very important secret by a strange Italian man she meets while walking to the city pool.  If she tells anyone the secret — the universe will cease to exist.  Write a story about what a horrible swimmer Swanda Smithers is from the point of view of the secret.

7)

Write a short scene in which an arthritic court jester with dyslexia is sent in to tell the severely nearsighted Mary Queen of Scots she could use a bath.

8)

While a man is strangling his wife on a rowboat in Lake Superior, she dies of pancreatic cancer.  Write a story about why the man shouldn’t be tried for murderin Lake Erie’s opinion.

9)

A woman named Connie Knophughner (every other letter is silent) buys a used  car and opens the trunk to find a package that is ticking.  When she unwraps it, she finds outit’s a clock that has a bomb embedded in it.  Write a scene about what happens next from the point of view of the used car salesman who is hiding on the floor of the backseat of Connie Knophughner’s  car.

10)

A man named Ponts Nuggles (all the silent letters in his name have been removed so don’t worry about it) comes home to find that his wife has turned into a box of Ritz Crackers, but she can still talk; Ponts Nuggles, however, has been deaf since birth.  Write a dialogue about how they discuss each others’ day.

And there you have it, Dear Readers!  Linda’s Ten Writing Prompts for Unusual stories . . . Happy Writing!

Until next time  . . . I love you