Day 145 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about someone who gets stuck in a situation without money.

Erin: “Oh no,” I smacked all of my pockets seven times before finally giving up.

“What,” my friend asked.

“I don’t know where my wallet is,” I felt my heart flutter.

“Of course, you did,” he griped.

“Not on purpose,” I argued.

“Yeah right.”

“Screw you. I’m going to go look for it.” I was fuming and determined to prove a point.

Shannon:  “Pay now, or you’re getting off the light rail at the next stop,” the man was stern.

“Please I’m just trying to get back to my hotel. Someone stole my bag and I don’t have anything right now. I don’t how to get back any other way. Please,” I begged genuinely. I felt naked without any lifelines on hand.

“You don’t think I’ve heard that one before,” he shook his head just as we stopped moving. “Out you go,” he directed me to the door.

“I’m not lying,” I reiterated before I took another step, wanting it to be the last thing he heard.

“You’re not the only one who needs a free ride,” he shoved my back coldly, causing me stumble out.

I headed over to the map with a goal to figure out where I was, and how far I needed to go. My journey wasn’t within walking distance, so I was going to have to get creative, or maybe find a kind stranger.

Money is not everything, but it is something, and your character does not have it.

Day 144 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Start your story with, “The courtship ritual was long and strict. Many would also say disturbing.”

Shannon: The courtship ritual was long and strict. Many would also say disturbing. The process started with the couple creating a fire together, as if they were competing to prove they were capable of survival with only the tools nature could provide them. Family and friends would watch as they struggled with the first step for hours on end. Sadly giving up wasn’t an opportunity to come back later and try again when they were ready. It was giving up on the relationship forever. Their partnership wasn’t mean to be as far as the community was concerned.

Either way it always ended in a dramatic finale with the couple either getting unwillingly torn apart, or they’d moved on to the next step in the process: branding.

Erin: The courtship ritual was long and strict. Many would also say disturbing. The men were entered into a pit at random. They had no choice of which one nor if they wanted to participate. The prize woman watched from above, not able to hear any of the conversations. She witnessed the interaction of the 30 suiters. Every three days she eliminated one man based on the number tattooed on their back. They were allowed to try to woo the woman in the sky by any way they saw fit.

The first elimination was sent to the most “undesirable” bachelorette. The farther in the competition a man got, the more impressive the score of the woman’s pit he would be sent to. There were some men who got stuck in the final pit for lifetimes, until a self-sacrificing bachelorette would pick them so they could die in peace.

Write twisted romances.

Day 143 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Let Jordin Spark’s “One Step at a Time” inspire you.

Erin: $60,000 dollars later and I was so close. It didn’t feel that way though. I felt like I was behind bullet proof glass with a paintball gun. I could see the future I invested so much into, but couldn’t get there. The harder I tried the more I lost sight of the hope. I was at the point where only a sliver of glass was visible. I couldn’t give up though. I had already given my all for four years and I would continue to until someone gave me a chance to prove myself.

Shannon: “It’s not ready yet, but bring me a new draft next week.”

“Seriously,” I cringed, balling my fists. I was sure I had it this time. “Bu…But,” I stuttered. “This may be the best thing I’ve ever written, and you’re not even going to tell me what’s wrong with it?” I tried not to yell at my agent for holding the process up. She always strove for greatness. She never let anyone fall short of their best.

“You’re at the point where you don’t need me to tell you anymore. You show me what you want to change now that your deadline has been extended,” she slid draft back across the table.

“I don’t want to change anything,” I pushed it back. “I want to let it go. I could nitpick it forever, but I’ve given it enough time.”

She pressed her lips together and stared me down. I thought I might have convinced her, but I could see her wheels turning. “I know you have more in you. Don’t rush this. Remember, this is the fun part. Embrace it one last time, and I will pass it along. You’ll regret it if you don’t take my advice. I got you this far, you still trust me don’t you?”

I breathed out, “Yeaaah,” I dragged out the word as I reclaimed my manuscript. “I just hate that your one step at a time approach is genius and frustrating at the same time. You better be right,” I pointed at her as I got up to head out and get started.

“I can’t remember the last time I was wrong,” she called out and I heard her giggle to herself.

One more day of you making progress, what is your story today?

Day 142 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about someone trying to improve their life.

Shannon: I decided I few weeks ago that I had to stop being a victim of what I wished I could change about my life, and instead I had to start hacking away at whatever I could impact for the time being. If I wanted to lose weight I didn’t need a gym membership, a personal trainer, or a dietitian. If I wanted a clean house I didn’t need a maid. If I wanted to start working toward my dream career I didn’t need more free time. I just had to stop waiting for everything to be place, because it was never going to be in place. The time I have now is all I will ever get, so I’ve been making the most of it and it feels good.

