Hey, everyone. I'm looking to hone better story telling skills. I figure short stories starting with writing prompts would be a good exercise. Share some places for good prompts?
I've attended an improv writers group for about eight years. Every week someone new leads prompts. Some of the more popular sources: Pictures in magazines. Find some that strike your fancy, maybe with two people who look like they're reacting to something. Ignore the ad and come up with an alternative for why they're reacting how they are. Word in a cup. We write down different words, then the group leader tears the slips into individual words and puts them in a cup. Start with five words drawn at random, and try to incorporate the words into your story. If you get stuck, draw another word. I don't like WIAC as much, but it's popular among my groupmates. Pick a random song (you could use any music player at home set on random). Find a lyric that stands out to you. The way that works at group is slightly different, with each person drawing one prompt at the beginning of the writing session. The idea is to get one line from a song and run with it. Write down a noun, a verb, and an adjective without thinking. Just pick whatever comes to mind first. Then find a question about your character (maybe from a character profile sheet) and answer it using the words you wrote down. As far as online resources, I find Google helps with various character sheets ("character sheets for (your genre) novels"). I also like to use the "show me a random page" button on Wikipedia, but that's not always efficient (though I always learn something new). Another thing I like to do is play with books and numbers. For example, I'll go to the library and pick a section like "science fiction," then use my birthday (4-7-85) to find a book. Fourth shelf, seventh book from the right, eighth page, fifth line. Something like that. I like number games, so I get creative and use other familiar numbers. Again, it's not always efficient, but I do run into some interesting and often humorous stuff that might spark an idea later. Hope that helps.
You can find tons of prompt blogs on tumblr. I'll try to remember to link a few in the morning, if you like - I particularly like one-word and dialogue prompts, so it'll lean towards those.
Historical events are good prompts for storytelling. Find something that moves you. Then turn it inside-out-upside-down and reimagine the story behind the history. At the end of last year I happened upon this movie clip... I've since discovered it's a close depiction of what actually happened to these nuns who refused to bend to tyranny during the French Revolution. So here I am nearly a year gone by, a devout atheist no less, writing a story that's centered around a band of wayward nuns. But my nuns are a murderous lot. They do the work of the Lord, and such mayhem as is required.
We have a whole sub-forum here for prompts: https://www.writingforums.org/writing-prompts/ And there's a thread in the short story contest subforum where people can suggest prompts: https://www.writingforums.org/threads/add-your-prompt-theme-suggestions.148303/ I also found a lot of inspiration recently reading negative TripAdvisor reviews - Google something like "funniest TripAdvisor reviews" or "worst reviews on TripAdvisor" and you'll find the most bizarre anecdotes that make you think "How on earth did that happen?" Here's a couple I found recently: "There was a schizophrenic transvestite standing outside the hotel talking to him/herself in a very, very loud voice" "Breakfast was tastefully served in the pool maintenance room." "GREAT HOTEL NICE FOOD BUT SUICIDE JUMP SPOILT THE KARMA”
Better yet, work in your "bits". You got real life stories you tell over and over again? Well, work on them like a comedian working on a joke. You don't have to lie, but make it a story. No one wants to read and shit...or very few people do. But, everyone wants to hear and interesting story told by the person they are talking to. You get to see their facial expressions as feedback. Then if you want to have fun just start adding crazy shit to your bits. See how far you can go before someone calls bullshit on you.
Aside from writing prompts, I've found some benefit from an acting improv drop in. The addition of a time restriction, collaborators, and an audience adds challenge. I think it makes my story, character, and setting creativity grow faster than through prose prompts alone. In general, I'd recommend getting plugged into your local writing community if possible, there could be flash fiction challenges, lots of opportunities.
