creative writing adventure story

101 Epic Adventure Story Prompts

Do you want to write in the adventure genre but need help conjuring compelling and adventure-packed stories and concepts? Sometimes reading simple story prompts is the easiest way to get those creative juices flowing .

We get our ideas from many sources — news headlines, novels, television shows, movies, our lives, our fears, our phobias, etc. They can come from a scene or moment in a film that wasn’t fully explored. They can come from a single visual that entices the creative mind — a seed that continues to grow and grow until the writer is forced to finally put it to paper or screen.

In the spirit of helping writers find those seeds, here we offer 101 originally conceived adventure story prompts that you can use as inspiration for your next adventure story.

They may inspire screenplays, novels, short stories, or even smaller moments that you can include in what stories you are already writing.

Common Elements in the Adventure Genre

Adventure movies are the action genre's closest relative. They are seemingly one and the same beyond a single element — location .

Adventure movies are best defined as action movies set within an exotic location — something beyond an otherwise anonymous big city or small town.

They entail a character — or cast of characters — traveling to a new world, or many worlds, to attain what they so desire.

• Indiana Jones movies globe-trot to many different locations.
• The Pirates of the Caribbean  franchise takes us to many worlds across the open waters of the ocean.
• The Goonies  takes children into the underground caves of a pirate's treasure.
• The  Jumanji  franchise takes characters into the jungle worlds of a videogame.
• Jungle Cruise  took us down the waters of the Amazon River.

Again, the key difference between a straightforward action movie and an adventure movie is location, location, location.

Notable adventure sub-genres include:

• Disaster Flicks  —  The adventure aspect of these types of films entails characters struggling to survive through seemingly impossible and yes, disastrous, circumstances.  The Poseidon Adventure ,  The Towering Inferno ,  San Andreas , almost every Roland Emmerich movie, etc. These are all disaster flicks that take us on the ultimate adventure of survival. They can often be blended genres set within the context of natural disasters, alien invasions, and post-apocalyptic situations. In these cases, the disaster itself creates a unique location.
• Quests —  The word quest is perhaps the most simple term to market. The mere mention of it entails a MacGuffin — a plot device in the form of some goal, desired object, or other motivators that the protagonist pursues — and the grand adventure of attaining it. The Indiana Jones franchise as a whole is perhaps the most well-known of this sub-genre.

Note: Because we’re all connected to the same pop culture, news headlines, and inspirations, any similarity to any past, present, or future screenplays, novels, short stories, television pilots, television series, plays, or any other creative works is purely coincidence. These story writing prompts were conceived on the fly without any research or Google search for inspiration.

101 Adventure Story Prompts

1. Two treasure-hunting teams race against time to find the same treasure in four different potential locations.  

2. A group of high school students traveling abroad must survive the elements when their plane crashes into the jungle. 

3. A gamer wakes up in his favorite car racing game and must win multiple races to survive.

4. A young boy searches for his lost father in the nearby mountains.

5. An astronaut crash lands on an exotic planet.

6. A group of middle school friends discovers a series of tunnels underneath their town.

7. A father and son go on a safari and must survive the elements when their guides are killed. 

8. A group of explorers searches for a long-lost ship that disappeared in the Antarctic two hundred years ago. 

9. A single mother learns that her college-age daughter has disappeared into the jungles of a foreign country.

10. A family struggles to survive a destructive meteor shower.

11. A man wakes up in a dream world that he can't escape. 

12. A woman joins the military and is shipped overseas as she intends to avenge the death of her soldier husband.

13. The last man on Earth flies into space to search for astronauts sent to colonize Mars ten years prior.

14. The last people on Earth go to China's Great Wall to evade attacking creatures that have killed everyone else on the planet.

15. A priest discovers the true entrance to biblical Hell. 

16. A woman fights her way across purgatory to find her true fate. 

17. A boy is taken to an alien world after displaying amazing fighting skills in his video game system. 

18. An FBI agent tracks down a group of bank robbers through the waters of the Grand Canyon. 

19. The President of the United States wakes up on a train taking him into a desert. 

20. A spy escapes to another continent to evade government assassins trying to take him out. 

21. A group of rock climbers discovers a drug deal in the Rockies and must survive as they are pursued. 

'127 Hours'

22. A retired assassin struggles to survive an onslaught of assassins trying to kill him near his mountain cabin home .

23. A gamer escapes into the fantasy world of his favorite game.

24. A classic horror movie fan escapes into the world of his favorite horror movies.

25. Professional thieves are tasked with stealing from a country's gold reserves hidden deep within a mountain.

26. Extreme paintball enthusiasts on a wilderness retreat stumble upon a group of armed criminals.

27. A president must fight off terrorists that attack him on a retreat. 

28. An FBI agent must team up with a cartel boss to find their missing sons in the jungles of Mexico. 

29. Explorers search the ocean for the lost city of Atlantis. 

30. A family finds a lost city underneath their farmland. 

31. A team of explorers is tasked with drilling a ship into the core of the Earth. 

32. A man is catapulted into an apocalyptic future to find the cause of impending doom. 

33. Extreme sports athletes are forced to use their skills for heists in the world's most exotic locations. 

34. College friends search for a mythical island paradise during spring break.  

35. A family is marooned on another planet. 

36. Racecar drivers race across the country in the ultimate race. 

37. Pilots discover a strange city in the clouds. 

38. A robot from the future finds a little girl and takes her to the future world.  

39. Kayakers are whisked away down the Mississippi River during a horrible storm and flood. 

40. A spelunker discovers an underground world. 

41. A bullied boy wakes up as a strong knight in a fantasy world. 

42. Deer hunters discover that they have been targeted by a master hunter that hunts only one prey — man. 

43. A family must survive when they are shipwrecked on a jungle island. 

'Dora and the Lost City of Gold'

44. A waitress is given a mysterious plane ticket as a tip for her excellent service. 

45. An old west gunslinger must survive a posse that is after him. 

46. The world's most deadly convicts are hired for an impossible adventure into the depths of space. 

47. A sailor decides to sail into the infamous Bermuda Triangle to find a lost friend.  

48. A town must survive the worst flood in history. 

49. Storm chasers must survive a unique weather system that creates multiple F5 tornadoes. 

50. A man that has uploaded his consciousness to a simulated reality fights to return to his real body and world.

51. A truck driver travels across the country as he's pursued by gangsters that want his cargo. 

52. An outcast nerd discovers that he's actually a revered prince from another planet, hidden by his royal family to escape an evil space lord. 

53. The story of the Titanic, but the Titanic is a luxury space cruiser that has hit a meteor made of ice. 

54. An astronaut stuck in cryosleep wakes up after his returning ship crashlands in medieval times. 

55. A Navy SEAL is shipwrecked on a deserted island full of vampires. 

56. A submarine crew discovers an underwater civilization of humans. 

57. An asteroid crashes into Earth as people struggle to survive. 

58. Archeologists unlock the mystery of the great pyramids. 

59. The world's last unicorn struggles to get to a safe world. 

60. A wizard from another realm must find a magical item lost on Earth before their evil counterpart does. 

61. A scientist finds the cure for cancer in the jungles but is pursued by a drug cartel wanting to sell it to the highest bidder. 

62. A space pilot goes on an interstellar race to find a coveted treasure. 

'Guardians of the Galaxy'

63. A family sailing the ocean waters must overcome the worst hurricane in history. 

64. Two escaped union soldiers with key intel must make their way through the southern battlefields of the Civil War-era United States. 

65. Old West train robbers must fight off infantry soldiers as the train races across the country. 

66. A Vietnam POW escapes a prisoner camp and struggles to make his way through the war-torn territories to freedom.

67. Criminals are now shipped into space on space prison ships as some try to escape. 

68. Peter Pan's mother tracks him down in Neverland. 

69. Competing treasure hunting families race on the open ocean waters to find a sunken treasure. 

70. A character within a Sim City-like game becomes self-aware and wants to escape to the real world. 

71.  A family vacationing in Hawaii unlocks a portal that transports them back in time. 

72. Asteroid miners struggle to survive an accident. 

73. A family of assassins must survive a syndicate's attempt to take them out while they're on vacation in Europe.

74. A family is transported back to the time of the dinosaurs and struggles to survive. 

75. A riverboat captain attempts the first trip down the Mississippi River. 

76. A futuristic gamer realizes what he thought was a virtual reality shooter game is actually real life. 

77. A movie director finds a way to transport his cast and crew back in time to save money on sets and wardrobes. 

78. Alien monsters chase the last living family on Earth across the country. 

79. A warrior is tasked with venturing to the Dark World to save a captive princess. 

80. A pirate that has fallen in love and wants to leave his pirate ways is chased down by his crew. 

81. Three swordsmen fight their way across a medieval world in search of Excalibur. 

'The Green Knight'

82. A select group of individuals is invited to partake in the ultimate scavenger hunt. 

83. A best-selling author is transported into the fantasy world of his novels. 

84. A science fiction movie director realizes that the world he created for his hit franchise is real. 

85. Siblings mourn the death of their grandpa, only to discover that he's left them an old treasure map.  

86. A witch curses a group of children, causing them to shrink to the size of ants. 

87. A family must find each other after the worst earthquake in human history. 

88. An ancestor of the real Van Helsing is hunted across Europe by vampires.  

89. An off-duty detective on a cruise vacation with his family must fend off terrorists that take over the ship. 

90. A special forces team is catapulted into the world of Wonderland. 

91. An astronaut marooned on the dark side of the moon must make his way to a landing site before it is too late.  

92. A wilderness firefighter must parachute into a wildfire to find a missing family. 

93. A special forces team must retreat back to their base as they are pursued by vampires awakened within an ancient village.  

94. A group of ghost hunters must find their way out of a haunted castle. 

95. A family snorkeling along a reef during vacation finds themselves trapped in an underwater world.  

96. A portal to another world opens during a sleepover. 

97. A conspiracy theorist manages to break into Area 51 and discovers that it houses portals to alien worlds. 

98. An action star is kidnapped and hunted down by a tribe that believes he is the real deal.  

99. Career criminals utilize a city-wide blackout for their crimes. 

100. Scientists travel back to the world of dinosaurs to find a long-dead plant that could save humankind from extinction. 

101. A screenwriter awakens in the world of his science fiction script and must find a way back home.  

'Adaptation'

Share this with your writing peers or anyone that loves a good adventure story. Have some prompts of your own? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter !

Want More Ideas? Take a Look at Our Other  Genre-Based Story Prompts !

Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.

He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries  Blackout , starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner, the feature thriller Hunter’s Creed , and many Lifetime thrillers. Follow Ken on Twitter @KenMovies

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100  Adventure Writing Prompts

November 20, 2023 by Richard Leave a Comment

Hook Your Readers with 100  Adventure Writing Prompts

Adventure stories allow readers to journey to new worlds, experience thrilling quests, and immerse themselves in edge-of-your-seat action. Whether you’re a writer looking to craft an exciting tale or a reader seeking story inspiration, adventure prompts provide endless possibilities.

In this post, I’ve compiled 100  adventure writing prompts to ignite your imagination. These prompts offer a springboard to develop rich, suspenseful narratives filled with discovery, mystery, and heart-pounding drama. They’re ideal seeds for novels, short stories, or flash fiction.

The prompts range widely in genre and tone. You’ll find ideas for fantasy quests with dragons, pirates, and magic. Other prompts delve into historical fiction, time travel, space adventures, supernatural mysteries, survival stories, and more.

Let these prompts launch you into brainstorming new characters, settings, and plots. I encourage tweaking them or mashing up elements to make the ideas your own. Most importantly, choose prompts that speak to you and get those pages filled! Your next thrilling story awaits.

Now let’s dive in to 100 adventure writing prompts guaranteed to ignite ideas and get your creative juices flowing!

• Your protagonist discovers a treasure map that leads to a hidden fortune. Where does it take them?
• Your protagonist accidentally stumbles into a portal to another world. Describe this new fantastical place.
• Your protagonist is tasked with rescuing a princess from an evil dragon. How do they defeat the dragon and save the day?
• Your protagonist finds a magical artifact with powers beyond their wildest dreams. What happens when they start using its powers?
• Your protagonist sets sail to explore uncharted tropical islands. What mysteries, creatures, and civilizations do they encounter?
• Your protagonist is shrunk down to a tiny size. What everyday objects and creatures become sources of danger or refuge?
• Your protagonist discovers an ancient prophecy about a rising evil. How do they work to prevent it from being fulfilled?
• Your protagonist is sent on a quest to find a rare medicinal plant to save their village. What challenges arise along their journey?
• Your protagonist falls overboard while sailing and ends up stranded on a desert island. How do they survive and escape?
• Your protagonist chooses to climb a treacherous mountain peak. Describe their harrowing journey to the summit.
• Your protagonist is hired to serve as guide and protector on a caravan through the desert. What perils emerge along the route?
• Your protagonist is exploring a jungle when they stumble upon a lost civilization. What do they learn about this civilization’s secrets?
• Your protagonist discovers a way to travel through time. What time period do they journey to first?
• Your protagonist finds a baby dragon. As they care for it, the dragon grows bigger and more dangerous. How do they handle it?
• Your protagonist sets out to hunt a sea monster that’s been terrorizing a village. How do they manage to defeat it?
• Your protagonist enters an enchanted forest rumored to grant immortality. Do they achieve eternal life or encounter unexpected consequences?
• Your protagonist is urgently traveling through the countryside when their horse throws a shoe. What unexpected adventure emerges from this delay?
• Your protagonist discovers a rip in space-time that unleashes mythological beasts into the modern world. How do they try to stop them?
• Your protagonist finds Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur, embedded in a stone. Can they pull it out and claim its power?
• Your protagonist stows away on a spaceship to escape life on a dreary mining colony. Where does the ship take them?
• Your protagonist discovers a secret underground city beneath the subways. What kinds of people and creatures live in this hidden metropolis?
• Your protagonist has the ability to manipulate or transform into water. What aquatic adventures can they undertake?
• Your protagonist finds a bottle containing a powerful genie. What three wishes do they make?
• Your protagonist can communicate with animals. What dangerous or exciting tasks do they accomplish with animal aid?
• Your protagonist acquires a mythical object with the power to alter one truth about the past, present or future. How do they use this power?
• Your protagonist is being hunted by a vengeful sorcerer. How do they manage to evade capture and defeat the sorcerer?
• Your protagonist finds a mechanical device that transports them to an alternate universe version of 1889. How do they get back home?
• Your protagonist discovers a doorway to the fairy realm at the base of an old oak tree. What do they see and experience in the fairy realm?
• Your protagonist joins the crew of a pirate ship and embarks on swashbuckling high seas adventures. What foes and treasures do they encounter?
• Your protagonist accidentally awakens an ancient mummy. How do they manage to survive the mummy’s deadly curse?
• Your protagonist gains possession of a legendary pirate crew’s map to buried treasure. What obstacles block their path to fortune?
• Your protagonist comes across an enormous dinosaur egg and helps hatch it. How do they raise this prehistoric creature?
• Your protagonist stumbles into an underground lair filled with gold, jewels and artifacts. Why was this treasure hoard amassed and hidden away?
• Your protagonist acquires a mythical harp that allows them to control others simply by playing it. What challenges emerge as a result?
• Your protagonist discovers an abandoned castle filled with magical objects and strange creatures. What secrets does the castle hold?
• Your protagonist is able to bring mythical creatures to life by painting or drawing them. What creature do they create, and what are the consequences?
• Your protagonist finds a teleportation portal disguised as a closet door. What shocking place do they end up when they enter the portal?
• Your protagonist accidentally releases a mischievous fairy from captivity. What antics and chaos ensue?
• Your protagonist befriends a young dragon. As the dragon ages, how does the friendship evolve? What adventures do they embark on together?
• Your protagonist finds a seemingly deserted island that’s actually inhabited by dinosaurs. How does your protagonist manage to survive?
• Your protagonist discovers a magical library where the books serve as portals to other lands described within the pages. What marvels do they uncover by entering into these book worlds?
• Your protagonist is rescued at sea by aquatic humanoid creatures. What does your protagonist learn by living among the underwater society of their saviors?
• Your protagonist finds an enchanted music box that summons a ghostly dancer and eerie melodies when opened. What secrets might the music box reveal?
• Your protagonist accidentally breaks a witch’s curse that has been placed on their village for centuries. What is the village like now that the curse has been lifted?
• Your protagonist befriends a troll that guards an enchanted bridge. What wisdom or powers might the troll share if befriended?
• Your protagonist discovers a tunnel that leads directly into the heart of a dormant volcano. What wonders and perils await inside?
• Your protagonist receives a carrier pigeon inviting them to a mysterious masquerade ball at a castle on the night of a full moon. What happens if they attend?
• Your protagonist stumbles upon a magical doorway at the top of an old lighthouse. Where does this doorway lead, and why was it hidden away?
• Your protagonist finds a mystical looking-glass in an antique store. Gazing into it reveals a view into an alternate world. What does your protagonist see through the looking glass?
• Your protagonist follows a white rabbit down a hole, and finds themself in a strange world called Wonderland. What adventures ensue in this illogical place?
• Your protagonist is trapped inside a giant maze with walls that rearrange themselves. How will they manage to escape?
• Your protagonist discovers a door in their basement that leads directly to the lost city of Atlantis. What underwater ruins and sunken treasures remain?
• Your protagonist finds an enchanted apple that can temporarily give them the abilities of any animal they bite. What animal forms do they take on their adventures?
• Your protagonist is shrunk down to only inches tall after wandering into a mysterious glowing forest. What ordinary sights are now extraodinary threats or wonders?
• Your protagonist befriends a professor with a time machine and travels to the prehistoric age of dinosaurs. How do they manage to get back to the present day?
• Your protagonist finds a magic lamp with a genie that can bring stories to life. What adventures emerge as they put their imagination to use?
• Your protagonist follows a migrating herd of wild horses. What natural wonders do they witness along the horses’ journey?
• Your protagonist discovers a hidden gateway to the world of myths, where creatures of legend reside. What trials await as they traverse this dangerous realm?
• Your protagonist is rescued by a mysterious flying vehicle high in the mountains. Where does this advanced aircraft take them?
• Your protagonist finds a telescope that allows seeing anywhere in the universe when looked through. What incredible cosmic wonders do they observe?
• Your protagonist follows a trail of floating breadcrumbs deep into a dark forest. What sinister secrets lie at the end of the trail?
• Your protagonist befriends a monster living in a nearby lake. What supposedly dangerous creature is revealed to be gentle?
• Your protagonist finds a magical seashell that allows the wearer to breathe and travel underwater. What adventures lie beneath the waves?
• Your protagonist discovers a sweetshop where all the treats are enchanted. What fantasies or adventures ensue after eating these magic candies?
• Your protagonist follows a trail of mushrooms growing progressively larger. What awaits at the end where the mushrooms are gigantic?
• Your protagonist finds a forgotten genie lamp washed up on the beach. What three wishes do they make?
• Your protagonist discovers a rare poppy with magical sleep-inducing pollen. How do they use this plant for good or mischief?
• Your protagonist befriends a talking owl who serves as their guide to the mysterious owl kingdom by night. What wisdom do they learn there?
• Your protagonist finds a cache of dragon eggs and helps raise the hatchlings. What chaos ensues when the baby dragons grow up?
• Your protagonist discovers a portal to another planet populated by aliens. How do they manage to communicate and blend in?
• Your protagonist is ordered to slay a dragon menacing a kingdom. When they meet the dragon, it challenges their assumptions. What happens next?
• Your protagonist follows a trail of glowing sprites into a mystical grove on the night of a full moon. What ritual ensues under the moonlight?
• Your protagonist accidentally frees a genie who wreaks havoc with uncontrolled magic. How do they convince the genie to behave responsibly?
• Your protagonist discovers a secret passage inside an old tree trunk. Where does the passage lead, and what awaits at the end?
• Your protagonist befriends a wandering samurai warrior. What wisdom and skills are gained from this unlikely master?
• Your protagonist finds a mechanical steed that can take them anywhere they think of. What fantastic destinations do they envision?
• Your protagonist stumbles upon a red panda civilization hidden in the bamboo thickets of China. How do they communicate with these rare creatures?
• Your protagonist discovers a pumpkin that transforms into a carriage and mice into horses at midnight. Where does this magic coach take them?
• Your protagonist is caught in a clash between two wizarding schools. How do they mediate in this magical conflict?
• Your protagonist discovers a cursed artifact in an abandoned temple. What deadly mishaps ensue as they try to break the curse?
• Your protagonist befriends a young witch who teaches them magic spells. What mystical adventures can they embark on together?
• Your protagonist follows a trail of sparking pixie dust into a strange new land in the clouds. What civilizations and creatures live in this aerial realm?
• Your protagonist discovers a portal to the future world of tomorrow. What innovations and advances exist in this futuristic society?
• Your protagonist escapes a sinking ship in a lifeboat and ends up stranded on a deserted island. How long can they survive using only the lifeboat’s contents and what they can gather?
• Your protagonist finds a golden ticket that grants them a tour of a famously eccentric chocolatier’s secret factory. What fantastical sweets and contraptions exist behind its doors?
• Your protagonist discovers a magical library where books can transport readers into the stories. Which books do they get immersed in, and how do they get back out?
• Your protagonist follows a whispering voice only they can hear into an enchanted painting. What surreal realm exists inside the painting’s world?
• Your protagonist befriends a young dragon and helps raise it in secret. How do they cope when it grows too large to remain hidden?
• Your protagonist finds a teleportation crystal that allows instant travel anywhere. How do they use this power responsibly or recklessly?
• Your protagonist discovers a doorway to a mirror dimension where everything is the reverse. How do they find their way back to the real world?
• Your protagonist finds a phoenix egg and helps raise the mythical firebird inside. What chaos and wonders ensue when it reaches maturity?
• Your protagonist follows a mysterious trail of pawprints into the deep woods. What creature left the prints, and where do the tracks lead?
• Your protagonist is gifted a bottled fortune that can grant any wish. How do they decide what to wish for? What are the ramifications?
• Your protagonist discovers a hidden valley populated by dinosaurs. Do they try to document it or keep it secret?
• Your protagonist befriends a gnome who shows them the magical portal to the gnome kingdom. What marvels exist in the realm of the gnomes?
• Your protagonist finds a doorway at the back of an old wardrobe leading into the magical realm of Narnia. What adventures unfold in this new world?
• Your protagonist follows a trail of floating butterflies and emerges in a strange new land. How do they find their way back home?
• Your protagonist discovers a mechanical steed that can fly anywhere instantly. Where does their journey take them?
• Your protagonist finds a magic lamp with a genie that can make fiction become real. What story does your protagonist recreate?
• Your protagonist follows a mysterious map to a mythical island untouched by man. What civilizations, creatures and natural wonders are found there?