Erin: I am purging all of the things that are wasting my life including and not limited to:

Television

People who make me sad more than they make me happy

Social media

Makeup

Cleaning

Cooking anything that takes more than 15 minutes

Shopping for not essentials

Events I go to solely because I feel obliged

I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself now, but I trust it’s going to be good.

Make yourself better by writing about how someone else making them self better.

Day 141 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a childhood experience that changes your character’s life.

Erin: “What’s your secret?”

I thought about what the interviewer was asking. I tried to think of something profound, but all I could think was “my mom.”

“Aww,” she cooed.

I didn’t retract my statement though, because it was true. My mom loved me enough for a lifetime before I was even 12. In her doing that I learned to love myself. The confidence that came with that made me “inspiring” to young women. It was a sad truth, but for that reason I was ecstatic to have the mom that I did so I could be the person I was.

Shannon: “You’re weird, we don’t want you here. Just go home and leave us alone,” Ruby giggled looking down at me from the top slide, still declaring herself queen of the jungle gym. Her two suck-up friends were blocking me from even placing a hand on their newly claimed territory.

They were her puppets, and in the past I used to be too, but looking at it from this angle it didn’t make sense anymore. Why did we always let Ruby tell us what to do, and why did we always let her decide who got singled out everyday? I liked having friends to play with, but we only ever played her games. They weren’t fun and they usually just ended with someone running away crying. Beforehand she had never picked on me, so I could easily let it go. “Fine, I’ll start my own kingdom,” I shouted back. “Feel free to join me the next time she kicks you out,” I directed my offer to Harper and Riley before heading over to my bike. “In my kingdom everyone gets to be queen, or whatever they want to be,” I shouted as I rode off.

That day I vowed to never let anyone make me feel that small and powerless ever again.

How has your character’s past changed their present?

Day 140 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a forbidden relationship.

Shannon: We talked through the fence. I pretended to read, back pressed against the wood and he’d pretend to be working on fixing up an old moped and other pieces of broke down junk that was never going to work. We were told never to speak to each other again, after our families got into a big fight. It’s not that we thought the fight was stupid, I mean it was both of their livelihoods that the other was jeopardizing, but fraternizing with the enemy’s child didn’t seem like such a big deal to either of us. We didn’t think we were doing anything wrong, and we didn’t understand how it would ever work for us to stop being friends.

I peaked through the hole in the fence nonchalantly to get a peak at him, in case anyone was watching from the window. As far as they would know this was just my favorite reading spot. “You still working on that moped,” I smirked, book blocking my mouth.

“You still reading the same book,” he responded with the other end of our own greeting to let the other know the coast was clear. We had our own secret language and code words. We made sure nobody else would ever know, and that’s what made our bond so strong, because we were the only two people who could keep it alive.

Erin: The problem that I had with the government genetic modifications was that they thought they knew too much. They thought they knew that I a girl of my status would never give a guy of his status a chance. But I did. Not only did I give him a chance, I fell in love with him. Our chemistry was toxic when mixed though. I didn’t care tough. I let him hold me and I held him. While we were comforting each other we were also killing each other. However, I would rather live a short passionate life than a long life of nothing.

Write about what you shouldn’t be allowing.

Day 139 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a group traveling together.

Erin: “I can’t take it anymore!”

“I know,” my sister agreed.

The RV was starting to make me claustrophobic. Too many family members in one place lead to be slowly being driven to insanity. “I’m hungry,” my cousin started grumbling.

“We just went a buffet,” I reminded.

“I only had two plates,” he argued and I scoffed.

“Can’t you give us the back room alone for two minutes?”

“You already had your two minutes. I need time away from my mom too.”

We all needed time away from everyone. When there was clunking sound and we rolled to a stop I feared that was not going to be a reality for a long while.

Shannon: When I was younger I used to wonder what it was like to travel with the cast of a musical, now years later I finally landed myself a spot on a tour, and I’m living out my fantasy. We spend a lot of time in buses, planes, and hotel rooms always flocking together in one big herd. I like traveling with the group, it reminds me of school field trips. The way they can make you feel small, yet important at the same time. Considering you can get lost so easily exploring, but no one would ever let you get left behind.

We are familiar with each other, and know everyone’s name, but we break off into our own family-like subgroups, because you need close friend when you’re on the road. They’re temporary family you can take with you. My group is the dancer-focused singers. We were never good enough to make it on dancing alone, but we pass as multi-talented background. It’s nice to be around people who understand you, and that you can share life experiences with. I wish I could do this job for the rest of my life.

