Prompts for the week of June 14th, 2012

Prompt

Let’s go outside our comfort box this week and try writing a satire. A satire is defined: A literary work in which vices, follies, etc. are held up to ridicule and contempt. The use of ridicule, sarcasm, etc. to attack vices, follies, etc.
A quick example might be, I am so thrilled with the health advantages of a cigarette smoke filled room.

FIVE WORDS
Create a short story using these five words:
Forgetful, impromptu, gorgeous, paycheck, salamander
HAVE FUN!

Prompts for the week of June 7th, 2012

Prompt

Based on the activity we did on May 31, write a short story moving your character from being a child, into their teens, on to adult hood and finally into old age.

FIVE WORDS
Create a short story using these five words:
Buffing, elements, difference, awkward, pit bull
HAVE FUN!

Love lost
Prompt from 05/17/12

Candice walked out the front door of her little cottage in the country, crossed the road and leaned on the rail fence. She stared at the wildflowers that bloomed there every spring. This year she thought the flowers were more beautiful than ever. It was also the anniversary of the death of her husband who had been killed in Vietnam in May of 1968. Her memories raced back to that horrible day when the telegram came. It had changed her life forever. Tears had rolled down her face and in one instant all of her dreams of having a family with Roger disappeared. It was as if a candle of life had been snuffed right before her eyes.
She said a prayer for Roger and started to remember a song that was popular in the early sixties. The song was “where have all the flowers gone”. The song never had much meaning until after that fateful day in May. Then it all became clear. When will they ever learn not to fight wars? Why do we have to send the flowers of our life off to be killed? When will the body bags stop coming. She thought war is so futile even in its most glorious moments.She also realized that unless the whole world can sit down and talk out their differences there will always be telegrams coming to change someone’s life forever.
She walked back toward the house and a gentle smile crossed her lips as she thought of the wonderful husband and family she has. Maybe she didn’t have the perfect life but she knew she had a good life even without her first love. Next spring if she is still around she will make the 45th walk across the road and pay a silent tribute to a wonderful soldier, husband, a friend and think about flowers that bloom in our hearts and wonder where have they all gone?
05/17/12
T. Waddle

Five words
Bedpost, margarine, financial, develop, cat
Thelma had retired for the night and was lying curled up in the middle of her bed with her favorite book. Jack her husband came into the room and kept looking toward the underside of the bed. He said “I think I hear something under the bed.
Thelma slammed the book on the night stand and said” Jack you need to stop worrying about monsters being under the bed. I’m calling a doctor tomorrow and get you some mental help. There are no monsters under the bed. Can you not believe that?” About then a cat started to scratch the bedpost which sent shivers up Jacks spine. The cat ran past Jack and he gasped as if he were shot.He retreated to the couch were he later fell fast asleep.
The next morning Jack and Thelma sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast. He asked Thelma to pass him the butter for his toast. She never said a word but drank her coffee and slid the butter across the table. She was in deep thought trying to develop a financial plan that would allow them to spend a hundred and twenty dollars an hour for a therapist for Jack. He had this problem with monsters under his bed since childhood. She was determined to get him help or kill him. She couldn’t take it any longer.
The next day Thelma came home and told Jack she had it figured out. They would sacrifice dinners out, vacations and any other luxury for a while until they got the eighteen or so treatments he needed.
Jack looked at Thelma and said” you won’t need to do that because I had the maintenance guy fix my problem for twenty bucks. She looked at him with a worried look.
“What did you do Jack?“
Jack smiled and said “I had him cut the legs off the bed. It now lays flat on the floor. Problem solved for only twenty bucks. And by the way that was margarine you gave me for breakfast yesterday not butter.” Thelma thought, I wonder just how much does a gun cost. TWW T 05/17/12

One of the participants of the Amelia Writer’s Group shared information about an upcoming writers workshop in Clarksville TN.  Check out the website for more information on presenters and how to register

Eighth Annual Clarksville Writers Conference
June 7 – 8, 2012
Historic Clarksville, Tennessee – Tennessee’s Fifth Largest City

• Two days of excellent writing workshops and presentations, including lunches
• A banquet with keynote speaker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alex S. Jones, with an authors’ reception and signing
• Free consultations with two literary agents for presentation attendees

The conference is presented on the third floor of Austin Peay State University’s Morgan University Center and at the Clarksville Country Club.  Other authors include Poet Amanda Auchter, Young Adult author Tracy Barrett, Kevin McQueen, author of true crime and mystery and many others.  Check out their website for more information – Clarksville Writers Conference