I hope these adventure prompts got you writing! If you have something to share or a comment or a question, please drop it in the comments below! We have many other writing prompts on our site you may like.

Related Posts:

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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How to Write an Adventure Story That Leaves ‘Em Breathless

Ooh, you want to know how to write an adventure story!

You want to write the kind of tale that gets their hearts pounding—a novel that keeps readers up until the wee hours, whispering, “Just one more chapter,” until their eyes dry out.

I don’t blame you. Adventure is fun. And if you’re up for taking on the challenges that come with writing this genre, I think you’ll find that writing adventure is every bit as fun as reading it.

So what are those challenges? How do you conquer them?

You’re about to find out. I’ll take you through the steps for how to write an adventure story one by one. You’ll learn how to create great characters , how to think about the structure and pacing of an adventure, and how to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

You’ll also find that writing this genre isn’t wildly different from writing any other genre. It’s just a matter of learning how to draw out the thrills and perils of the unknown.

Ready to answer the Call of Adventure? Let’s start with the most important step.

Read Adventure Stories

If you’ve been hanging around DabbleU , you’ve probably heard this before:

‍ Writing great books begins with reading great books. Especially books in your chosen genre.

I always suggest prioritizing:

• Current bestsellers to learn what today’s readers look for in an adventure story
• Enduring classics to get familiar with the tropes that have stood the test of time
• A few adventure novels that simply intrigue you, just so you don’t lose your artistic enthusiasm as you analyze successful books to see “what sells”

As you read, note the moments that get your heart pounding. Ask yourself what the author did to manipulate you so effectively. Also notice how each book tackles everything else covered in this article.

Select a Structure Designed for Adventure

If this isn’t the first time you’ve sought advice on how to write an adventure story, you’ve probably already heard about the Hero’s Journey. This story structure is the go-to in the adventure genre.

As one of the more detailed structures, the Hero’s Journey outlines your protagonist’s action-packed odyssey from reluctant adventurer to, well, hero.

You can learn more about the Hero’s Journey here or check out this article to explore other great story structures. The Fichtean Curve is also ripe for adventure, as is Dan Harmon’s Story Circle (basically a less-detailed version of the Hero’s Journey).

Choose an Intriguing Setting

In adventure stories, setting is everything . You want to put your protagonist in a world that is:

• Endlessly fascinating
• Unfamiliar to them
• Inherently packed with threats and obstacles this character has never had to navigate before

Also look for ways to continually change the setting . You could do that by making the entire plot a journey across continents and over changing landscapes. 

Or you could make sure your plot ushers the protagonist through the abandoned factories, bustling marketplace, overgrown forest, and underground lairs of a single geographic location.

If you need help building a fictional world for your adventure story, this article has your back. 

One word of warning in all this: as you take your protagonist through unfamiliar settings, be careful about stereotyping. 

Ask yourself things like:

• Am I using the language, accent, food, traditions, or appearance of an existing culture to create a sense of danger? (The answer should be no.)
• Have I researched this setting and sought a local perspective of it, or am I drawing inspiration from stereotypes and pop culture references?
• Have I created a fictional race that’s 1) homogenous and 2) resembles a real-world ethnic group? (You want to avoid this.)
• How do I present the locals in this story? Do I rely on a lot of race or culture-centered descriptions to make them seem more dangerous, exotic, or magical?

Your adventurer can be at odds with unforgiving landscapes, terrifying technology, corrupt systems, and villains who do bad things for their own individual reasons. If you find yourself positioning an entire culture as a threat to your protagonist, scrap the plan and start again. 

Introduce an Adventurer

Every adventure story needs a fascinating protagonist. You want to create a well-rounded human being—someone with strengths and flaws , dreams and fears . 

Their adventure should be riddled with obstacles that would terrify anyone, as well as challenges that hit on their own insecurities and weaknesses. So make sure you give them a good internal conflict to heighten their external conflict .

You probably want to set your protagonist up with a transformational arc , too. While some adventurers are heroic from page one, most earn that impressive status because of their quest. 

That’s part of the charm of the genre—watching a common person find the champion within.

If you could use help crafting your protagonist, I highly recommend checking out these articles:  

• 14 Common Character Archetypes You Should Know
• The Best Character Template Ever
• The Character Development Worksheet You’ve Been Looking For

Establish a Captivating Quest

Every protagonist is on some kind of mission. But we’re talking about how to write an adventure story here, which means your protagonist’s mission should include:

• Extraordinary circumstances
• The threat of physical danger
• A ton of action

Destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom is a great adventure quest. (And I’m sure Tolkien would be relieved to know he has my approval.)

A rich guy trying to get his old girlfriend back by impressing her with nice shirts and pretty lies might make for great literature . But it’s not exactly an adventurous quest.

Create an Unforgettable Sidekick

A sidekick can make your protagonist’s adventure more exciting, more meaningful, and even sometimes more difficult. If you think of your favorite adventure stories, odds are good that a sidekick was involved. 

In fact, characters like Samwise Gamgee ( The Lord of the Rings ), Ford Prefect ( The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy ), and Short Round ( Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ) can often become our favorite part of the story.

So who’s your protagonist’s right-hand person? And what do they add to the story? 

Is the sidekick good-natured and loyal? Reckless and self-centered? Are they the angel on your protagonist’s shoulder? Or are they the devil? How did they get roped into this adventure? Do they have their own character arc?

Clearly, there’s a lot to think through here. This article can help you flesh out a sidekick your readers will remember forever.

Create a Multi-Dimensional Villain

You knew no guide to how to write an adventure story would be complete without mentioning the villain .

Your protagonist’s foe does so much more than create conflict (though that’s already a pretty important job).

Done well, this character can also show your reader who your hero(ine) is. The villain can force the protagonist to face their greatest weaknesses or deepest fears. They can create dangers your main character can only overcome by conquering their flaws and growing as a person.

A great villain can even reflect the hidden darkness within the protagonist.

But to accomplish any of these, you’ve got to give some thought to who your baddie is, how they came to be so terrifying, what they want, and what motivates them . In other words, they need a deeper personality than just “evil.” 

‍ These tips will help you get started on creating a villain that keeps your protagonist—and readers—on their toes.

Shake Things Up With the Inciting Incident

In the Hero’s Journey, the inciting incident is known as the “Call of Adventure.” That’s a great way for an adventure novelist to think about it. This beat doesn’t just kick off the story. It’s adventure itself beckoning the protagonist, tempting them to take a daring step into a bold new world.

A wizard shows up at Bilbo’s door with a bunch of dwarves and a literal invitation to adventure.

The U.S. government asks Indiana Jones to please find the Ark of the Covenant before it lands in the hands of Nazis.

After battling M’Baku, T’Challa becomes king of Wakanda.

When adventure calls, it asks your protagonist to abandon everything familiar and charge into the unknown, often with a target on their back.

To really raise the stakes and drive home the danger, create an inciting incident that forces your main character to make a decision they can’t un make. Shove them across a point of no return, like Katniss volunteering for The Hunger Games .

Set the Clock

It’s true in life and it’s true in fiction: nothing induces rapid heartbeats and sweaty palms like a looming deadline.

That’s why a ticking clock is one of your most powerful tools as an adventure writer.

Make sure your reader knows how much time your adventurer has to reach a goal or escape a situation. And make sure they know what will happen to their hero(ine) if they fail.

Indy has to get to the Ark before the Nazis do. Katniss has to kill before she’s killed. MacGyver has thirty seconds to disarm the bomb before this whole place blows.

You can (and probably should) apply the ticking clock to your protagonist’s quest. But don’t forget that this tool can also be used to add tension to individual scenes.

They have to escape the car that’s rapidly filling with water. They have to learn how to operate a wand before the big battle. You get the idea.

Raise the Stakes

This is everything when it comes to writing adventure stories. It’s essential for any story, really, but you especially don’t want to skimp on heightened tension when it comes to adventure. Your readers chose your book trusting it would continuously stress them out.

And to keep them stressed, you have to make the quest increasingly dangerous for the adventurer. 

Introduce new antagonists. Stir up a storm or some other natural disaster. Break your hero(ine)’s bow or sword or ankle. Let the villain take a hostage.

Make the danger greater and the potential consequences more horrifying than they were when your protagonist first pranced across that point of no return. 

Keep it Moving

When you write an adventure story, you want to avoid lengthy inner monologues, introspection, and long flashbacks that dig into your protagonist’s psyche.

That’s not to say your characters shouldn’t have an inner life. They absolutely should! Your protagonist’s background, inner conflict, and emotional baggage are key for building tension.

But as an adventure writer, your first priority is action. Let your characters’ inner lives come through in dialogue, fight scenes , and big decisions. Go ahead and reveal their thoughts from time to time, but drop it artfully into scenes where they’re actually doing something.

Complete the Transformation

Finally, when you wrap up your great adventure story, don’t forget to show your readers how the protagonist has changed. How has their quest forced them to grow into someone as extraordinary as the situation they just survived?

You might start by asking yourself what you think it means to be a hero. Are heroic people exceptionally brave? Calm and cool-headed? Driven by integrity or compassion? Willing to ask for help? Good at swordplay?

How could your definition of heroism inspire your adventurer’s arc? What would it look like for them to discover and adopt the qualities that make them exceptional?

For more help creating a character arc, I recommend checking out these articles:

• Creating Character Arcs: Torment Your Hero in Eight Steps
• A Whole Bunch of Character Arc Ideas for Your Story
• A Character Arc Template for Crafting Riveting Transformations

How to Write an Adventure Story With Dabble

Writing an adventure story isn’t that different from writing any other kind of story. You need an engaging protagonist, worthy antagonist, intriguing supporting cast, and attention-seizing conflict.

So if you can do that (you can) and make sure your adventure novel includes the essential ingredients above, you’ll be good to go.

But let me leave you with one last tip.

If you want to simplify your plotting, writing, and revising process, check out Dabble . 

With Dabble, you can: 

• Structure your story, plotlines, and character arcs with the famous Plot Grid 
• Create character profiles 
• Organize worldbuilding bibles
• Write your manuscript
• Edit and revise with a co-author

…all in one place. And that’s just the beginning.

Start a free 14-day trial to explore all the thrilling features Dabble has to offer. There’s no credit card required to get started. Just click this link and begin your quest.

Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. When she’s not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that.

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How to Write an Adventure Story

Adventure stories are a lot of fun to read, and just as much fun to write. Like other genres, adventure stories have certain characteristics that readers love. Only when you know what these are and how to utilize them to ultimate effect can you write a story that will be at once uniquely yours and satisfying for adventure story readers. So join me on this journey as I share how to write an adventure story. 

• Common adventure story tropes.
• What to do before you start writing.
• Tips for writing your adventure story.

Table of contents

• Adventure Story Tropes
• Read Plenty of Adventure Fiction
• Research Your Genre
• Choose a Setting
• Craft Your Adventurer
• Give Them a Goal
• Put Obstacles in The Way
• Stick to Proven Plot Structures
• End With a Bang
• Create a Writing Goal and Stick to It
• How to Write an Adventure Story: Conclusion

What is an Adventure Story?

In the broadest terms possible, an adventure story is a plot-driven narrative in which the protagonist goes on an epic journey to exotic locales, completing a series of dangerous challenges along the way. 

You don't have to think hard to come up with some highly popular adventure stories that have influenced our culture. From video games and comics to movies and novels, adventure stories are part of the zeitgeist. The most obvious examples that come to mind are the Indiana Jones films and video game series including Uncharted, Far Cry, and Tomb Raider. 

But in order to write a good adventure story, we must dive a little deeper. Let's take a look at some commonalities in most adventure stories. 

The following tropes show up again and again in all great adventure stories. However, not all of them show up in every story. And many times, the writer knows how to subvert these tropes to great effect.

• The Journey – Most adventure stories feature a journey to faraway lands. A quest into the unknown is very common in this genre. 
• The Challenges – Along the way, the main character must face a series of challenges. Sometimes, these are simply external or physical challenges, but you can pack more of a punch by combining external and internal challenges. 
• Heroes and Villains – Some protagonists are professional adventurers, while others are normal people pulled into the journey reluctantly. Meanwhile, a person or people as antagonists is common, although the villain may also be something like the elements or a natural disaster. 
• The Action – Adventure stories are often called action & adventure for a reason. Action is a must in these plot-driven stories. Too little action and the reader will put the book down. 
• The Theme – Many action-adventure stories have themes that run throughout. Common themes include bravery, resilience, family, justice, and good vs. evil. 

Keep these factors in mind as we go through the rest of this article. 

The best way to help you develop your adventure story idea is to read plenty of adventure fiction. While you obviously don't want to take any ideas straight out of other adventure novels, you can let the books inspire you. Plus, it's the best way to understand what readers are looking for in the adventure genre. 

Adventure Novels to Read:

• The Call of the Wild by Jack London
• Into the Wild by John Krakauer
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne
• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
• Congo by Michael Crichton
• Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
• Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

It's important to remember that adventure stories come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, stories like The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, and the Star Wars movies could all be considered adventure stories in their own right. And the categories on Amazon reflect this. There are a lot of adventure categories in genres ranging from romance to science fiction.

This is why it's so important to research your genre before you start writing your novel. Once you have your three categories in mind, you can then be sure to position your story for readers of those categories. 

Unfortunately, researching these categories by manually combing Amazon can take hours and isn't the easiest thing in the world to do. Which is why I created a tool called Publisher Rocket.

With Publisher Rocket, you can see a list of all the adventure categories on Amazon. You can also use it to see which categories are competitive and which ones are underserved. 

Plus, you can use Rocket to search keywords to use in your novel's metadata when you publish, as well as gather keywords for Amazon Advertising. 

Check out Publisher Rocket here .  

The following tips are designed to help you craft your adventure story, no matter what kind of writing process you have. Many of them will also be helpful whether you're writing a short story, a novella, or a full-length novel. 

The setting or settings of an adventure story are characters in themselves . The people who inhabit these faraway lands (if there are any people) can also make for excellent characters, given the differences in culture, language, and everyday life. 

Maybe your character hires a local guide to seek out the mythological treasure. Maybe your main character has been contacted by some local people to help them fight against deforestation or pollution. 

But even if your setting is barren and uninhabitable, it should still play a big part in the story. Many of Jack London's stories feature the harsh Alaskan wilderness. In Treasure Island , the isolated island adds a dimension that enhances the story. 

Remember that this doesn't have to take place anywhere on Earth. It could be a fictional location that's supposed to be on Earth, or it could be on an entirely different planet. The choice is yours—just make sure whatever you choose is in line with your chosen adventure subgenre.  