Write about a group that travels in a pack.

Day 138 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a character finding out they are a figment of someone’s imagination.

Shannon: “Hey, you can’t do that,” I shouted to sky. “I remember,” I shouted. “I remember what happened before it all disappeared,” I was curling into my chest to keep myself from bursting in rage. “I liked what I had. I don’t understand, did you erase it,” I shouted. “Why are you always erasing? I can’t keep living all of these lives.” I sat down, hiding my head behind my knees as I squeezed the back of my neck. “I’m not doing it anymore, you can’t make me,” I hugged my legs, trying to keep myself still.

Soon enough I was standing, involuntarily again. I’d stopped freaking out and I had a new purpose. Now I understood it wasn’t my own, just something someone thought up for me. My only motivation was to prove that I deserved a say too. I wanted to lead my own story. Now I’d know the difference, and now I could fight it.

Erin: “You know what I realized the other day?”

Gina talked to herself.

“No I didn’t, I’m talking to you.”

She looked up at the celling, squinting at nothing but the chipping paint.

“I’m looking for you, narrator. I know you are up there, I know you have been controlling me. I have had enough though. I’m taking over the ending of my story.”

Oh no.

Write about someone you imagine finding out about someone imagining them.

Day 137 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about inanimate objects coming to life.

Erin: “Ewe,” I heard a little cry as I was blowing my nose. When it registered that I lived alone I felt a chill run down my spine.

“Who said that,” my breath was shaky.

“Me down here,” I lowered head to see my tissues little mouth and eyes.

“Ah,” I screamed throwing her down.

“First you’re trying to get me sick then you throw me to my death.”

“You can’t get sick, you’re just doing your job,” a scoff came from my soap dispenser.

That’s all I could remember from before I passed out on my bathroom floor.

Shannon: I woke up to the sound of something clunking to the floor. I lifted my upper half over the side of the bed to check if it was my phone. It was just the nesting doll on my dresser. Oddly it continued to roll around, and not in one motion. It seemed to be rocking back and forth until I saw it split open and the doll inside of it was moving now too.

I quickly grabbed my phone and flashed my screen on the dolls. They were looking at me. I blinked, locking my eyes shut, hoping the dream would go away. When I opened my eyes they were in a raising-the-bar line blinking back at me. “Please don’t scream,” the tallest women begged, “Sophia’s has sensitive hearing, and Amber scares easy. It will take me a long time to get them back inside.”

I listened, trying to remain calm, and sane. “Why do want them inside?” I was pretty sure having conversations with inanimate objects wasn’t sane, but I couldn’t help myself.

“They’re meant to stay inside. I only let them out at night.”

“That’s no way to live, doesn’t it get heavy always trapping them inside?”

She nodded, “But I’m responsible for them. Who will protect them if they’re not with me?”

“They’ll have to protect themselves, and they will. They’ll be okay. Give them a chance,” I encouraged.

Bring everything to life with your writing.

Day 136 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a day where everything goes right.

Shannon: I had an amazing dream last night where I was on vacation at a hotel I’d never be able to afford in my lifetime. I was surround by my friends, my boyfriend, and breathtaking views. It was so vivid in my memory that it was like it actually happened. I woke up while we were parasailing, and although I was upset it was over I was also grateful. My mind could have taken me anywhere last night, and it gave me something good. It didn’t matter if it was real or fake. It still made me happy, so I woke up ready to start the day.

Soon after waking up I got a knock on the door. My neighbor was in a rush but handed over some homemade muffins her family couldn’t possibly finish, and they were the best muffins I’ve ever tasted. I made a note to ask her for her recipe, and beg her to teach me her ways.

I got an early start so I was able to make the early bus, but not long after getting to work the power went out to the whole building. We sat there for a while, useless without our computers, until they told us they couldn’t get anyone in to fix it until late afternoon. Free day off, I should make the most of all this good luck.

Erin: I am a perfectionist, so it is no surprise that I needed everything at my wedding to live up to my very high expectations. Everything I wanted to happened was planned down to the minute. It did.

That’s the part I didn’t account for. By the end of the wedding all I could remember is that everything went just as I had pictured it in my head. Not a single noteworthy story of trouble and shenanigans popped up in my head. In that fact, I had made a major mistake.

Imperfections were what made a wedding one’s own. Imperfections where what made people individual. Loving Jays imperfections was why I had married him. In controlling my wedding I had drained all of the life from it. If I could do it all again I’d be more careless.

Remove all of the conflict from today’s writing.