Writer Prompt: The World 20 Years in the Future

WRITER STORY STARTER: IMAGINE OUR NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE

I'm always afraid to throw away computer information as long as I still own the computer. After all, you never know when you might need the manual for that giant dinosaur desktop machine you still have sitting in the corner, kept solely because it plays Monkey Island games so well (and you never know when you'll need a working floppy drive!). Well, I finally gave away the old desktop and recently, I went to remove all its information from the computer drawer. To my surprise, I still had the old newspaper advertisement where I first saw the computer. It was circled on the page. Of course, I had to sit down and laugh at all the specs I thought were great at the time. 

In a little over a decade, computers had changed a lot. And if you keep up with tech news, you know there are plenty more changes in the works all the time. It's easy to see what awaits us in the coming year or two. But what about a decade in the future? Two decades? In another ten years, will you sit down and laugh at the computers and smart phones you own now? 

For this writing prompt, be a visionary. Think about all the technology in our world today and try to imagine what it will be like when today's newborns go to college. How will the changes in technology change society? How will your characters' lives be affected, for good or bad? 

 -MK

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Writer Prompt: Back to the 1800's

Lately, I've been experimenting with vintage images in my graphic designs. In my hunt for images, one of the sites I've visited the most is the Library of Congress page. Going through all the newspaper and magazine ads there, it's easy to get immersed in the culture of another time. In the world of a century or more ago, bicycles and typewriters were new and exciting. The ladies' fashions looked very uncomfortable. Pianos seemed to be hot sellers. Political opinions looked to be just as varied and heated as they are today.

What better way to learn about a society than to study it directly? From looking at the articles and the ads of that time, I've discovered that the people of the late 1800's and early 1900's loved a scandal just as much as the people of today. They loved entertainment (circuses, early movies, music). They sought cures for their ailments. And you could buy a new purse for 25 cents.

WRITING PROMPT: The Library of Congress images are a great place to start if you're looking for historical or steampunk story ideas. Browse through the newspapers, periodicals, photo collects, etc, in search of character tidbits, historical nuances to really round out your setting, or even find the inspiration for your plot in the headlines.

Here are a couple to get you started:

1. There are a lot of want ads on this page from 1898. Have your character respond to one. What happens?
2. This headline from 1907 would certainly make an exciting premise for a steampunk or retro suspense novel: Latest Discoveries Indicate that [Mars] is Peopled by a Race Superior to Mankind!

 Search the collection yourself and time travel into the past.

-MK
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MAKE BELIEVE MONDAY: Write a Story Set on the Island of Mustique

 WRITING PROMPT #3: Mustique Island

     Inspired by chronic snowfall, negative temperatures and cabin fever that's turning me into Jack Torrance, I've been randomly viewing sunny tropical photographs online in order to keep myself slightly sane. Then, a couple days ago, while browsing news articles, I came across a story about Kate Middleton / Duchess Katherine taking a family vacation to the Caribbean island of Mustique.
     Out of curiosity - and a thirst for more sunny pictures - I read about this privately-owned island and decided it would be a great place to set a story. So, for today's writing prompt, write a story set on Mustique or another Caribbean island frequented by the wealthy. Here are a few angles to get you started:

MAKE BELIEVE MONDAY: Inspiration for Writers of a Utopian Future

     Last week, I wrote about dystopian / post-apocalyptic settings. This week, I'm going to write about the opposite: utopias. This is a much harder topic for me to discuss. I'm one of those people who's fascinated by old crumbling houses and rusted-out abandoned cars. I also like science-fiction more than fantasy. But I do have one manuscript I wrote - and it's my favorite manuscript, in fact - where my character lives in a utopia. It seems to be a utopia, anyway, but she soon discovers that it isn't. That's usually the case with these "perfect" places, where everything is supposedly harmonious and happy. Either there are dark secrets below the surface or some malicious outside force threatens the peace. Whatever you decide, I thought I'd brainstorm some utopian settings here and show you some inspirational pictures. (Remember: there's a lot more to building your utopia than setting, though. You'll need to decide everything from government to religion, philosophical belief, how your characters live day-to-day, etc).