While adventure stories aren't usually character-driven (they're plot-driven), it's still important to have a compelling and three-dimensional protagonist. If the main character falls flat or is unlikable, then readers won't want to follow them on their journey . But how do you craft a compelling character? Keep these factors in mind:

• Give the reader a reason to like them – They may be headstrong and gruff, but the reader needs a reason to root for them. The most basic (and effective) way to do this is to have them “save the cat,” which just means to have them do something kind. Learn more about the Save the Cat technique here . 
• Make them complex – To paraphrase Walt Whitman, we contain multitudes. Humans are complex and often contradictory, so your main character needs to be, too. Give him or her strengths and weaknesses , wants and needs. Avoid making them a boy scout or a know-it-all. 
• Give them a voice – Set your protagonist apart by giving them a voice that is uniquely theirs. They should be unique in one or two subtle ways to set them slightly apart from their peers. 

A clear goal is a big part of most fiction writing, and adventure stories are no exception. Whether it's finding the priceless amulet, locating the lost city, or helping to preserve a portion of sacred jungle, there needs to be a clear goal for the protagonist to accomplish . 

You'll also want to outline (for the reader) the challenges involved in reaching the goal. These challenges should seem almost insurmountable or unlikely at first. But with clever thinking and planning, the protagonist will hope to clear these hurdles to achieve the objective. 

If everything went according to plan in an adventure story, it would be pretty boring—even if the plans to clear the hurdles were fantastic. 

The obstacles that you put in the way should be in addition to the challenges already foreseen by the protagonist— and there should always be an element of danger. It's when these wrenches are thrown into your story that your adventure hero really has to stretch to overcome them. Plus, this does a lot to increase the tension in your story. 

In some adventure stories, these obstacles are created by an antagonist, putting the main character in danger throughout the story. In others, the danger comes from the elements (weather, terrain), wildlife, or a natural disaster. 

If you do decide to have a human (or human-like) antagonist, it's important to make them believable. While you won't need to spend as much time on crafting the antagonist, you can still use the tips in the protagonist section above to develop your antagonist . However, instead of making the reader like them, you'll want to do just the opposite. 

You probably know that you need an inciting incident —something that pulls the character into the adventure—near the beginning of the novel and a climax near the end. Most of us have internalized these major plot elements from watching movies and TV shows and reading books. 

But there's more to a good adventure plot than just the beginning and the end. This is why I recommend using one of the numerous proven plot structures available to you.  

Probably the most well-known—and the most appropriate for any adventure novel—is The Hero’s Journey as popularized by Joseph Campbell. But The Hero’s Journey isn't the only plot structure you can use. Far from it. 

Check out our Story Structure Hub here to learn about these other plot structures. 

Whether you like to outline your stories or you're more of a discovery writer, choosing a plot structure can help you craft a great adventure book. No matter which one you choose, you don't have to stick to the structure exactly. You can get creative and make it your own, letting it guide your storytelling as a general framework.

Adventure stories are known for their exciting set-piece endings, and this is generally not where you want to subvert expectations. You want a big climax, where the protagonist is in the utmost danger, the stakes are highest, and the antagonist is at their worst (or its worst).  

This is also where you want to tie up any loose ends and show the character at the point where all seems lost. In an adventure book, this may involve the antagonist capturing the main character and/or their loved ones, threatening to kill them. It could involve a race against time to get to the magic amulet before the bad guys do. 

Whatever you choose to do, have the climax build on everything that came before. It should never be action just to have action. Whatever happens in the climax should affect the status quo. It's the final battle, the all-or-nothing moment. And if the hero succeeds, the world (or at least a small slice of it) will be changed for the better. 

For more on this subject, check out this article on writing a climax . 

Knowing how to write a great adventure is fine and good, but the actual creative writing part can be more than half the battle. All the writing advice in the world won't do you any good if you don't actually get the words down . And the best way to do that is to set a realistic writing goal and stick to it. 

This is why we’ve included a writing goal tool with Atticus , the all-in-one writing and formatting software brought to you by the team here at Kindlepreneur. You can input your goal and choose the days you want it to record, and Atticus will do the rest, telling you when you've hit your goal or when you still have words to write. 

This is just one of many tools included with Atticus to help you in your self-publishing journey. When you're done writing and editing your adventure, you can use Atticus to format your book for publication with just a few clicks of your mouse. 

Learn more about Atticus here . 

Formatting Has Never Been Easier

Write and format professional books with ease.  Never before has creating formatted books been easier.

As an adventure writer, you can travel to distant lands and participate in epic journeys where danger lurks around every corner. And once you publish your story, you can transport your readers to these distant lands, as well! 

From the inciting incident to the climax, there's plenty of fun to be had in adventure writing. I hope these writing tips have helped you understand how to craft your epic adventure novel.

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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Top 150 Short Story Ideas

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Do you want to write but just need a great story idea? Or perhaps you have too many ideas and can’t choose the best one? Well, good news. We’ve got you covered.

Below are 150 short story ideas for all your favorite genres. You can use them as a book idea, as writing prompts for writing contests , for stories to publish in literary magazines , or just for fun!

Editor’s note: This is a recurring guide, regularly updated with ideas, new story prompts, and information.

If you're in a hurry, here's my 10 best story ideas in brief, or scroll down for the full version.

Top 10 Story Ideas

• Tell the story of a scar.
• A group of children discover a dead body.
• A young prodigy becomes orphaned.
• A middle-aged woman discovers a ghost.
• A woman who is deeply in love is crushed when her fiancé breaks up with her.
• A talented young man's deepest fear is holding his life back. 
• A poor person comes into an unexpected fortune.
• A shy, young woman unexpectedly bumps into her soulmate.
• A long journey is interrupted by a disaster.
• A young couple stumble into the path of a psychopath.

Get The Write Structure here »

Table of Contents

Why Creative Writing Prompts Are Helpful How to Write a Story General Story Ideas Thriller Story Ideas Mystery Story Ideas Romance Story Prompts Sci-fi Story Ideas Fantasy Story Ideas Horror Story Prompts

Why Creative Writing Prompts Are Helpful

Below, you'll find our best creative writing prompts and plot ideas for every genre, but first, why do we use prompts? Is it just a waste of time, or can they actually help you? Here are three reasons we  love writing prompts at The Write Practice:

1. Practice the language!

Even for those of us who are native English speakers, we're all working to improve how we use our language. To make progress, you have to practice, and at The Write Practice, believe it or not, we're really into practice! Creative writing prompts are easy, fun ways to practice.

2. When you have no ideas and are stuck.

Sometimes, you want to write, but you can't think up any ideas. You could either just sit there, staring at a blank page, or you could find a few ideas to help you get started. Even better if the list of ideas is curated from our best plot ideas over the last decade that we've been publishing lessons, writing exercises, and prompts.

Use the story ideas below to get your writing started. Then when your creativity is warmed up, you'll start to come up with your own ideas!

3. To develop your own ideas.

Maybe you do have an idea already, but you're not sure it's good. Or maybe you feel like it's just missing some small piece to make it better. By reading other ideas, and incorporating your favorites into your   story, you can fill your plot holes and generate creative ideas of your own.

Use the story ideas below to develop your own ideas.

4. They're fun!

Thousands of writers use the prompts below every month, some at home, some in classrooms, and even a few pros at their writing “office.” Why? Because writing prompts can be fun. They get your creativity started, help you come up with new ideas of your own, and often take your writing in new, unexpected directions.

Use the plot ideas to have more fun with writing!

How to Write a Story

One last thing before we get to the 100 story ideas, let’s talk about how to write a great short story . (Already know how to write a great story? No problem. Just skip down to the ideas below.)

• First, read stories. If you’ve never read a story, you’re going to have a hard time writing one. Where do you find great stories? There are a lot of places, but check out our list of  46 Literary Magazines  we’ve curated over here .
• Write your story in a single sitting. Write the first draft of your story in as short a time as possible, and if you’re writing a short story , try to write it in one sitting. Trust me, this works. Everyone hates being interrupted when they’re telling compelling stories. Use that to your advantage and don’t stop writing until you’ve finished telling yours.
• Read your draft. Read your story through once, without changing anything. This will give you a sense of what work it needs going forward.
• Write a premise. After reading your first draft, get your head around the main idea behind your story by summarizing your story in a one sentence premise. Your premise should contain four things: a character, a goal, a situation, and a special sauce. Not sure what that means or how to actually do that? Here’s a full premise writing guide .
• Write, edit, write, and edit. Good writing is rewriting. Use your second draft to fill in the plot holes and cut out the extraneous scenes and characters you discovered when you read the first draft in step #2. Then, polish up your final draft on the next round of edits.
• Submit! Real writers don’t keep their writing all to themselves. They share it. Submit your story to a literary magazine , an anthology series , enter it into a writing contest , or even share it with a small group of friends. And if it gets rejected, don’t feel bad. You’ll be in good company.

Want to know more? Learn more about how to write a great short story here .

Our 150 Best Short Story Ideas, Plot Ideas, and Creative Writing Prompts

Ready to get writing? Here are our 100 best short story ideas to kickstart your writing. Enjoy!

10 Best General Short Story Ideas

Our first batch of plot ideas are for any kind of story, whether a spy thriller or a memoir of your personal life story. Here are the best story ideas:

• Tell the story of a scar, whether a physical scar or emotional one. To be a writer, said Stephen King, “The only requirement is the ability to  remember every scar .”
• A group of children discover a dead body. Good writers don’t turn away from death, which is, after all, the  universal human experience. Instead, they look it directly into its dark face and describe what they see on the page.
• A young prodigy becomes orphaned. Orphans are uniquely vulnerable, and as such, they have the most potential for growth.
• A middle-aged woman discovers a ghost. What do Edgar Allen Poe, Ron Weasley, King Saul from the Bible, Odysseus, and Ebenezer Scrooge have in common? They all encountered ghosts!
• A woman who is deeply in love is crushed when her fiancé breaks up with her. “In life every ending is just a new beginning,” says Dakota Fanning’s character in Uptown Girls.
• A talented young man’s deepest fear is holding his life back. Your character’s biggest fear is your story’s secret weapon. Don’t run from it, write about it.
• A poor young boy or girl comes into an unexpected fortune. Not all fortunes are good. Sometimes discovering a fortune will destroy your life.
• A shy, young woman unexpectedly bumps into her soulmate (literally bumps into him). In film, this is called the “meet cute,” when the hero bumps into the heroine in the coffee shop or the department store or the hallway, knocking her books to the floor, and forcing them into conversation.
• A long journey is interrupted by a disaster. Who hasn’t been longing to get to a destination only to be delayed by something unexpected? This is the plot of  Gravity ,  The Odyssey , and even  Lord of the Rings .
• A young couple run into the path of a psychopath. Monsters, whether people who do monstrous things like serial killers or scaly beasts or a monster of a natural disaster, reveal what’s really inside a person. Let your character fall into the path of a monster and see how they handle themselves.

Now that you have an idea, learn exactly what to do with it.  Check out my new book The Write Structure which helps writers take their ideas and write books readers love. Click to check out  The Write Structure  here.

More Short Story Ideas Based on Genre

Need more ideas? Here are ideas based on whichever literary genre you write. Use them as character inspiration, to start your own story, or borrow pieces to generate your own ideas. The only rule is, have fun writing!

By the way,  for more story writing tips for each these plot types, check out our full guide to the 9 types of stories here .

20 Thriller Story Ideas

A thriller is any story that “thrills” the reader—i.e., gets adrenaline pumping, the heart racing, and the emotions piqued.

Thrillers come in all shapes and forms, dipping freely into other genres. In other words, expect the unexpected!

Here are ten of my favorite thriller story ideas :

• She just started a new job when a cryptic message comes across her desk that she can't ignore.
• An undercover agent is in a race against time to find out who is behind a pate of disappearances.
• A stuntman realizes the star is a target of a conspiracy theorist on set and their life is in danger.
• A government agent arrests the wrong man and he begs his wife to find evidence before he becomes the scapegoat for a coverup.
• Murder victims keep appearing at a popular tourist destination. She must find out who's behind it in this action thriller.
• A new neighbor seems friendly enough until a series of unsettling events rattles the neighborhood.
• A thriller writer's compelling characters begin showing up in real life crime scenes, and they become the prime suspect.
• Mysterious circumstances always surrounded the sudden retirement of a megastar, until a nosy investigative journalist uncovers a clue that would unravel everything.
• Artificial intelligence took his job after he created the very code that launched the company into eye-popping profitability. And now he's out for revenge.
• A criminal mastermind has shut down essential services in the city, and only a retired recluse of a hacker can stop him. If they can convince him to take the case.

Click for ten more thriller short story ideas

25 Mystery Story Ideas

Enjoy a good whodunit? Then you’ll love these mystery story ideas .

Here are a few of my favorites, but find the rest here :

• A librarian happens across a crime scene when they clean the basement archives.
• A murder mystery party goes wrong and potential suspects point at each other to avoid arrest. (Especially effective if set in an enclosed location.
• A secret society of mystery readers realizes that there is a real killer still on the loose and the clues are hidden in a dead author's books.
• A murder scene on a movie set becomes reality when the star is found dead, and the prime suspect discovered missing.
• A new restaurant owner in a small town uncovers a long-forgotten mystery from the town's past but the mysterious circumstances unearth a real killer.

Click for the mystery story ideas

30 Romance Story Ideas

Ready to write a love story? Or perhaps you want to create a subplot with a secondary character? We've got ideas for you!

Hint: When it comes to romance, a sense of humor is always a good idea. Have fun! Here are a few of my favorite, but find twenty more love story ideas here :

• A character's high school sweetheart shows up and it turns out the school crush feelings haven't gone away.
• Two characters find an unexpected connection during a key scene that confuses one of them.
• He gets a letter from a secret admirer and goes on a quest to uncover the identity of the sender.
• They work together and a secret romance would be a terrible idea, putting both their jobs at risk, but the pull to each other is hard to resist.
• She returns home when her family's had a tough time after the death of a parent. He's been helping them sort through the mess, and while she disagrees with how he's helping, she can't stop thinking about him.
• At their large ten year high school reunion, he asks her to dance and she slowly realizes he's the brother of someone she doesn't want to ever see again, but there's an instant connection.
• A romance writer can't find her own happily ever after until she meets…
• It's conference season and he has to present all over the country. It's usually a boring string of business trips, but when he's put on a panel with a fiesty and brilliant woman who the night before had kissed him in a bar, he knows this conference season is going to be very different.
•  It's her first road trip after a bad breakup and she's determined not to depend on anyone else until…
• A pop star and an astronaut in training meet at a benefit dinner and can't avoid each other's orbits.

Click for romance story ideas

20 Sci-Fi Story Ideas

From the minimum-wage-earning, ancient-artifact-hunting time traveller to the space-exploring, sentient dinosaurs, these sci-fi writing prompts will get you set loose your inner nerd.

Here are a few of my favorite sci-fi ideas :

• In a future society, neural implants translate music into physical pleasure, and earphones (“jacking in”) are now the drug of choice. Write either from the perspective of a music addict, OR the Sonforce agent (sonance + enforcer) who has the job of cracking down.
• It’s the year 5000. Our planet was wrecked in the great Crisis of 3500, and remaining human civilization survives only in a half dozen giant domed cities. There are two unbreakable rules: strict adherence to Life Quality (recycling doesn’t even begin to cover these laws), and a complete ban on reproduction (only the “worthy” are permitted to create new humans). Write from the perspective of a young woman who just discovered she’s been chosen to reproduce—but she has no interest in being a mother.
• So yeah, ancient Egypt really was “all that” after all, and the pyramids turn out to be fully functional spaceships (the limestone was to preserve the electronics hidden inside). Write from the perspective of the tourist exploring the ancient society who accidentally turns one on.

Click for the other seventeen sci-fi story ideas

20 Fantasy Story Ideas

Need a dose of sword-in-the-stone, hero and/or heroine packed coming-of-age glory?  We love fantasy stories!

Just try to not have fun writing (or even just reading!) these fantasy writing prompts. Here are a few of my favorite fantasy story ideas:

• Bored high school wizards decide to throw a party to celebrate tomorrow's graduation. Nothing could possibly go wrong.
• Weddings are stressful. They're especially tricky when one family is magical and the other hates spells, and both mothers want to control the celebration.
• A bored housewife wakes one day to find all her dishes are singing Hey, Jude . (Alternatively, if you want to make this a darker story, have them sing  The Sound of Silence. )
• A witch living secretly in suburbia casts a spell to speed up the laundry, but it backfires—just in time for trick-or-treaters to deal with dancing underwear.
• Capitol Hill wakes one day to find thousands of fairies protesting for better media representation. Unfortunately, no one can understand what they're saying.
• A fed-up genie, sick of being over-sexualized and paid in wishes, throws a magical tantrum which turns everyone in the world into the opposite gender.
• One bright morning in May, all domestic pets start talking.
• Eating food turns one's skin the same color as one's last ingested item, which makes cheating on diets a challenge of strategy as well as taste.
• Giants are REALLY into reality TV, and one day stomp down from their hidden mountain homes to convince Hollywood to create a show about them.
• Mythological creatures, tired of being portrayed as gym rats, confront their creators on a popular combative talk show.

Click for the fantasy story ideas

20 Horror Story Prompts

• Three college students take a final road trip during spring break of their senior year, not knowing that each of them harbors a dark secret about one of their college professors who was murdered in the fall. As revelations begin to stack up, they each begin to suspect the other.
• A quiet golf community is upended after a series of grisly murders begin happening on the greens, and a golf pro's seemingly perfect life begins to unravel with each body they find. She isn't the killer, but she has a terrifying idea of who might be.
• A police officer on terminal leave before retirement finds himself in a bar where he suddenly realizes the art on the walls shifts and reveals pictures of serial killers from the last twenty years. And his best friend and former partner, who is still on active duty, is there on the wall too.
• A grieving daughter revisits the libraries and locations where her famous horror writer mother penned her most famous works. And finds out her mother's stories weren't quite the fiction everyone believes.
• A teacher returns to teach at the school where they attended to find that their entire class is made up of the children of every bully and enemy from their life. But no one claims to remember them.
• A cursed siren hunts a fishing village looking for the boat and man that killed her true love.
• A hoarder dies and the mother-daughter team hired to clean up the mess discover a dead body and the horror of how it all began might connect to a shape-shifting monster from their own family.
• A yacht party veers off course during a summer squall and lands on an island. Their relief gives way to terror as they realize they aren’t alone and worse, they’re prey.
• Radioactive scorpions escape from a lab and begin to attack a small desert town.
• An experimental romance rehab resort goes into lockdown after a therapist and a participant are found dismembered and clawed to shreds on the beach. But the threat is inside the compound.

Ten more spine-tingling horror story prompts here . 

The Secret to Choosing the Best Story Idea

Stories, more than any other artistic expression, have the power to make people care. Stories have the ability to change people’s lives.

But to write a great story, a life-changing story, don’t just write about what your characters did, said, and saw. Ask yourself, “Where do I fit in to this story? What is my personal connection to this story?”

