Monday, February 18, 2013

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 





14 secret replies:

  1. http://mikiluuwho.blogspot.com/2013/02/windows.html

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    1. Thank you! I know it was short but that' all that seemed to flow right now. I loved your piece. It kind of reminded me of a piece called Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain. Have you read that? Really interesting.

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    2. I haven't, but after looking into it via a quick Google search, I think I may need to check it out. It looks really interesting.

      And nothing wrong with short! Short writing is better than no writing :)

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  2. Very nice. I love the uncertainty of her emotions.

    Here's mine: http://waitingforaname.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/monday-photo-prompt/

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    1. Oooh, really liked this! Totally intrigued by your character and her situation. Thank you for posting!

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    2. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! This is a bit of backstory for one of the minor characters from the same novel you critiqued (first 250 words) a couple weeks ago. :) Laurel is one of those characters who just begs to be given a history!

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    3. Oh cool! Love the name Laurel too, by the way. Best of luck with this novel; from what I've seen so far I would definitely love to read it!

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  3. Stefanie - I loved your piece. A deceptively simple scene that moves you deeply with its painfully truthful observations. Great job! I went a little longer with a short story, and a little darker too. It's a great prompt & I appreciate the inspiration! =) Here's mine:
    http://cmalbert.blogspot.com/2013/02/and-then-there-was-god-mondays-writing.html

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    1. Already said this on twitter I think, but just want to say thanks again for participating :) So glad you enjoyed the prompt and went to such an awesomely dark place with it!

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  4. I love these things, oh maaaan. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to write for this one, but went with something new. It's a little long, but there's punching! And Herman Melville! (ooh)

    Thanks for the cool prompt! Also whoa, way to give me shivers thinking about how, yeah, undertakers do ask those questions and get to do that.

    http://alexyuschik.blogspot.com/2013/02/prompt-all-these-things-about-me-you.html

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    1. Such lovely, gorgeous writing! I was mesmerized all the way through, but I think my favorite line was actually in the very first paragraph:

      "...and for a moment he felt like all the thousands of words in that story were stinging into him at once."

      Thanks so much for sharing :)

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  5. That is really beautiful Stefanie! I'm revising and trying not to write new things right now... must focus on the edit. But really love these prompts and can't wait till this draft is with betas and I can justify the distraction :)

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