Stefanie's Creative Writing Prompt

Hey all! Got another creative writing prompt for everyone today :) If you missed the last one, here's how it works: below is something meant to inspire a short bit of free-writing. In my case, it's a picture I took a while back while on vacation. I'll post what I came up with based on the picture, and then you guys do the same and post it on your blog, and then come back and share your link to your wonderful writing in the comments section. Fun, right? Right.

And this IS supposed to be fun--don't think too hard about it, in other words. The idea is just to get the words flowing, however crappy they end up being (and mine's pretty crappy, haha).

So without further ado...inspiration! GO!

And my quick piece:

The only reason I've decided to attend my father's funeral is so that I can be certain he is truly dead. 

I have been steeling my stomach all morning for this moment, for those steps that I will have to take up to the coffin, for the way I will have to just ever-so-casually peer in and see his face. Closed eyes, powdered skin, rouged cheeks. I've seen so many dead, painted faces at this point, and I know they never do anybody justice. You can't imitate life, no matter how thick and fancy you pile on the makeup. And that is what I'm afraid of. 

I am afraid that the man in the coffin out there will be unrecognizable now, even to his only daughter. 

Nine years, twenty-seven days. That's how long it's been. A lot's changed. If the undertaker had come to me and said Now, how shall we arrange him? Peaceful smile? Stern lips? Furrowed brow? I would have laughed. And then I would have said Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is he hasn't been smiling peacefully or furrowing his brows at me lately.  

Which I suppose is why I have yet to go into the main part of the church with the rest of the mourners. Instead I am standing in this dark little room, arms hugged to my chest, eyes drawn to the sole bit of cold, indifferent light that's seeping in through the dusty window above.

Stefanie Gaither writes YA novels about killer clones and spaceships, with the occasional romp with dragons and magic-users thrown in for good measure. Said writing is generally fueled by an obscene amount of coffee and chocolate, as well as the occasional tennis and/or soccer break. She's represented by Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary, and her debut novel, FALLS THE SHADOW, is forthcoming from Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers in 2014.

You can find her on Twitter @: https://twitter.com/stefaniegaither

Or drop her an email at: stefanie.gaither@gmail.com

And also visit her website @: www.stefaniegaither.com