Robert Frost said this:

If you can connect your personal story to the story you’re writing, you will not only be more motivated to finish your story, you might just be able to change the lives of your readers.

Next Step: Write Your Best Story

No matter how good your idea, writing a story or a book can be a long difficult process. How do you create an outline, come up with a great plot, and then actually  finish  it?

My new book  The Write Structure  will help. You'll learn how to take your idea and structure a strong plot around it. Then you'll be guided through the exact process I've used to write dozens of short stories and over fifteen books.

You can learn more about   The Write Structure  and get your copy here.

Have a great short story idea?  We'd love to hear it. Share it in the comments !

Choose one of these ideas and write a short story in one sitting (aim for 1,000 words or less!). When you're finished, share your story in the Pro Practice Workshop (or our latest writing contest ) for feedback from the community. And if you share, please be sure to comment on a few stories by other writers.

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Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

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129 Comments

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.” —Robert Frost

Great quote, right?

Your site is just awesome!

asome i rily like that

My latest project has been working on a TV-format screenplay. In TV writing, there are B storylines, which are plot lines that span the course of a season (or several seasons). Each episode, however, has an A storyline, which is the plot of the events in that particular episode. Each A storyline is essentially a short story, and churning them out is surprisingly difficult! Lately I’ve been outlining episodes for my own story. I’ve just completed one that I particularly like, and would love to hear what you all think!

The Vampire Cat

The episode opens with Leiko telling the rest of the crew The Dream of Akinosuke. She finishes the story and they all head off to bed. Leiko walks Shannon to her room. On the way, Shannon asks Leiko if the events of the story were the main character’s dreams or if they were real. Leiko replies that for the Japanese the line between dreams and reality is very thin. They say goodnight and part ways.

The next day, the crew touches down on planet Lorraine. Their mission is to rob an auction house of a valuable piece of art if their client is not able to purchase it. They attend the auction. The client is outbid, so that night they return to the auction house to steal the sculpture. While looking for it, Leiko uncovers a dimension hopping machine, which she assumes to be a piece of junk. The crew is surprised by the auction house’s guards. Shannon is shot in the fight. Leiko tries to help her, but is intercepted by a guard. They fight, and Leiko falls inside the dimension hopping machine. She falls against a lever. The doors to the machine close and it begins spinning very fast. Leiko is thrown to the floor and the impact knocks her unconscious.

When she awakes, Leiko is no longer in the machine or the auction house. She is in a 16th century Japanese barracks, surrounded by soldiers. Furthermore, she is dressed like them and they address her as Soda. When she catches a glimpse of her reflection, she realizes to everyone else she looks like a Japanese man. Unsure if she is dreaming or not, Leiko decides to play along. She hears from the other soldiers that the prince of the region is seriously ill, and thinks maybe with her advanced medical knowledge she can help. She sneaks into the castle to see him. On the way, she passes a group of court ladies. The most beautiful of them smiles at Leiko and her eyes flash yellow. Leiko shakes it off, assuming she must be seeing things. She reaches the prince’s room and is shocked to find Shannon lying close to death, surrounded by attendants. She is discovered and thrown out, but she begs to be told what’s happened to the prince, and is informed he has a mystery sickness no doctor can diagnose. It is feared he will die. The prince’s attendants suggest that if she is so worried about her sovereign, she should pray for his health. Before she leaves, she uses to her dagger to look at Shannon’s reflection, and sees that her reflection is in fact that of the prince. Leiko feels the whole situation is somehow strangely familiar, but unable to put her finger on why, she decides there is nothing for it but to follow the attendants’ advice.

That night she goes to the holy quarter and bathes at the well before praying to the statue of Buddha for the prince’s/Shannon’s recovery. A voice calls to her, and she looks up to see a figure in a window above her. The figure asks her to come up. Leiko goes into the building and finds a priest who introduces himself as Ruiten and tells her he has been brought to the castle to find the source of the prince’s illness and asks for her help. Leiko finally realizes why this all seems familiar to her – she is in the story of The Vampire Cat of Nabeshima, playing the part of the young soldier Ito Soda. She makes a conjecture: the dimension hopping machine really worked and has brought her to the spirit world. Shannon, after being shot, is dying, and her spirit has taken the place of the prince in the story. If Leiko saves the prince, she saves Shannon. Ruiten agrees that this may be possible. Leiko agrees to help him. Knowing how the story goes, she now has a hunch as to what is causing the prince’s sickness.

Leiko goes back to the castle, and straight to the house of the court ladies. She digs under the verandah and finds exactly what she thought she would – the body of the beautiful lady, with puncture wounds in her throat.

The next day, Ruiten obtains permission for Leiko to keep watch over the prince with his attendants. That night, all the attendants fall asleep. Leiko keeps herself awake by stabbing herself in the leg. Later in the night, the beautiful lady comes to the room. She says her name is O Toyo, and she is the prince’s favorite companion. Under Leiko’s watchful eye, she cannot harm the prince, so she leaves.

The next morning, Leiko goes to confront the false O Toyo. They fight. Before Leiko can kill her, the false O Toyo shifts to her true form – a demonic black cat – and escapes the castle. Ruiten sends soldiers after her. Just then, there’s a scream from the prince’s room. Leiko and Ruiten rush from to the room and are told the prince is dead. Leiko pushes her way to the bed and, taking Shannon in her arms, pleads with her to wake up. In course of this, Leiko realizes she’s in love with her friend. Suddenly Shannon opens her eyes and says Leiko’s name.

Leiko wakes up in the med bay of the Perseus, surrounded by the crew. Shannon is in the bed next to her, weak but alive. Leiko gets up to tend to her. Shannon asks if one of the crew was holding her, because she could have sworn she felt like she was lying in someone’s arms. Kaya jokes that she must have been having a good dream. Leiko remarks that maybe it was something more.

This is great! Seriously, I really enjoyed it. Now you have to write it! 🙂

Hey Sunny! Loving this website

Opps that was my grandma 🙂 But she right

Do you know of any Romance magazines that offer short story romances or literary magazines dedicated to just romance? Just curious.

I’m not familiar with any, but try googling “romance literary magazines” or “romance short stories” and I’m sure you’ll find some. Reply back if you find any that are particularly promising.

I just want to say, there are so many good stories on this website. This show the amount that you have helped all these people, maybe one day I will add myself to those people, thank you.

http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-genre/romance-by-writing-genre/romance_markets

بدأت تمطر ورأيت الناس يسرعون للإختباء من قطراته فابتسمت لذكرى جميلة عبرت خاطرى ..تذكرت امى عندما كانت ترقص تحت المطر بفستانها الوردى..الهى كم كنت أعشق هذا الفستان عليها..كان يناسب بشرتها الفاتحة ونحولة جسدها .جذبتنى من يدى يومها واخذنا ندور فى حلقات لا تبدء ولا تنتهى. شعرت ببرودة يديها تصعق يداى وبرودة المطر تبلل وجهى أحسست وبالسعادة تغمرنى لانك اخيرا بجانبى واخيرا تبتسمين اشتقتك يا اماه ..أشتقت لتفاصيلك وابتسامتك. أشتقت لمعنى وجودك جانبى ..المطر يهطل، أعلم أنك لو كنت الأن معى لجذبتينى ورسمنا بأقدامنا دوائر حتى تبتل عظامنا ..سأرقص لك فقط وسأبتسم لك فقط. بدأت عيون الناس تتجه نحوى ..تستنكر فعلتى ولكنى لا أفعل شئ.انا فقط أخبر أمى إنى بخير وأنى أشتاقها..ولكن للمطر طعم غريب يا أمى. له طعم ألم فراقك ،طعم الحياة بدونك ؛هو المطر وهى الحياة ولكن طعمهما مؤلمين يا أمى

I’m writing a “Thriller.” I’m very excited. A short story. Thank you. Right on time as usual!

Fun! Good luck LaCresha.

I’m wondering about “the sagging middle” in story structure right now. I’m happy with my beginning and ending, but the middle isn’t as dynamic as I want it to be. Does anyone have any experiences or advice about this? (It’s a 25 000 word story that’s due for a competition in about four months.)

Hey Rosie. We have a few resources on that. First check out our structure and plot cheatsheet: https://thewritepractice.com/plot-structure . Then, a great guest post on story structure with a hole in it: https://thewritepractice.com/story-hole . And I always recommend Save the Cat, which is a book for screenwriters, but is also very helpful for story structure in general: http://amzn.to/1TNpv2F . Highly recommend it.

The story grid is a good site and podcast for story structure. 🙂

But longer than 15 min but here it is.

I rub my fingers into the soft fuzz on the big brown chair. I can make designs if I move my fingers up or down. A dot makes one eye. Then another. A line for a smile finishes my chair picture. ‘Why would Daddy take money and blow it into the wind?’ I wonder as I draw.

A wet spot lands by the mouth, making the brown turn dark. I try to wipe it away, but the face disappears instead. I lay back in the chair, bumping my twin brother and making the dim room spin. My pink and orange stripe shirt is soft as I wipe my eyes. James’s tears fall to the chair like rain, his mouth open like one of the squishy balls we play with. His cry is loud. I join the noise.

Mommy’s hair, as dark as the wet spot on our chair, poofs around her face. Her green eyes seem small with her eyebrows close together. Teeth and gums show as Mommy screams like a roaring lion. Daddy points a finger at her nose. He looks so big. He yells, trying to be louder than her. James and I try to cry louder than them. Maybe they will hear us. Maybe they will stop.

Mommy lets out one last angry scream and tries to push Daddy away. A long red line comes on his arm. Red water comes out of it. Daddy’s eyes widen. His face turns red. He grabs Mommy by her arms, lifts her, and pushes her to the door like a rhinoceros. The wood breaks as they go through.

The noise has stopped, except for sirens in the distance. I curl into a ball in the chair, James’s knee sticking into my back, and close my eyes.

James and I get to sleep in the same bed tonight. It’s strange having Daddy read and tuck us in by himself, but he tells us Mommy will be home soon. I still don’t understand why she went to jail. I thought jail was for bad guys, but Daddy says everything will be ok.

The lights go out bringing shadow monsters. I hug my brother.

Bit longer than 15 minutes, but here it is

‘Scars’

The noise has stopped, except for sirens in the distance. I curl into a ball in the chair, James’ knee sticking into my back, and close my eyes.

This was so good! You have a really good writing style!

“The wall, he decided, will always be there”

He awoke, or at least it seemed he did, for he could not tell if he had been dreaming or if he were dreaming now. He pushed the woollen, scratchy blanket away from his body. There were no sheets, and his skin stuck to the plastic mattress that smelled of others sweat and urine. After prying his flesh from the tenacious bedding, he managed to sit up. He was more tired than he had remembered. He was still dirty and thirsty and his eyes hurt as they squinted in the dim hazy light. He drew his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. For long moments, he sat that way fearing punishment for doing anything that might be wrong.

Eventually, however, his eyes grew accustomed to the shadowy light and he began to see things. Across from him he could see a wall. He wondered how long the wall had been there. The question struck him as absurd. The wall he decided would always be there. In this confusion, he meditated on the hardness before him until a thought of beauty entered his mind and the nakedness upset him. “There are no pictures…it has no pictures hanging from it.” Lacking the courage, or cowardice, to look away he continued staring blankly until his sight improved still further and he found something within the wall that excited him. “I forgot…about…colour…I can see the colour now!” He tried to give the colour a name. “Dirty…” he thought. “Filth.” he said out loud. “It is a filthy colour.” he whispered silently to himself.

Quickly, the excitement left him and he began to grow tired of looking at the wall, even the colour began to bore him. The boredom gave him a sense of courage and he became bold. He decided to explore. Cautiously he moved his eyes to the right where he saw…a corner, Then the head began to turn to follow the lead of the eyes. They continued past the corner until they gazed upon something he recognized.

He hated what he saw, the familiar object that hid in the shadows…the thing that kept him here. He glared at it, but the closed and bolted door remained unmoved. It was then that he turned back to the wall he had grown to know and the boredom…he had grown to love.

incredible first sentence!

Incredible first sentence and incredible last sentence. Shivers up my spine. Thank you.

3 words…. copy and paste

Omg how why are people so good at writing stuff?!?!?

idek!?!?!!! i’m a freshman in high school and i can’t even write a simple short story.

Give it time…

This was a wonderful read ^_^ Short and enticingly written. Drew me in right away with that first bit, and especially the way it was all tied together by that first sentence. Lovely!

I know it’s been two years but it’s still very good and still deserves praise. I like this trippy atmosphere, you managed to convey it very nicely.

Some great story ideas here. You could even combine some of them in interesting, tenuous ways for a multi-location epic.

Thanks Bridget! Absolutely. And there’s nothing I love more than a good epic.

These are great ideas. I like the idea of prompts. Though sometimes, I get stuck when I write from a prompt. And sometimes, I’m not able to write a story in one sitting. I have to think about how I want the story to play out. I might have done it once, and they were pretty short. But most of the time, it takes a couple of sessions. That’s how I’m wired, I suppose.

Ten years of therapy, about a million different types of pills and three psychiatrists have helped me enough to write this. I was eleven when it happened, my older sister, Quinn, was almost sixteen, and my best friend was ten. I’ll never forget it… I doubt anyone ever will.

It was a warm summer day, early June, my best friend, Harper was over and we were playing in the backyard. We were laughing and singing along to a song that I couldn’t tell you the name of now. It was the middle of a normal day, but that’s what they always think just before everything goes wrong. Well, anyways,Harper and I amused ourselves doing everything and nothing for a while before we decided that we wanted to go to upstairs and bug Quinn, who we thought was doing her online drivers ed. courses. We raced up to her room, giggling like the little girls we were. When we got to her room, Harper grabbed the doorknob and tried to fling the door open, but it was locked. That should have been my first sign that something was wrong, Quinn never locked her door, we weren’t allowed to. We yelled, laughing, “Let us in! Let us in!” We giggled and knocking on her door again and again. There was no response, so I remember grabbing the key my parents always had, it opened all of the doors to me and my sibling’s bedrooms… I wish I would’ve known what I know now. I wish I wouldn’t have opened that door.

That day was the last happy day for a long time. I remember everything clearly, the breeze ruffling my short hair, the sound of Harper screaming the lyrics to our favorite song at the top of her lungs. I especially remember the thing that has haunted me for the past ten years. I remember my sister’s lifeless body lying in a pool of her own blood on her bed. I remember the look on her face being more peaceful than I’ve ever seen it. I remember screaming as I stared at the image of Quinn, her wrists bleeding and her skin pale. I remember the sound of Harper frantically dialing 911 and I remember the ambulance arriving. I remember the paramedics calling my parents and hearing my mom’s piercing scream from the phone. I remember the paramedics forcing me out of Quinn’s room, while I kicked and screamed at them, begging them to let me stay with my sister. It was the last time I saw her face. I remember collapsing in my dad’s arms. That was the first time I heard him cry, it wouldn’t be the last.

She was already dead when the ambulance got there. Suicide, they said, she killed herself. It took a long time to convince myself that it wasn’t my fault. If I had only went to see her sooner I could’ve saved her. The funeral was closed casket and everyone cried. I didn’t. I couldn’t. I was too numb. I don’t remember much of the funeral, it was just a blur of black and navy blue, with the occasional apology thrown in there. I never got why everyone apologized, it wouldn’t bring her back.

I was just a little girl and there I was with my childhood torn away from me. I was a younger sister and then I was an only child. A piece of me has been missing from me ever since that die and I doubt I’ll ever get it back again.

This was based on the boy or gets an unexpected fortune. I flushed out the typos, but its okay. Check it out! 😀 Caleb Pratt

Mistaken Divinity

My bar drinks of the wooded timberland were one of the most profound expeditions in my walk into becoming a god. I cupped the glass of cool bud light, and sipped it up at the mini bar table. I rested my hand on the wooden counter top, my fans and companions gambling each other on some high level daredevil match.

“Hey, Lexan, where you at,” I turned to see my friend Rodriguez. Fun man to have around with. He was had long grey hair, even for a guy. I pushed off the table and stood straight. I kept my hand in my pocket.

“You have a lot of realty in the new diversion your causing. Sherman hasn’t even sighted any more Divine Partakers, let alone, any Christian circumspect.”

“I know I know, but… we are, what they are… except the for the grace,” Rodriguez said.

“Right,” I narrow my eyes down towards the ground. I didn’t want to hear what he had to say about us Mormons being what the Christian Community isn’t. I mean, there almost all extinct, if not a hundred percent. We are the erected believers… who are in sure denial of the forthcoming of any later day saints.

“So where is your ceremonial magic been taking you,” Rodriguez said. “Anyhow I could help in the cemetery on Route 430?”

“Uhh… I mean… yeah unless you have a cloak and a specialized dagger. I’d have to get you one of those. You’ll be all dressed like a Celtic.”

We laughed.

Rodriguez was a good friend of mine. Much older though. I was in my teen years and he was in his fifties.

“Man, Lexan, you need to grow a beard. Your seventeen years old… yet you look like you’ve graduated college. What happened to your power to manipulate appearance? Funny… its a shame Christians don’t have this kind of power… even heathens can’t do anything we can.”

“Yeah I can tell Rodge. Tell me, why haven’t you been practicing your divinity? You seem a little out of shape to be wrestling with angles and demons….”

“Well I… yeah I mean, sure. Lets say I’m kind of in a predicament.”

“What…?”

I lay my back against the counter.

“Well, down on Armenia Rd. there was a cross fight between me and some other foe. Not sure what to suspect of him, but the “man-woman” was between two others working for her, or he… I don’t know.”

I rest my chin on my thumb and index finger. I realize and hear there are other phenomena of some other cultist group here in Sherman. Our cult is wacky on its own. Though I don’t know what to think of this “he-she man” thing….”

BZZZZZ! BZZZZZ!

‘I heard you! Shut up!’

‘Enough, you asshole!’

WHACK! Pieces of metal and plastic shattered on the wall.

“I can’t do this anymore,” she muttered softly as she fights her every being not to shed a tear. Alas, she lost once again.

It’s been days since she last saw light. The shadows on the walls seemed permanently etched. Her sanctuary once filled with love, lust, and happiness, now wreaks with despair, anguish, and palpable desperation.

‘How did I get here?’ she thought. The same desperate thought she’s been clutching onto for days. Or maybe weeks? Months? Years?

It doesn’t matter. To Emma, time no longer exists with this unrelenting pain.

Once in a while, the light would sneak through the thick, heavy curtains. And Emma would almost succumb to a hint of a smile until it haunts her again.

His resilient hands on her supple breasts. His soft lips caressing her neck and slender sternum. His sturdy chest against her trembling body. His whole palpitating manhood devouring her salacious being. Every ridges of Paul haunt her. Now, it all has to be distant memories. Unshakeable, soul crushing memories.

After what seemed like a lifetime of horizontal desolation, she finally mustered some strength to sit at the edge of her bed. She slowly opened her bulging eyes, and finally saw the mess she was in. Rotting pieces of food in cardboard boxes, sea of crumpled tissue strewn with nauseating piles of laundry, and dismantled pieces of her once chirpy alarm clock scattered all over her dingy floor.

As she moved her gazed from the floor, she noticed the dent on her pristine white wall. She couldn’t help but stare. ‘That dent will be there for a long time,’ she thought.

With a throbbing grunt, Emma slowly stood up and shuffled towards her once chirpy alarm clock. She picked up the pieces and followed the faint light peeking through her bathroom door. As she turned the door knob, more tears rolled down her cheeks. It was excruciating, but this time it was different. The door closed and the room was dark once again.

“His resilient hands on her supple breasts. His soft lips caressing her neck and slender sternum. His sturdy chest against her trembling body. His whole palpitating manhood devouring her salacious being. Every ridges of Paul haunt her. Now, it all has to be distant memories. Unshakeable, soul crushing memories.”

He had left his Gameboy behind. There was nothing to do without it, nothing to do but kick his feet and stare at the dull blank walls. Even annoying Di-Di had lost its colour. He didn’t care what Ma or Papa said. He had to get his Gameboy back.

He pushed into the room. Ah Boy, wait outside ah. Don’t come in! Papa had seemed firm, but he was old enough now to know how to get out of trouble. He would run to Ma, hide behind her legs, maybe tearfully declare that he would run away from home because Papa was so mean. Anyway, Papa seemed so busy with Ah Gong nowadays. He wouldn’t bother to cane a little boy like him.

Where had everyone gone? He couldn’t have been in the corridor for so long. The room that was once packed full of relatives was empty. It was only Ah Gong left in the hospital bed.

Immediately he noticed that the mask over Ah Gong’s nose and mouth was gone. Who had removed it? Without the strange alien-octopus-thing perched on his face, Ah Gong looked like the grandfather he remembered. He moved closer to get a better look.

As he approached the bed he realized the mask was lying on the chair. The inside was stained with a rustlike substance he did not recognize. He held up the mask to the light, and rubbed the stain with a cautious index finger. A powder came off in his hand. With a shiver of disgust he realized it was dried blood.

“Di-Di!” He didn’t know if he was terrified or excited. Where was his brother? Ma had always rushed to daub up any blood in their house – whether from Di-Di falling when learning to ride his bicycle, Di-Di scratching him during one of their many fights, Papa tripping over a wire and later needing stitches in his forehead. He couldn’t pass up this golden opportunity to share with his brother: the chance to investigate blood without an adult present.

The Gameboy lay in the room, forgotten.

Wrote on ‘a group of children discover a dead body’. In case it wasn’t obvious.

“I do like llamas very much,” said Charleston, “In fact, they even have names.” “You are one freaky man, Charleston.” stated Larry

Very well said!!

Jeremy Reynolds had a party one day. He decided it would be a special theme. Deez Nutz, he decided would be a fitting title for a beach party.

*I am only 14 so please, don’t mind me if there are any mistakes. I am still in the process of learning, but I tried really hard*

He could write. He could write and he knew it. No one else knew. He’d never show them his pieces; his collection of fantasies and mysteries. He wanted his friends to know. No, he wanted the world to know. But he was fearful. He was fearful of his stories failing, of him failing.

Abram had written many short stories and novels, all of them printed in manuscript and hidden in a black lock-box under his bed. He was unmarried, for he didn’t need any other love than that of his trusty typewriter and parchment. Writing was frowned upon, in his country. Books were burned. Even the classics. They were all burned in a pile on the streets.

He wouldn’t risk it. He didn’t want that fate for his books. He worked to hard. He spent too much time revising and perfecting the novel; there was no way he would let them die.

Sighing, Abram cracked his knuckles and stood. He yawned and walked over to his bed, where he bent down and grabbed the lock-box from beneath the bed. Abram had kept the key underneath the mattress, in case anyone were to find this box that contained all of his treasured secrets.

He opened the box he hadn’t opened in many years. Removing the pieces of parchment, he sat on floor, listening for the sounds of Nazi vehicles who somehow sensed the unpublished books. But none came. There was only silence, which, to Abram’s surprise, seemed to grow stronger as each second passed.

Before he knew it, Abram had been sitting on his hard floor for hours, thinking. Thinking about what he knew not. He just knew he was thinking.

Abram stood slowly; carefully as if he was trying not to disrupt the dust that covered the dark floor. Walking over to his desk, he left his lock-box open; something he’d never done in the years past. He sat and placed some more parchment into the typewriter and began writing, or typing, you could say. But this time, something was different. Abram wasn’t writing just for fun, he was writing for purpose. This time, he thought, this time, I will be published and my work may fuel the world. And with that, he revealed his talent to the world.

Thank you so much!!

much thanks <3

I’m sorry I’m late but I just wanted to say this story is fantastic! Soon enough this will become a book! I’m from Hawaii and all I do is write and draw all day… Keep up the work and never give up! God bless and aloha!

Yours was the best story that I read on this page…

thank you!!!

Very empowering!!! I was also around your age when I started writing on this site.

Anyways, that short story was so full of meaning. We just happened to be doing an essay on the value of literature in English class so this really fit in nicely for me with that. Lovely! 🙂

oh thank you sooo much!! I greatly appreciate it!!

I enjoyed your story. Thank you for sharing. I especially liked how Abram developed his talent, and despite the fear of having his manuscripts destroyed, he decided to publish his work. Well done and well told.

I have noticed some tiny grammatical mistakes in your Story and correct it for you as I know that this short Story has potential to go very far. Here is the corrected version: He could write. He could write, and he knew it. No one else knew. He’d never show them his pieces; his collection of fantasies and mysteries. He wanted his friends to know. No, he wanted the world to know. But he was fearful. He was fearful of his stories failing, of him failing.

Abram had written many short stories and novels, all of them printed in manuscript and hidden in a black lock-box under his bed. He was unmarried, for he didn’t need any other love than that of his trusty typewriter and parchment. Writing was frowned upon, in his country. Books were burnt. Even the classics. They were all burned in a pile on the streets.

He wouldn’t risk it. He didn’t want that fate for his books. He worked too hard. He spent too much time revising and perfecting the novel; there was no way he would let them die.

He opened the box he hadn’t opened in many years. Removing the pieces of parchment, he sat on the floor, listening for the sounds of Nazi vehicles who somehow sensed the unpublished books. But none came. There was only silence, which, to Abram’s surprise, seemed to grow stronger as each second passed.

Abram stood slowly; carefully as if he was trying not to disrupt the dust that covered the dark floor. Walking over to his desk, he left his lock-box open; something he’d never done in the years past. He sat and placed some more parchment into the typewriter and began writing, or typing, you could say. But this time, something was different. Abram wasn’t writing just for fun, he was writing for a purpose. This time, he thought, this time, I will be published, and my work may fuel the world. And with that, he revealed his talent to the world.

I hope my effort has helped!

Is it OK if I put this on a website I’m making. It will get me money I need to have. You said your only 14, 9 months ago, so you could be 15, well I’m only 12. I need to learn to save up and this will help me. Everything I said here is true, please help me. Also, this is a great story and that is why I chose your to be on my website.

dude thats like literally directly stealing someone’s work for money that only goes to you. Just write your own story instead of stealing someone else’s.

Admit it. I am probably some dude who can’t even make a website, well I am, so don’t worry.

This is the story I am working on now. I wrote it a long time ago, but I am upgrading it now. Changing all the errors, making the vocabulary more sophisticated:

In a valley close to a river where melt-water splashed and where rhododendrons and roses bloomed, where linnets flew with doves above the clustered trees, lay a cave, mostly hidden by the immense pines and the crag. In the cave, out of reach from the sunlight, was a portal. The portal’s frame was the darkest shade of gold, with glowing orange lines carved into it. Glowing flecks of bright blue glow in the darkness of the cave. The portal lay un opened, but the frame still glowed in the shadows of the sombre cave.

In a desert of torturing, immense heat, where scorching light, too blistering to be called sunlight, burns the dehydrated ground, was a tunnel, buried under the sand. In the tunnel there was an ever-growing fortress of burnt leaves and sand with over-boiled water dripping the top. This is all that remained of the desert, nothing could survive in the world above, nothing except from the portal. The fortress was built around the portal; the portal was the darkest shade of black, with red around the rims of the frame.

The sound of water hitting the cold tiles that topped the floor brought a sense of entertainment to the girl sat in the small room covered in a mixture of scars and bruises, awaiting the next blow of the hammer upon her fragile body which shivered in the night air and soft breeze which entered via the half barricaded window. Again and again, almost as if it was a cruel rhythm the metal tool came down, never missing a hit, always landing upon her chest. The storm brewing outside was bad enough without the maniac and his hammer. These are soft blows for a man of his build, she thought, she was certain he intended to make this last all night long. She wanted to struggle, to scream! But the leather bindings made it impossible, who cares anyway, she thought, no one near this basement would care.

The sticky taste of iron filled her mouth, blood. Her body started to shudder, shock. By this point the inmate hitting had dropped the hammer and injected another load of hydrocodone, such a waste of such an effective pain killer. At last she tried to struggle, but even with the drugs numbing the sharp pain shooting trough her body she still couldn’t gain the strength to fuel her ineffective hope of escaping the inmate, after all, even if she did escape, in a mass breakout like this? She could die in a more demanding way.

With my free hand I felt the imperfections, holes, scratches, patches of long since dry blood that covered thee wooden operation table I lay on. How old was it? Thirty years? Forty? Who cares, it had to be old to be in the basement of Twin Rivers Asylum. This psychiatric institution had housed many atrocities, after all, Nazis built this asylum, catered the inmates…put them to work. We are only barely off the English channel; here in Channel Island’s Twin rivers asylum we have many an inmates. Young and old, French and British, they are all welcome here, hell, we have a Swedish inmate, talks to himself all day and night, his names Toby Buchman, we call him Toby-Talkative, how very fitting being his nurse I should die by his hand…

Ouch, be gentler Toby. Even through my drugged up husk of a body I felt that one. I and the staff thought you were joking when you said you were very strong, looks like you weren’t joking…

For such a shrivelled blotch of bones you have surprisingly good and when it comes to instrument of torture, your quite strong, why wouldn’t you be? Killing young women is why your here, Toby, you are one hell of a sociopath, brilliant mind, you’re like a more sadistic Hannibal Lecter minus eating his victims after all, I’m so helpless you could take a couple of bites out of me as I lie here, in the dark basement…

Fun fact, a goldfish’s attention span is three seconds, the average lunar eclipse takes 11 minutes to pass, and a wooden hospital bed from 19th century takes an average of 63 hits to break trough, 54 if you incorporate a body which weighs approximately 130lbs, and guess how much I weigh.

Suddenly I heard the wood buckle under the next hit a glorious hit as well as my straps loosening. Come on Toby, you brilliant old sociopath, you can do it, one more well made hit could send me free. What could go wrong? Toby stood motionless on the spot for a moment later Toby took another blow. I couldn’t breathe. The pain was so intense I felt every cell in my body explode in a chain reaction. The pain was so intense that it felt like a piece of heated iron had been pressed onto my skin. Despite that, a strange sort of calm fell over me: I was dying. I wasn’t coming back from this. Part of me thought, All right. Make it count. I wobbled on one foot about to run to the door, but unfortunately Toby kicked me at the wall. He was so strong, I thought All froze the leaves on the trees didn’t clatter, Toby didn’t stink anymore, Then it was gone all the memories of life returning to me. Then it all went away, my life was It was the end, nothing could stop that now…

I awoke in a bed, in a white room with a marble floor and a silver carpet at the foot of the bed; the wall behind her was a fancy, white wallpaper, decorated to look like a real wall. The wall on the left of the bed and in front of the bed were normal and white, on the right of the bed was a window, now covered, with a beige curtain. In the bed- where the girl lay were multiple cushions, all lay side by side at the top of the bed; the blanket covering her was soft and light. On the sides of the bed were two bed-side cabinets, one with a lamp and the other one with a vase, holding tulips and rhododendrons, on books by her favourite author, many she didn’t recognise. Promptly, she got up noticing there was a small, white table- shaped as a cylinder, with a transparent glass top; also noticing the chair behind it too. The chair was a traditional, leather armchair with four small metal legs holding it up. Then she turned to the door. It was white made, smooth and made out of oak, with a metal handle, a small, square keyhole under it.

As soon as I placed my hand on the door handle, it flew open with a tall, handsome man in the way with bright blue hair shaped as a fire and red eyes. “Welcome, Kayla to Valhalla. Where are you off so fast” he shouted with glee. “I was going out,” Kyla said trembling on the spot. “I didn’t think this is where I should be.” “In this hotel we are all dedicated to make you feel like home, for you will be staying here for the rest of your life. Sorry for my wrong vocabulary, you are already dead. For the rest of the time you need to practice.” “What !?” she yelled. “Are you saying I’m dead” “Yes I am,” the man asked confused.”May I introduce you to your new home”

So the two walked through what seemed to be a endless tour, but eventually came to an end. “And this is the dining room where you have dinner… Here is your breakfast room you can freely come here and invite friends if you are feeling lonely…” “So you are saying this is the place where all people go if they are an extremex and if they died they come here and become an extraextremex” “Yes,” said he.”And also that you are our leader because you can see what specie people are also take away their powers if needed.” “Can I take away the powers of sociopaths or weaken them with my mind beams whatever things.”

“Yes, you can but if you do that you will be weakened too. Also that is a high level trick, you are not high level- no offense” “Offense taken,” said Kayla, with her head down. So they continued on their tour and went walking through all the different floors and introducing Kyla to all the different people and members of staff. On they went about the limits of people and a lot of different stuff. After time, they started her training.

“Focus on me, ” Blaze was explaining to her how to see what specie he was.”Do not think of anything else. Not the colour of my nose, not what room we are in just on me the thoughts and memories of me. Now listen to the sound of my voice. You should be in a universe of darkness; are you?” “Yes I see black in the background and there are flying things in it.” “Yes those are my thoughts.” “I can also see images swirling around” “Those are memories” “I can also feel heat and cold environment when I move around. Are those your emotions” “Yes, the heat is happiness and the cold is anxiety or sadness. Now let’s focus on the specie part. To determine if I’m an Extraextremex, a normal Extremex or even an Oigreog. If I am an Extraextremex then you will not feel motion. If I was an Extremex then you would sense tingling and if I am an Oigreog then you’ll sense shaking. Which one do you sense?” “I sense tingling and shaking so you are one of the Oigreog in the times when Extremex where starting to populate the world. This that means you are an Exremog or an Exoiig” “I am an Exoiig. I have not died yet.” “But how are you here?” “Because I was the first Exoiig alive. I made this place” “But how?” “I used my powers to do it. That is why all the walls are shades of red, orange and yellow.” “Why didn’t you make mine a different colour.” “Because I need to keep track of what specie everyone is. I used Conjuration and Mysticism to make sure that every specie got the same shade of red or whatever.” They blabbered on about what it was like when Oigreog ruled the world, what Black Magic could do and how to control Extraextremex powers…

Kayla went to bed with the thoughts of how the world was made and how it transformed into this planet, when at the start it was billions of monsters – the Oigreog – fought and then somehow transformed into normal people who never fought in their lives. She also didn’t understand how there was only one person who had the power to see what specie one was… She woke with her hair curled up covering her face.

Once she tossed the hair off her face she noticed there was a book on her bed-side cabinet beside the lamp. When she picked it up, she noticed it was a book called “The Arts of Necromancy and Enchantments”. She soon noticed it was the book Blaze used to learn Black Magic. She was filled with a mixture of joy and shock. Then the door flew open. A small brown-haired boy was standing in the way. “Hi,” he said, holding a hand out to shake, “I am Logan, someone from you floor” “Hi,” Kayla said, shaking his hand, “I’m Kayla, an Extraextremex” “Do you want to go and have breakfast” “I guess so” said Kayla.

In the hallway, my neighbours were starting to emerge. Thomas Jefferson Jr looked about my age. He had short curly hair, a lanky frame and a rifle slung over one shoulder. His blue wool coat had brass buttons and chevrons on the sleeve – a U.S. Army Civil War uniform, I guessed. He nodded and smiled. ‘How you doing?’

‘Um, dead, apparently,’ I said. He laughed. ‘Yeah. You’ll get used to it. Call me T.J.’ ‘Kayla,’ I said. ‘Come on.’ Logan pulled me along.

We passed a girl who must’ve been Mallory Keen. She had frizzy red hair, green eyes and a serrated knife, which she was shaking in the face of a six-foot-seven guy outside the door marked X.

‘Again with the pig’s head?’ Mallory Keen spoke in a faint Irish brogue. ‘X, do you think I want to see a severed pig’s head every time I step out of my front door?’

‘I could not eat any more,’ X rumbled. ‘The pig head does not fit in my refrigerator.’ Personally, I would not have antagonized the guy. He was built like a bomb-containment chamber. If you happened to have a live grenade, I was pretty sure you could safely dispose of it simply by asking X to swallow it. His skin was the colour of a shark’s belly, rippling with muscles and stippled with warts. There were so many welts on his face it was hard to tell which one was his nose. We walked past, X and Mallory too busy arguing to pay us any attention.

We entered a small elevator and the doors closed, making the elevator sound. “One question: How does everyone get here.” “People called Collectors fly around the world collecting souls of dead Extremex. I am a Collectors.”

‘And you?’ I asked. ‘How did you become a Collector? Did you die a noble death?’ She laughed. ‘Not yet. I’m still among the living.’ ‘How does that work exactly?’ ‘Well, I live a double life. Tonight, I’ll escort you to dinner. Then I have to rush home and finish my calculus homework.’ ‘You’re not joking, are you?’ ‘I never joke about calculus homework.’ The elevator doors opened. We stepped into a room the size of a concert arena. My mouth dropped. ‘Holy –’ ‘Welcome,’ Logan said, ‘to the Feast Hall of the Slain.’

Rows of long tables, like a stadium, curved downward from the nosebleed section. In the center of the room, instead of a basketball court, a tree rose taller than the Statue of Liberty. Its lowest branches were maybe a hundred feet up. Its canopy spread over the entire hall, scraping against the domed ceiling and sprouting through a massive opening at the top. Above, stars glittered in the night sky.

What’s supposed to be your point? If you are receiving money from something YOU DO NOT OWN then it is obviously theft. YOU DO NOT PUT SOMEONE ELSES WORK ON YOUR OWN WEBSITE AND USE THAT MONEY FOR YOURSELF. That is just pathetic, really. I hope you honestly realise what your doing here, because its seriously stupid.

kys nigga my bitch loves the cocaine nigga gucci gang nigga iwill fuck your bith tongiht nigga, drose out nigga fag nigga

I am very disappointed that there is not 100 of the story idea selection

I’m glad to see Joe’s book, Let’s Write a Short Story! is still availalbe and going strong! I purchased it as soon as it was published, still refer to it quite regularly to remind myself of some important but often over-looked elements of short story. Although my work has been published a number of times, we’re never too experienced to learn and to be reminded of what makes for a great story.

A short story idea: When I was very young, one of my best friends learned she had been adopted. We all know that people really can and do say some incredibly stupid things to children. Because my mother had very blond hair and blue eyes and both my hair and eyes are dark brown, strangers often said to me,”And just whose little girl are you?” I began to wonder whether I, too, was adopted and my parents simply weren’t telling me. What if, as an adult who never questioned your origins, you learned you had been adopted. Conversely, because I myself DO have an adopted child, what if you were told you were adopted but in fact, learned you were not. Write a short story!

here’s my story

Uncle joe was talking to his 5 year old nephew jane about how he’s getting old and how she’s going to have to start doing all the chores in the house joe is a little challenged in his life because he was bullied and doesn’t know how to control his anger. he gets in an argument with jane and Joe felt anger go through his mind his temper over flows and he got so mad he started hitting her. 2 years later she was still helping around as Jane’s face would turn red and she would start throwing tempers and joe would hit her. Over the years her fachel expiration started to change form because of all the hitting. Joe heard a scream of dying devastating noise outside and went to go see what it was he lifted up a bucket and under it was the phone book. Since he had anger issues he decided to call the evil scientist and ask him to fix bullying once and for all after he went to the evil scientist house something went wrong he came back as the demon he unlocked his nephew’s room there she was. she was crying.Jane slowly turned around she was mad crazy. He ordered her to clean the dishes. Since she was so mad crazy she didn’t listen to him and she smacked him across the face the Demons face turned red he felt like someone pierced him with a needle he got so mad that he trapped her in the mirror. She was screaming for help but it just circulated around in the mirror as she was she was trapped there another duplicate appeared it was a boy. He said his name was michael. He was 7 years old the evil demon erased the kids memories and put them in a microchip. Then he put him on the streets. Someone had found him and brought him home and He had been with his new parents for years.He was great at figuring anything out a after a while he found out about his uncle Joe. Since he was so good at researching things he even found directions to his uncle’s house so he decided to go on an adventure to find his uncle joe/the Demon once he found uncle Joe he wasn’t at all happy.

Joe hit Michael and he fell to the ground and fainted .when he was just slightly awake he found a microchip it said Michael’s memories michael picked it up Joe was coming towards him with a knife

Michael woke up right away and put the microchip to his chest if he dies Jane will vanish for ever Joe stabbed Michael in the chest.luckily the microchip blocked the knife from stabbing him and the microchip went into his chest it felt like a rainbow bursting through his skin the light went into his eyes and he got his memories back. He knew everything he knew that his clone was abused and everything he was ready to sacrifice himself for his clone so he ran inside the house and did bloody jane spinning around in circles and said bloody jane bloody jane bloody jane.

He trapped himself in the mirror and Bloody Jane was back Jane through her self out of the house and went to Joe in and punched him on the floor and they had a sword fight and Joe died and bloody Jane turned into the evil bloody demon.

(I like to write with comic characters (Peter Parker, ect.) so here we go… Based on the scars short story idea)

“Where did these come from?” I flinched and hurried to cover my back and arms up. “They’re old… They don’t hurt anymore…” I frowned, remembering the pain from each one of the marks that stained my skin forever. “That’s not what I asked…” I flinched as he slid the thin jacket off my shoulders to get a better look at them. I didn’t meet his eyes as he traced over them. Long and thin lines from knives. Round ones from cigars or cigarettes. Jagged ones from glass. The giant one that curled from just below my neck, all the way around my body before stopping at my right hip. I remembered the pain from each one, the cause of each one, the people who caused each and every one of them… “Pete, It’s a really long story…” We had been dating for about a month and I didn’t want to scare him away with my sob story. “I want to know.” His voice was soft as he had me sit on the bed facing him. I looked at him for a while, trying to sort my thoughts out. We had been friends since we were six, but I had hidden everything from him. He had no clue, and I wish he still wouldn’t… I took a deep breath and began to tell the story. “I’ve kept this from everyone… Please let me tell the whole story before you ask questions or leave me. I wouldn’t blame you if you did…” “Go ahead, I’ll let you finish. But I promise, I won’t leave you.” He grabbed my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll see… It began when I was six. My parents weren’t the best as you know… They weren’t home much. Mom went out drinking until she was hammered, Dad went out on “business” calls. He would leave almost every night, coming home with perfume on him. Mom didn’t want to believe it. She was in denial, believed that he still loved her as he did in the past… She would come home smashed and would start sobbing. I tried to help as much as I could, but I didn’t know much. I would let her hug me, and would do my best to comfort her. I learned fast that I needed to take care of her. She would wake up with a hangover and the best I could do was give her one of my favorite juice pouches and a cookie. She would start crying again and tell me that I was such a good girl. Remember when I missed school for a week?” “Yeah, the teacher said you were really sick.” “Dad and mom got into a fight. They were screaming at each other, I didn’t know what to do… I ran away from home, I went to my cousin’s house. I got to stay there the week even though he called mom. When I got home, Dad was gone and mom was passed out on the couch surrounded by empty cans of alcohol. Dad never came back after that, and mom got increasingly depressed. I didn’t know what was happening, Dad wouldn’t come home, mom was sad, I learned how to do things for myself quick because I had to support myself and mom. When I turned seven the nice elderly woman from next door began to teach me how to cook, and clean. I would make her little crafts to sell in her shop as a “payment” for the lessons. Mom barely noticed I was gone for an hour afterschool. She tried to be there for me, she would ask me how my day was, and would constantly give me hugs. I thought life was going good, that everything would be okay. Then when I was eight, everything went downhill…” He squeezed my hand slightly. “Dad came back to the house. He… He said nasty things to mom. I didn’t understand that well back then but as I grew older I understood what he said to her. He.. broke her… She wouldn’t talk anymore, refused to eat, refused to drink… After I came home from the sleepover at your house, I saw her… She, She was hanging from the ceiling, tears running down her face.” Pete looked horrified, pulling me into a hug as I continued. “The elderly woman heard my scream, and rushed over to see me staring at my mother screaming and sobbing. She called the cops, quickly getting her to the ground, checking her pulse. I was taken to the woman’s home, the police announced her dead and found a letter…” “I knew she passed but didn’t know what happened exactly…” Pete’s voice was quiet. “Dad got custody over me. He didn’t like the fact that I looked like mom. He… He did things. He let his ‘friends’ do things. I was nine at the time, and he sold me to his ‘friend’ for the night. Gave him 10 bucks to have his way with me. I tried to fight back but…” Pete looked livid. “I felt sick, the bad thing is that I couldn’t feel anything. I was numb, emotionally and physically. You and the others were the only ones that made me feel something… It continued until I was twelve, I had tried to fight but it was pointless. One day, Dad had enough of it. He slapped me, kicked me, cut me, burned me… He let his ‘friends’ have their way with me. The reason I began to miss more and more school was because of him. I got lucky sometimes and was able to sneak out and see you. He would add a new mark to the collection each time. Then when I was fifteen, he got drunk. He.. Had his way with me, then threatened to kill me if I said anything. Aunt May was the one to notice, the one day I came over she saw a glimpse of them… I confided in her, I didn’t want you to know because you would look at me differently. Or give up on me and that would have killed me… Dad found out when May called the cops on him. He was not happy, the longest scar was his attempt to kill me. The police did a search, and the court plead him guilty. I was in the hospital that month I missed school… My cousin got custody of me, then the accident happened, and I got my abilities. That’s pretty much it… I guess you’ll be leaving then?” I lowered my head, waiting for the rejection. “I told you. I’ll never leave you. I love you too much to do that. I’m glad you told me…” He pulled me into a tight hug, kissing the top of my head. “Really?” I teared up a bit. “Really.” He held me as I cried. I really felt loved for once in my life… All I know is that it felt good to get that off my chest. “I don’t care about the marks. Because these scars make you look even more beautiful to me.”

( I have no idea if I did this right and I’m quite sure I might have made few mistakes but it’s worth a try)

Sometimes there are instances when you can see your own life flashing before your eyes and it gets you thinking ” Is this where I want to be? Is this the place I still want to be in another 5 years?”

I had a minor problem, a fault perhaps. I was surely and indefinitely addicted to Alcohol. Don’t get me wrong it was not that type of addiction where one would kill for a bottle of beer or something far more stronger that leaves that burning sensation down your throat and a sting behind your eyelids. It was a addiction where when I didn’t know what to do-how to react- specifically, I turned to my new found companion. It didn’t shout back at me, didn’t call me names, didn’t say that I was a worthless mistake.

Infact it welcomed me with open arms and I embraced the feeling of not caring. Sure it was a great weight off my shoulders just to forget everything for a moment and just…… be. But then I’d wake up regretting every single thing I did the night before. Trust me that plus having a blasting headache ? not the best hangover tonic.

Now here I am in front of my car trying to think yet failing since I can’t even think straight to even start thinking about thinking.

That’s when I feel it. something poking at the back of my head. A shadow looming behind me.

”Leave the keys on the ground and turn away without a second glance and you won’t get hurt.” His vice was rough and he reeked of old garbage and dried up voldka.

There I see it again. All The time I’ve spent wasting away drinking without actually doing what my 21 year old self was supposed to be doing.

I took my parents money for granted and had the time of my life. A Audi sports car, expensive designer clothes, latest IPhone, all the girls I could ever imagine. And yet I felt hollow. An empty nutshell disguised as a perfect fruit.

This is the moment I change that. This is the moment the fight back. I’m not going to whole away anymore. I won’t be that worthless mistake any more. I am Rane Alexander after all and I won’t let a label define me. I’m going to get past this hazy fog and I’ll see the horizon again.

So I turned back and grabbed the man by his arm and sling him over hard sending the gun skidding across the dim lit parking lot.

” Not today” I breathed.

Nice…well done. I thought the ending was empowering…

Standing Still

I would like to tell you a story about a girl. There was nothing special about her at all-she was simply a girl. Every day she lived in pain. She lived in her shared room feeling so alone. Everything was white: the walls, the beds, the furniture. There was no creativity in the room, no evidence of the girl’s individuality-no posters, no color, nothing. Although, she did have one orange throw pillow that she didn’t want nor like. She hated the bland, bland room. Until she was forced to live in this room she saw white as a symbol of purity, harmony, and peace. Now she saw white as a toxic color, something that wasn’t even really a color at all, something that was devoid of emotion. Every day the girl took a shower in an attempt to wash away her skin that had been tainted by the room, but that simple act of cleansing soon became tiresome and it eventually stopped working. The girl felt dirty, impure, and alone. She was afraid-so afraid. She was afraid of being alone in her shared room in a shared house of seven people. She was afraid of not being heard, of not being able to speak. She didn’t know how she felt and she didn’t know how to express it. One day, the girl stepped into her shower, and stared at the white walls and the white floors and the white curtain and the whiteness of it all and she felt numb. She felt as if the blandness of her room and of her life had finally driven her emotionless. She stood there, feeling every singular drop of water sting her skin as if she was on fire and she felt nothing. Nothing-the absence of anything-shouldn’t feel as if the world was being torn apart around her, it shouldn’t feel as though everyone and everything were pitted against her, and yet this is the way the girl felt. She forgot that she was in the shower, where she was supposed to feel refreshed and cleansed, and she forgot herself. She leaned her head against the shower wall she wondered why the walls looked as if they were in so much pain. It was as if the very walls around her were feeling just as she felt. She stood and she thought. She wondered how long she would be able to stand there, with her head resting on a cold, hard surface. She stood in the shower too long, she stood there until the hot water turned cold and even past that. She stood there until she felt as though the pain building up inside her couldn’t take it any longer. And then, she moved. She placed one hand against the tile wall and she pushed, testing her strength-the wall remained still. She thought about how meaningless her life was and how she couldn’t possibly do anything important or memorable and she felt selfish. She felt selfish for wanting to be important. She felt as though all of her thoughts were not her own and that society had simply conditioned her to think them and she felt nothing. She felt trapped. She had nowhere to go, nowhere to be, no friends to run to, nothing. She felt alone. Her worst fear was unfolding as she began to panic. She thrashed in the shower as she desperately gasped for air, feeling nothing. Maybe she should stop gasping for air, maybe she should just give up. But no, she had to keep fighting. She turned and she turned the dreaded water off and it stopped. Just like that, it stopped, and she felt nothing yet again. She stood there, water dripping down her body, and she thought. She thought about how many mistakes she made and how many lies she’d told. She regretted everything. She wanted to stop feeling. She wanted to undo all of her wrongdoings and she wished she could fix the people she’d broken. She wished so desperately to fix herself. She stopped, she told herself to snap out of it and she felt nothing. She turned and she pulled back the bland, white curtain. She slowly took a step and then another. She stood right outside the shower and let herself feel the cold, rigid air on her skin because feeling something was better than nothing, right? She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself to shield her small, fragile body from the cold. She stood there outside of the shower, and she felt vulnerable. She felt neglected. She felt as if nobody cared at all. She truly thought that she had no one. She sat down on the cold tile bathroom floor and she felt defeated. She felt as if she could no longer go one. She stared at the water dripping from the faucet and she thought about how easy it would be to corrupt these white walls with her own blood just as they had tainted her with pain and sorrow and misery. She sat for what felt like hours and she thought. She realized that she couldn’t do what she so desperately wanted to do because she was just too afraid. She thought about spilling her own blood, just to leave at least a little bit of herself in that lonely room that would never truly be hers. She came so close-oh so close-to giving up, but then she remembered. She remembered a person and how that person made her feel. She remembered a smile like no other. She remembered arms that held her so tight and close that she actually felt safe. She remembered a face, a gorgeous face, that lit up the moment its eyes layed on her. She remembered feeling loved, so she stood up, turned to the door, walked into the white room, and the girl lived on to see another day, another sunrise, and another beautiful moment.

And I have a secret-that girl, that terrible terrible girl, is me.

I have a blog and have uploaded 190 articles and short stories averaging 1000-1400 words. 70% were political. My writing is purely a hobby although I did send one story to a publisher and they wrote that they liked it but being an unknown author I would be required to contribute £2,500 towards the cost of publishing this children’s picture book which was 800 words long. Is this normal?.

So far I have had 43,000 hits worldwide on my blog I am now writing fiction for girls aged between 12-17 and children’s picture books..

I have a blog and have uploaded 190 articles and short stories averaging 1000-1400 words. 70% were political. My writing is purely a hobby although I did send one story to a publisher and they wrote that they liked it but being an unknown author I would be required to contribute £2,500 towards the cost of publishing this children’s picture book which was 800 words long.

IS THIS NORMAL?.

Is this normal ?

I will get up off the chair and head for the PC, I will type two lines. At this stage they are nothing but the release of vague reflections triggered by my imagination. I may not use them but they have to escape the clutter and disarray of my thoughts and be planted like a seedling. Those two lines on a blank screen when germinated can blossom into an article, a story or a book; the blank computer screen is not unlike the painter’s blank palette waiting for the first glimmer of his/her artistry. A line of text can do the same, although it need not even be a line of text, one word can suffice.

The first line read “It was the evening of the annual Concert and Dance at……….. ” I turned the Pee Cee off and I went to bed. The next day the story took root and blossomed… ….

I will get up off the chair and head for the PC, I will type two lines. At this stage they are nothing but the release of vague reflections triggered by my imagination. I may not use them but they have to escape the clutter and disarray of my thoughts and be planted like a seedling.

Those two lines on a blank screen when germinated can blossom into an article, a story or a book; the blank computer screen is not unlike the painter’s blank palette waiting for the first glimmer of his/her artistry. A line of text can do the same, although it need not even be a line of text, one word can suffice.

The first line read “It was the evening of the annual Concert and Dance at the Denham College” I turned the Pee Cee off and I went to bed. The next day the story took root and blossomed… ….

Those two lines on a blank screen when germinated can blossom into an article, a story or a book; the blank computer screen is not unlike the painter’s blank palette waiting for the first glimmer of his/her artistry. A line of text can do the same, although it need not even be a line of text, one word can suffice. The first line read “It was the evening of the annual Concert and Dance at the Denham College.

I turned the Pee Cee off and I went to bed. The next day the story took root and blossomed… ….

Here a poem…

Roses are red Violets are blue I love you Do you love me?

Times I sit and think of you In hope as you think of me Your smile just makes me melt As I know my makes you melt.

I know you think I’m silly But you love me for it.

I hope this puts a smile on your face As it does my as I wrote it.

The sky is blue, the grass is green and the sun is warm just like my heart that beats for you. You make me smile more then the beautiful flowers that bloom under the warmth of spring and you put a sparkle in my eyes more then the stars shine in the night sky. You light my path better then a full moon in a clear night sky.

You are beautiful and I love you too.

It lights up my heart to see the words I write to you. I never thought I would ever meet someone like you. I have told you things happen for a reason and so they do. I want spend every waking moment to show you how I feel. My heart belongs to the moat amazing woman I know. Baby, that is you. I know here lately I’ve been hard to love but I promise things will get better. You are my rock and sanitary you keep me going when I think I can’t. I love u with all my heart, mind, body and soul. You’re my FOREVER. Just one more thing to say.

Don’t give up on me because I will make all your dreams come true in one way or another. I will love you until I take my last breath. Just keep on loving me for I know I am you’re Forever Love…..

That is the biggest poem I’ve ever seen

Merp, I like this

Beware: Bad language. These are two dispicible people being told honestly.

————-

Stew bent down and grabbed the dead man’s feet. “Because they’re faggots, that’s why. Why you care?”

Phil bent over and grabbed the dead man’s shoulders. “I just don’t think we should generalize people like that. That’s all.”

“One. Two. Three. Up.” They lifted the dead man off the pavement and shuffled over to the trunk of their Volkswagen. “I don’t give a fuck what you don’t think, they’re still dick-suckers. On three again. One. Two. Three.” They tossed the man into the trunk. Stew grabbed the dead man’s legs and contorted them in such a way that his fat ass fit inside, then he tossed a sheet over the body and slammed the trunk shut. “Queers, Phil. God ain’t got no love for a man sucking off another man.”

Phil was wiping his hands with a kerchief. When he was done he stuffed it back in his back pocket. The left one. “Maybe God doesn’t care, neither? Maybe we’re the ones, as a society, making a bigger deal out of it than it really is.”

Stew licked his thumb and rubbed it on his left tail light, smearing a dot of blood and making it worse. “Gimme’ a rag, would ya’?” Phil fetched a rag out of the backseat of the VW and tossed it to Stew. He spit on the rag and then wiped the taillight raw. “It’s in the fuckin’ bible, man. God said a man and a woman, not a man and a man. Now, don’t get me wrong, I got no problem with women dating women. I mean, come on, it’s sexy as hell. But two guys wagging their weiner’s in each other’s faces? Fucking gross.”

Phil stuck a cigarette between his lips and lit it, closing his eyes and inhaling. He opened his eyes and exhaled. A kid on a bike rode by, tossing a newspaper wrapped in a blue bag on the edge of the driveway. Phil watched the boy as he pedaled away, dumping papers on every driveway down the street. “Maybe the bible does say that,” he said, turning back to Stew. “Why’s it our business, though? Long as they keep it between them, how’s it hurting you?”

“It’s the principle of the motherfuckin’ thing,” Stew said, tossing the rag to Phil.

Phil sidestepped out of the way and let the rag fall to the ground. “Fuck off, dude. I don’t want his fucking blood on my new suit.”

“Well at least put it in the trash.” Stew wiped his hands down his pants, at which Phil cringed, then walked over and opened the driver side door. “We gotta meet Don in half an hour and we’re runnin’ late. Let’s go.”

“Stop for a taco?” Phil asked, bending over and grabbing the rag between two fingers.

“Sure. I’m starving.”

I Tried This is what i have so far…:

Isra Sonnet liked the quiet. Which was why she wished she were back home with her parents back in California, her cousin Eric was snoring very loud on the top bunk of the beds. She tried to block out the noise, but he seemed to be getting louder, and louder with each snort. Having enough of this, Isra grabbed her pillow and climbed up with it.

Holding steady onto the ledge of the bed, she smacked him with it. Hard.

Waking up with a start Eric looked at Isra annoyed.

“What is wrong with you? I was trying to sleep!” He flings the pillow on by his face,to the floor.

“You’re loud enough to wake the dead. Stop snoring like an old man.”

“If you’re so mad about it go sleep somewhere else…” Eric says drifting back to sleep, too tired to argue.

Sighing Isra climbed back down to her bunk bed. She knew it wouldn’t be long before Eric would start snoring again. Gathering her pillow from the floor and the blanket from her bed, she walked out of the room closing the door behind her.

Now, it was quite dark in the house. Though, Isra knew her way around the house from memory. She was careful to go down the stairs, and not to make too much noise to wake Eric’s parents.

In the living room Isra made herself comfortable on one of the couches. Placing her pillow down and wrapping herself in the warmth of her blanket comforted her. She sighed in relief. Now she could finally sleep.

I really like it. It’s very detailed in my opinion. I’ve read a book like that called… “Wish”. I want to publish all six of my books when I get older. I’M ONLY NINE so maybe when i’m in my 20’s

dont worry about your age. you can be just as good as any other writer. i am only twelve and i am almost finished writing my book that i am hoping to publish. go for your dreams, dont let your age stop you.

I’m 16 and have published my first book, best experience of my life, I am very close to publishing my 2nd book and sooo excited! Don’t worry about your age, the younger the better I say! You go girl and good luck with your writing career. You are a very gifted young lady! Xx

If you want to publish your books, why not now? There isn’t a law against young authors. I’m not much older than you, but my book is being published this year. All you need is the money to publish–that’s the REAL hard part for a younger writer.

Hey, don’t worry, I’m eleven and I deeply enjoy writing, and I’m looking to get a book published very soon. There’s no law forbading youngsters from getting books published… In fact, becoming a young author is one of the VERY BEST things you could do to benefit you in the future.

Yea I’m 11 and I’m gonna start writing stories on an app called Wattpad

It’s a great way to get feed back and to start sharing your stories.

The temperature was searing. Tara squinted her eyes as wavy lines of heat danced in the distance. Michael shuffled out of the taxi behind her and bent to drop 30 pesos in the driver’s expectant hand. “Why did we have to come all the way to Acapulco just to get our teeth cleaned?” Tara whined like a child dreading the dentist. “We’re not just getting our teeth cleaned”, Michael explained, “I need 4 crowns, you could use some fillings, and dental work is so much cheaper in Mexico. Plus, it’ll be like a vacation as soon as we’re finished. I have 3 days of the most romantic stuff planned for us, just wait.” Tara smiled at the thought of what Michael’s idea of “romantic stuff” could be. It was 9:15 am Thursday, if all went to plan, they would be partying on the beach Friday night. The shop they had been dropped off in front of was a modest, stucco covered building with one dark window bearing a small sign that read “Dentista”. They were 45 minutes early for their appointments but hopefully that meant they would be done sooner. 30 minutes and 16 pages of paperwork later, they were ushered down a brightly lit corridor to a room containing an x-ray machine. Once finished there, they were led to adjoining rooms. Each contained nothing more than a large, green dental chair, procedure light, and metal rolling cart filled with shiny, sharp instruments. “The dentist will be right in,” said the plump assistant in a thick Mexican accent. Since the office saw so many tourists, the staff all spoke in English, and this reassured Tara that it wasn’t so bad after all. She was looking up at a poster of an aquarium filled with fish that was taped to the ceiling when the dentist strode in. He was tall, about 6 feet, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a brilliantly white smile. While peering at her x-ray films, he rattled off a list of work that she needed, and she agreed, not really understanding just wanting to get it over with. The plump assistant appeared and placed a mask over Tara’s nose and mouth as she crooned, “To make you comfortable!” The last thing she noticed before she lost consciousness was the poodle print scrubs the assistant was wearing. Tara woke up being shaken by Michael. “Come on let’s go, I’ve been finished for an hour.” She groggily sat up and placed her hand to her warm, swollen cheek. The assistant was back, handing Michael prescriptions for pain killers and giving him instructions not to eat for 2 hours. They stepped outside into the bright sun and began walking slowly towards the nearest intersection where they could hail a cab. After a short taxi ride they arrived at Hotel Catedral, a quaint, boutique inn on the outskirts of the city. The room was cramped, but clean, and after a quick shower, they both laid down and quickly fell asleep. The next 2 days were spent drinking, lounging on the beach, and making love. Tara awoke late Sunday morning and started packing. While she would miss relaxing on the beach, she couldn’t wait to get back home to her apartment. Her stomach had been bothering her on and off throughout the trip and she thought it may have been the water she was drinking. They took a taxi to the airport and the trip home was uneventful except for a few severe stomach pains Tara had on the flight. She took a few more pain pills and they eased up enough for her to take a nap. They barely had time to walk through the door when Tara felt a sudden urge and bolted to the bathroom. “Are you okay?” Michael called from the hall. “Fine, just gimme a minute!” Tara snapped, and Michael went in to the living room and laid down on the couch. When Tara had finished in the bathroom, she stood up and saw something strange in the toilet. It looked like what appeared to be several small balloons floating in the water. “What the…” Tara stared confused, and called for Michael to come into the bathroom. He popped his head in the door and looked at her questioningly. She pointed to the toilet and he shook his head as if to say, “I’m not going in there.” Tara walked to the sink and grabbed a pair of tweezers sitting near the mirror. When she reached towards the toilet, Michael yelped, “What are you doing?!” “Shush, hold on!” she said. She pulled back the tweezers and pinched in the end was one of the balloons. She carried it to the sink and quickly rinsed it off. Michael came closer and said, “That came out of you?” ‘Yeah, gimme something to cut it open.” He produced his pocket knife and she proceeded to make a small slice down the center of the balloon. A white powdery substance spilled from the cut. “Oh my god, it looks like drugs! Tara exclaimed. “How did this get inside me? It must have been the dentist! I told you we shouldn’t have went down there for dental work! What are we gonna do?” “Maybe we should go to the emergency room and get checked out? Michael suggested. “Ok but we should just say our stomachs are hurting and not say anything about the drugs. We don’t want them thinking it’s ours and taking us to jail.” After spending 4 hours in the ER, a CAT scan and bloodwork, the couple was assured that they were in perfect health and probably ate something bad. They headed home, relieved there were no more foreign objects in their bodies but worried about what to do about the dentist. “He can’t get away with this, said Tara excitedly, he probably does this to tourists all the time!” “But if we call the police and tell them our story, they might think we’re involved somehow,” said Michael. They arrived back at their small Austin apartment and decided to eat some dinner and think the matter over some more without rushing to alert the police. After all they were safe at home and had no plans on leaving the country any time soon. Maybe they could just put this whole thing behind them like a bad dream. A crazy story to tell the grandkids. Once the dishes for dinner had been washed and Tara was settling down on the sofa next to Michael, a knock sounded at the door. “Who could that be? “Michael asked. He got up, slowly walked to the door, and peeped through the eyehole. On the other side of the door were 3 well-dressed Latino men. The one standing closest to door was dressed in black pants and jacket with a tucked-in turquoise shirt. He spoke first. “We know you’re in there and you have something that belongs to our boss.”

I wrote two stories so far Murderous Twins (Mystery) and Pregnant at 18 (Drama n Romance) total words for both 27000

THANK YOU FOR THIS. I LOVE TO WRITE AND I NEEDED INSPIRATION!!!

My First Story.. I woke up late that morning, too excited to sleep at first and then I don’t remember when I dozed off to sleep early morning. Bright sunlight hit my half open eyes and I jumped off from the bed. It was 8:00 am already.

“Mama … why didn’t you wake me up? Has he left already?” Mother smiled “Its Sunday! Didn’t felt like waking you up from deep sleep you were in, besides you must have been dreaming, there was beautiful smile on your face. And don’t worry Papa won’t go without you.”

I was super relived and ran to hall, where my dad was ready, waiting for me. “We are going to City, right?” He simply nodded and smiled “Now get ready else we will miss the bus”

I ran to bathroom for shower and within seconds was out and in front of mirror combing my hairs. “Dry them properly, your hairs are wet, you’ll catch cold”

But here I was holding my dad’s hand and pulling him out of the door. We took bus from the bus stop and were on our way to City.

Finally the day had arrived when I was going to get my first Bicycle. It all started when my dad promised to get me Bicycle if I score good marks in final exam next year. All my friends had their own bicycle. Even my juniors had their own.

I patiently waited for one year to get my dream bike.

On the result day I was very nervous. When there was announcement that I stood first in 5th C, I jumped up in air and almost snatched my report card from our class Teachers hands.

I was telling everybody on my way back that I was going to get bicycle, since I stood first in class. After reaching home I told mom about the result and she was very happy. Then dad came back from work in the evening, he was very happy to hear about my results and patted on my back.

“So you are going to get me Bicycle” I said with glimmer in my eyes. “Let’s see” he simply said taking off his shoes

I was almost broken in tears to hear those words. He had not said no but neither did he say yes. I broke down “this is not fair, you promised”.

Next day, mom broke the news to me that finally I am going to get my Bike this Sunday.

Squeezing sound of halting break of bus brought me back to present. “We have reached, Lets go” said dad.

We reached the Big Bicycle store in Gol market. There were so many bikes, I just couldn’t take my eyes off. I picked the one with Marron color. Salesman explained the features to me. I looked at dad expectantly, he nodded and I hugged him.

Dad went in to meet the shop manager, I waited outside to see my bike being assembled by the worker. I saw dad having conversation with the shop owner. I don’t know what was wrong but dad came out.

“Let’s go now we will come next week, and take this Bike home” dad said with his fingers in my hairs. I couldn’t believe my ears. After waiting for almost a year I am getting my bike and now he is saying to wait for one more week.

I threw his hand away in disgust and ran away to hug my bike and started crying. Dad tried to convince me that He had assumed the Price of Bicycle to be lot less. And now he doesn’t have enough cash to buy this bike.

But I refused to budge down. I was so much carried away by anger, I couldn’t see the nervous face of my father. It must have been really awkward for him to face this situation.

“Okay. Let me see what can be done!” he went in. I waited outside partly sobbing and partly smiling.

Few moments later dad came out smiling. I knew he had bought the bike and we were going to be taking it home today. This was happiest day of my life.

It took me few years to understand that my dad had sold his ring that day to fulfill my wish!

This is what I’ve got so far:

Capt. Lee asked for interrogation volunteers. The Interrogation Rooms were full and there weren’t enough interrogators. Lt. Jones volunteered. She told him thee was a suspect in Interrogation room D. Should be easy — a straight-up homicide. Just tape the confession.

Entering IR D, he saw an inconspicuous middle-aged man. Inconspicuous? Maybe 100 years ago.

Lt. Jones introduced himself and sat down. He sat down and said he was there to get the man’s side of the story. Then he turned on the recorder. The man looked at him with amusement. “Do you really want my confession” he asked. Jones said he needed the man’s name and address first. “All right. I am Daniel Alan James, address 132321 Atlantic Avenue, Plot D3.”

Jones looked up sharply. “That’s a cemetery. Your real address please.” I get the nuts, he thought.

“I am not ‘pulling your leg’ as you so quaintly think. That is my address.”

“As to my confession. In 1869 in Palm Beach, I burgled May Palmer’s house I got a sackful of jewelry. I also hacked off her head. Sternly he looked at Jones. “You kept that back. He acted like that fact should have been publusged,, like he wanted credit for it.

“In 1920, in Miami Beach, I attended a speakeasy. I abducted a somewhat plump girl, Cynthia Handel, and eventually disposed her of in the Dismal Swamp.” Chuckling, he continued. You could say the alligators had a fine meal that night.

In 1936, Cleveland, Ohio. I presume you’ve heard of the Torso Murders there? The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run? It was never solved. Poor Eliot Ness — he wanted so badly to be Mayor of Cleveland and not just Safety Director. That case would have given him the Mayor’s office. I denied him that.””I

Above the gables of the orphanage roof, a tremulous, gentle sound began to keen. It began quietly, as oh so fragile a thing. I held my breath where I had awakened in my bed to keep from drowning it out- the sound of a human singing through a violin.

I knew exactly who it was that sang. She had come in just that day, eyes wide, mouth closed, and a violin case clutched to her chest like it was the only thing she had left in the world. I was older than her and so in a different dormitory, but still the sound found its way, sorrowfully, lovingly, through the still night air.

The sound of it made me want to cry, as it stirred in me a pain I’d long ago learned to shove away, the origin of which was the only thing that me and the little virtuoso child shared. It unfurled itself deep within me, reaching out for the sound as it grew, grew louder and more powerful as the beginning upset turned to something more violent, something filled with righteous indignation at what had happened to her… to… to me. Tears welled up in my eyes and I curled into my pillow as I fought the onslaught of emotions. The anger, the injustice, the harrowing *grief*. It all slashed and dove and resonated through the air- through my soul. I curled around the reopened wound, feeling the unreleased cry of pain inside of me. But the tears still fell. They were like rain.

Suddenly the vibrancy in the tone fell flat. The last ringing note was undulating through the air, twisting with fading passion, as a quieter, stiller strain took its place. Dispirited and exhausted, the muted notes struggled to find me, and I imagined them getting lost. It was both a relief and a loss as I felt the raw emotions drain away. It felt… hollow. It was like how I usually felt only much, much worse, the sheer weight of it making it a pain all its own, although it signified the absence of it. It was a rock I couldn’t push off my chest, or a vacuum inside of me. It *hurt*.

Still, my eyes dried as I listened to the dispassionate, lilting notes. They bumped into each other with pattern but no passion. The lack of colour in it compared to everything else the little violin girl had played almost made me want to cry again- for her this time, instead of me. I wanted to comfort her. To tell her that she could find a family here again… even if it wasn’t the same.

But then- then something magical happened. I heard something in a note shift. Just ever so slightly, regaining some of its lost fullness. My heart jumped against my rib cage at it, like a baby bird too eager to be out of the nest. The sound broadened and deepened, spinning and growing to an unimaginable size and intensity, filled with such thought and memory as one can only know inside themselves. I couldn’t imagine that something of such monumental size was coming from such a tiny person and her instrument- no, her partner. Her friend. It had to be her friend to join her in all this.

The graceful creature grew and grew on when I thought it could grow more. Time had lost all meaning to me as it tapered and streamlined itself into something lighter- losing its weight and despair- but not its memory. That stayed. I could feel it within me, too- the warmth that was spreading through the song. It touched at my fingers and toes, the tip of my nose, and the center of my belly. I let out a breath as the weight- the vacuum, whatever it was- released, no longer afraid of it or drowning out the soaring melody that cozied into the corners of the resting place of me and so many others that had experienced what this other child was experiencing right now.

But I knew, as the music carried on through the night, a peaceful balance between love and light and sorrow, that she was going to be just fine. We were all going to be just fine.

This inspired me so i tried it came up with this so far

Things have been difficult lately. Even breathing seems to take a lot of effort. But grief often shuts people down. And everything seems to blur out. You must be wondering what broke me? Nothing just the same old heartbreak that broke souls in every time period.

That night I made my way Aden’s house. We had been dating for almost four years. He had asked me to marry him a week ago and I had to ask my parents if they accepted they’re daughter to get married at 21. To my surprise my parents had said yes and I was on my way to blow Aden’s mind with the amazing news. I rang his doorbell several times even though I knew where they key to the door was kept but manners were still important. After fifteen minutes of standing out the door my mind started exploding with thoughts I shouldn’t be thinking about. Aden’s car was still parked in the garage which meant that he was still home. I rushed to get the keys from under a plant pot and opened the door. Aden’s house was a mess but Aden was a clean freak. I made my way to Aden’s room and gently opened the door to see my whole world crashing in front of me.

Aden lay in bed with another women pressed to his side as they slept. No words, no tears just an apology. Just two words “ I’m sorry “ and I ran down the stairs, across the street and away from the person I had given my everything.

You see every person leaves a mark behind. But Aden , Aden left behind the deepest scars.

(please don’t judge, I’m only 12. And btw I’m a girl. I’m using my dad’s account)

It’s dark. My own shadows drown me. This is nothing new to me though, I’m not shocked or scared. Just lonely. Nothing to look forward to I’ll thing myself sitting and think, hoping. I don’t know how long this lasts, seconds, minutes, hours. I can’t sense the time passing, I don’t fully understand it. I don’t know how I got here or when I’ll leave. My life feels like it has no meaning. But yet, somehow I feel like I’m waiting for something, this longing for something to happen. But at this moment in time…I’m not really sure. I must have had more than this life, I must have lived in something different, color, happiness, friends, family….love…maybe, or is that me dreaming?

Have I lost my mind completely now. Maybe I’m not even here, In this darkness. Am I just mad? Why am I even asking…I’ll never get an answer. Sitting here hoping dreaming will do me no good! I must fight back. I’m not sure what I’m fighting for but if I do have a motive to fight then it must be worth it. Without thinking I lunge into the dark clouds. Fighting, not with any weapons but just by my longing for whatever is outside this lonely cage. The chains of my fear and uncertainty tug at my arms pulling me back but using all my force I shake them off and continue forward through the endless darkness…This place must end. There must be an ending for me, more than this dark realm. I jump forward, ready to scream as I hit the floor but I don’t have to. I didn’t fall…Am I..floating?

No, I don’t feel like I’m standing. I feel something on my hand but I can’t see what it is or even move to shake it off. Then I suddenly realize. The thought that I’ll no longer be lonely, this thing I feel, it’s a person. These thoughts, my feelings they allow me to take control. I slowly open my eyes. It all shoots my at once colour…light! I’m lying down on a bed, a hospital bed. My memories come soaring back. I look over to my right hand and see the lady holding it, in shock, but smiling brightly. It’s my mother! And in what seems like the longest time ever…I smile.

Clark stood at the window and watch as the first snow started to fall. He thought back to when he was a little boy and how he loved to go outside and play in the snow. The snowmen him and his sister would build, the snowball fights him and his friends would have. Then his smile changed to a sad face. He remember the last first snow fall that happen when he was a kid. That was the last time he was happy about seeing the snow. Clark’s father Ernest was at the local convenience store, when two mask men came in to rob the place. One of the robbers told Ernest to give him his wallet. He did but a long noise from the back of the store in scared the robber that he jumped and the gun he had pointed at Clark’s father went off and shot him in the chest.

Clark was home in the bed, but he jumped up out of his sleep, he felt that something was wrong. He got out the bed and went looking for his mother. When he got to the end of the hall he saw his mother at the door talking to some police. She turned when she heard the floor Creek. ” Clark honey, what are you doing up”? His mother asked with blood soaking red eyes . ” mother is everything alright? ” with every step he took closer to his mother he knew that what ever reason the police was at his house it wasn’t good. Every since that Dreadful night Clark, the night his dad was killed, he has hated the snow. It always seems to remind him of that night. It’s like all the good times he had in the snow was replace by the death of his dad, his hero, the man he wanted to grow up and be. They never did find the guys that robbed that convenience store.

Conceited Conflict

Simon did not die…

The inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee had been enough to persuade him to walk straight into the little beach-side shack without as much as a second thought. He had made a mental note to thank Danny–his colleague and friend–for suggesting the place for a quick getaway.

People close to Simon knew that he savored these small pleasures of life: a peaceful evening relaxing at the beach, the blushing horizon as the sun set for the day, the scents of the tropical sea, the areca nut trees swaying to the music of the breeze, the waves at the shallow end lightly caressing his feet, the warm texture of the sand slipping away beneath his toes, children running around flying colorful kites… cocoa-rich dark chocolates, and fresh coffee.

And why not? After all, he thought, what was life without these? Nothing but a stressful grind, it was. To fight the distressing official battles day in and day out. To struggle to defeat the unethical schemes of the back-stabbing lot who lurked among colleagues and friends. To come back home to the nagging demands of a materialistic spouse. All that did nothing good for the soul.

It was late evening when Simon had walked toward the shack. When he got closer, he had noticed two men standing engulfed by the dark shadows behind the shack. Although he could not discern their features, and they were speaking only in whispers, their body language had betrayed the fact that they had been exchanging an agitated conversation.

As Simon was about to enter the shack, one of the men thrust a wad of money into the other’s hand. The other man briefly regarded the bundle before stuffing it into his trouser pocket.

A drug deal, likely–Simon had thought–or some other such shady business. How could these people come to such spectacular and peaceful places and engage in such disreputable and squalid acts? What a disgusting lot!

He had shaken his head to clear his thoughts, and inhaled deeply as he entered the shack. Freshly brewed coffee! He had smiled as he sat at a small, round, plastic table in a corner. All other concerns would have to wait for half an hour, at least.

Outside, unknown to Simon, the deal had been concluded. The men had followed up by exchanging a small vial of some sort. Then one of them had raised the hood of his jacket over his head and walked away swiftly without turning back, with his hands in his pockets. The other man had vanished into the darker shadows behind the shack.

The next afternoon…

Although–when it concerned professional life–Danny lacked severely in the department of moral and ethical values, he was regarded in their circles as a gem when it concerned friendship. He had rushed to the hospital at once when Simon’s wife had called. Dysentery–she had told him, repeating the doctor’s diagnosis–perhaps acute food poisoning. Very severe symptoms. Quite unbearable. Must have been something he ate yesterday.

Danny had stayed on at the hospital with Simon’s wife to lend her moral and emotional support. He wanted to make sure–he had said–that she got all the help she needed; he wanted to make sure that Simon recovered all right.

The third evening…

Simon rested motionless on a bed at St Sebastian Hospital. Motionless. Still. He wasn’t even breathing. He was finally free of all suffering.

Epilogue 1…

Normally, convincing a chemist and obtaining the required substance might have been the biggest challenge. On this occasion, however, a well-maintained friendship with a pharmaceutical assistant had proved quite rewarding.

The rest was simple to plan and execute. Simple did not mean without risk, but in this case the desired reward would be sufficient compensation for the risk.

The dosage would be just right. The doctor would have only the patient’s symptoms to go on, which would be easily mistaken for those of common diseases such as food poisoning or dysentery.

It would all be over even before anyone suspected foul play. Even if other signs did manifest afterwards, there was no incriminating evidence.

Epilogue 2…

Simon had felt the first signs of fatigue when he was almost half way back home from his getaway spot. He had believed that the nausea was caused by travel-sickness. Later that night his condition had become worse, and next morning he had tried home remedies for diarrhea. By afternoon, he had started discharging blood, and had to be hospitalized immediately.

Danny had stood by his bed in the hospital, looking in his weak eyes, holding his hand reassuringly. Behind those heavy eyelids, in those weak eyes about to close, Danny had seen a faint spark of realization. The reality of the deal he had witnessed behind the coffee shack had dawned on Simon. I wish you understood, my friend–Danny had thought–that it was nothing personal, that everything is fair in professional rivalry. In any case, it was too late now. There was no turning back.

Don’t strain yourself trying to talk–Danny had said–Just close your eyes, let go and relax.

— End —

(I’m only 12 so don’t judge me, I tried :D)

I’m alone. I’m surrounded by darkness. I’m lonely, I have no-one except silence to keep me company. I’m not sure how long I’ve been here…Minutes, hours….days? They mean nothing to me, I don’t know how time passes and why it matters. I’m too close to giving up. Surely my life must mean something. I can’t have been made to just be nothing, to exist only feeling, loneliness and fear. The fear of being forgotten, by this world, by myself. If I’m not already.

There must be meaning for me, something bugger, better. It’s all I want, all I ever dream about. A life with meaning, color, happiness…family. But that’s just a dream. That can’t be real, I have no memories out of this place why would I be suddenly be gifted such happiness. Is this it? I am going mad? Have I been here so long just lost my mind? No. That can’t be. I can’t give up, I must try….try escape this realm of darkness. I stand up, shaking slightly. No, I must be strong! I run forward, not sure where I’m going. Not sure if this place even ends.

I start hearing voices, they’re speaking to me… “stay…strong…everything’s going to be ok” I hear the voice saying. It was comforting, gentle and kind sounded. It sounds familiar….I run faster, using all of strength. I race through the darkness, wind smacking my face until I come to what looks like the edge. It was a drop, so deep I couldn’t see the bottom. Without thinking, using all my desire, the want to be somewhere with meaning and happiness I lunge forward and jump.

I…I didn’t fall. I’m alive, I think. I don’t feel like I’m standing. Wait, am I floating? No, don’t be silly. I’m…lying. I feel something touch my hand but I don’t have strength to even shake it off. I can’t see anything…Then suddenly reality hits me. I slowly open my eyes…It all hits me at once: Color, sound, people. I look over to my right hand to see who was holding it. She was crying but smiling at the same time. It was mother. And for the first time in what seemed like forever, I smiled.

“I’m borrowing one of your geese.”

Asta jumped in her seat by the fireplace, woken from her accidental nap. She whirled in her seet to see Jeppa, the slightly unhinged neighbour, filling the doorframe. He looked like any regular farmer, brown coveralls and pipe dangling from the side of his mouth, but sported a permanent wide-eyed stare that made the children (and everyone else) wary of him. Asta had half a mind to go back to sleep and let Jeppa be Jeppa, but curiousity got the best of her.

“Pardon?” She asked, slowly getting up, her arthritis crackling in her knees. “You’re borrowing what?”

“I’m borrowing one of your geese,” He repeated, unblinking. Then he turned on the spot, as if the conversation was over and done with.

“But why?” Asta exclaimed, hopping after him on stiff legs into the front yard. Three of her large, snowy geese were drowsily waddling through the hole in her white fence as Jeppa marched over and seized one of them by the neck. The other two hurried into a nearby hedgerow, abandoning their brother to fate. Jeppa stood there for a moment and admired the view over Asta’s fields, completely obvious to the furious flapping and hissing of the goose.

“What are you doing? Let go of him!” Asta cried, but Jeppa remained blissfully ignorant to the chaos he created.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Jeppa sighed happily, still unblinking. Then, remembering why he was strangling a goose, he heaved it up under one arm and took off towards his own rickety cottage a few hundred yards down the gravel road.

“Wait!” Asta cried, limping after him. When she finally caught up to him he was crawling up a worn ladder propped against his roof, hissing goose tucked into his armpit as if it was nothing more than the daily newspaper.

Finding her best old-angry-crone voice, she howled; “Jeppa! Get down this instant! What on earth are you doing with Herman?”

This seemed to reach the decision centre in Jeppa’s head, and he stopped on the topmost rung. He stared at the wobbly chimney for a moment, as if pondering its existence, before replying. “I can’t afford a chimney sweep,” he commented simply. Then, with both hands, he heaved the goose up in one fluent motion and dumped it into the chimney. The hissing and flapping increased in volume, projected into the open air by the narrow chimney, until it became unbearable to listen to. Then it stopped. The goose must have fallen into his fireplace.

Asta’s mouth fell open. She sat down on her bum like a baffled toddler.

“Are you alright there? You look like you saw a ghost!” Jeppa chuckled obliviously as he descended from the roof and moved to let the goose out of his kitchen. The moment the door opened, a great, fluffy black thing scuttled out and down the road, hisses and quacks flying about it like the soot covering it.

“That,” Asta said, her voice quivering, “was my prized competition goose, Herman.”

Jeppa finally seemed to realise the extent of his actions. Wringing his hands he inched towards the door, hoping to use it for protection when she exploded, which she was bound to do.

“Isn’t… isn’t there a competition for black geese, perhaps?” Jeppa asked, hopefully unblinking.

Most short story ideas I have are too big write in just one sitting. The first one I wrote took months. It’s why I can’t write flash fiction.

I’m trying to write Flash Fiction. I love the challenge. It’s amazing how you can cut out redundant word from each editing. Try it, Sebastian. It’s good practice.

Okay, here goes: Persephone, Persephone Akeldama. She was a beautiful girl, slender waist, flowing blonde locks, petite figure. This quiet girl was often referred to by her fellow students as the “perfect doll”, due to her stunning looks and the love she received from the teachers. In a the darker half of this world, her nickname was not much different. The flawless puppet, she was called. Flawless because of her swift assassinations, and puppet because of her emotionless features. No one in school knew her profession, and no one in the dark world knew her real age, or even what she looked like. She was a complete mystery to both sides, only this was known about her: She is a prodigy. Of course, “Prodigy” meaning different things in either sides of the world. There was a large gap between prodigy killer and prodigy student. Not many assassins are born into their jobs, Persephone being an exception. At three, she was already trained to fight, and at the early age of twelve, she was already a well known assassin. due to her quick learning, her parents payed even more attention to her, punishing her whenever her actions did not fit into the range of perfection, training her more than any twelve year old should ever have to endure. And of course, making her kill. One by one, Persephone’s emotions died, every person she killed, every order she received. She carried them out with swift and deadly accuracy, losing all her innocence. Her purity was lost long ago.

So she found nothing wrong with killing her parents.

Persephone never loved anyone, because she was a killing machine, exactly how her parents had designed her. Her mothers last words: I’m so proud. Her fathers? :I’ve trained you well. A now orphaned Persephone felt no remorse, no guilt, no grief. Only a small pang of loneliness.

And that was the last emotion she would ever feel.

Ummmm, I got the juices flowing, just need my writing to flow……in the right direction.

So I combined all 10 of the “general ideas” into one premise. I think this is more the premise of a collection now… Oh well. Here’s the premise (or the rough draft)

As a child, Kell, a painting prodigy, discovers her parents’ dead bodies, leaving her emotionally scarred. Later in life, she clings to her boyfriends for moral support, which leads to many failed relationships. Her Fiance and colleague breaks up with her because he needs to spend more time on his work, even though it crushes both of them. Kell doesn’t look when she’s walking down the street, sobbing, and she bumps into her rich soulmate, Neil. They have a whirlwind romance, which ends up with their marriage. On their honeymoon, though, Kell’s mother’s ghost confronts her and warns her to delay the journey. Kell and Neil go anyways. A hurricane strikes, and the couple is stranded with a phycopath who just so happen to be Kell’s parents’ murderer. The couple doesn’t make it out alive.

I know that’s pretty dark, especially for a 17-year-old. It’s also not that great. But hey, I hope it gave you an idea or two! Happy writing!

You should really think about turning this into a novel! You’ve got quite the imagination.

The last laugh Kate Bester

“What? Oh heavens no! When?” Faye dragged the pink sweatband back from her forehead and shook her shoulder length blonde hair off her neck. She had just returned from the gym when the house phone rang.

“…sometime last night, peacefully. She had to go sometime, Faye.” Debbie’s longsuffering voice was irritating.

Faye sighed and shifted the weight from one shapely leg to the other. She crossed one ankle over the other and stared at her Reebok trainers. She bit her tongue before she could blurt out what came into her mind – why now? She had a very special and important occasion coming up and serious shopping to do!

“Mom was nearly eighty, you know Faye, but death is always unexpected, I know,” Debbie went on. Was she imagining it or was there a touch of accusation in Debbie’s voice? Deborah, her older sister, had never married. Instead, she stayed with Mom after Dad passed on ten years ago and took charge of the rambling old house in George. Come to think of it, when Debbie gave up nursing, moving in with Mom was the natural thing to do.

Faye had to muster all the self-control that she could to sound genuine and concerned. It was Mother after all…

“When is the funeral, then? Do you want me to come and help you with the arrangements?” she kept her voice low and even in case Debbie thought she was serious about the offer to help.

“No thanks, Faye, everything is fine. Mom had everything in place as usual. It will be a cremation of course…”

Debbie’s voice trailed off and Faye could just about suppress the groan that escaped from her chest before she said goodbye to her sister. She sank down in the closest, huge, overstuffed chair after she had put down the receiver. Of course. That is Mother. Well, was she corrected herself. Nothing ordinary or conventional. A cremation no less, so that all her old hippie friends could attend in their colourful rags and long hair and chant and blow their flutes and shake their tambourines. Faye had to admit to herself that a cremation at least would be better than embalmment. Her mother was quite capable of having them roll her in the scales of the boophone bulb like the Khoisan did with their dead.

Faye groaned again. She must be in shock otherwise why wasn’t she crying. Crying? No, she’d done enough crying after the second divorce in eight years. The last one was particularly messy but this time she stuck to her guns and got the house and a stiff alimony. Not that it’s about the money, which is never enough anyway, but one has to keep up appearances. She had spent a fortune on refurbishing the gazebo next to the pool. Oh gosh yes, and she must still pay for the embroidered voile curtains around the patio. And for the plant containers and cane furniture from Bali…

Faye sighed as she levered her challenged limbs from the chair. She will have a warm shower and then make her calls. Damn! Now she will have to drive all the way to George. She smiled. Yes, she will have to. Because of Mother’s pendant. She had to have it. Must be worth a small fortune by now…

That pendant was given to her mother by a very grateful Indian businessman. Mother had met him on a plane to Mumbai all those years ago when she travelled to India to see for herself what mysteries lay behind the lotus curtain. She ended up in his luxurious home and taught the whole family to speak English while she enjoyed every facet of that exquisite culture. If memory doesn’t fail her, the pendant has a top quality eleven carat flawless ruby, enhanced by… a shiver of delight passed through Faye’s body despite the warm gush of water.

At the garage to fill up and prepare the vehicle for the trip, she remembered how bored she was on weekends as a child. They travelled endless dusty roads, slept in tents, either sweating or freezing. Her botanist parents would be off in the veld , ooohing or aaahing, clicking their tongues and cameras. Deborah would be whooping somewhere in a shallow river. In her tent, her feet against the anchor pole, Faye swore she would never live this way. She would have money and everything it could buy. These bunny-hugging weirdo’s – her family – may enjoy the outdoors but she despised the smell of citronella candles, morning coffee and tinned food. Not to mention the squatting behind a bush when nature called. Ugh!

At nine o’clock the next morning, Faye was over the Overberg Pass and heading for Caledon. She would stop for tea at the Blue Crane and buy some of her mother’s favourite dried herbs. Yes, some buchu and lavender and rosemary. She’ll keep them on her lap during the cremation service and speeches to soothe her mind. Afterwards she will let them join her mother’s body to nirvana…

It was exactly twenty past one when she saw the huge pine trees and the red brick house behind it. The garden was a botanist’s dream. Like her mother exactly – colourful, mysterious, exciting and completely unusual. Faye’s eyes followed the garden path up to the porch. Handfuls of laurel tied with raffia or beads or leather thongs garnished the pathway from the gate to the porch and around the open door’s frame where fairy lights twinkled.

She opened the car door and slid off the seat. The manicured feet in the Blahnik sandals stepped together neatly on the tarmac as she automatically pressed the remote lock. Gingerly she approached the garden path and as daintily as possible made her way to the house.

Then it hit her. This wasn’t a welcome for her. The laurel symbolized Apollo’s way to remember his Daphne! Daphne didn’t want to marry Apollo and begged her father, Perenaeus, to hide her. He promptly turned her into a laurel tree. From then on Apollo worshipped the tree, hugged it, spoke to it and let all heroes and kings wear a laurel wreath on the head as adornment. This was for Mother.

Suddenly, there was her sister. Oh heavens, clad in a flowing caftan, pearls, beads, feathers and leather thong sandals, she could’ve been Mother!

Quickly Faye went over and folded her sister in her arms. While her sister was yoga-breathing against her shoulder, she took in the room behind. She smiled to herself . Ostrich feather boas were draped over the window frames, door frames and thrown over the backs of chairs. Huge black and white photographs of ostriches in all poses adorned the walls. Ostrich eggs and paraphernalia were displayed everywhere. This was a shrine to the ostrich as Nieuw-Bethesda was to the owl…

She let go of Debbie and cleared her throat. She took a deep breath, “Debs, what are we going to do with all this stuff ?” she hoped her chicanery would go undetected. Back in her mind there was an image of Mother’s ostrich leather handbags, shoes and purses she had collected before it became export posh. Her heart went on a gallop from excitement and anticipation.

At last they were alone. They cleared away the last few cups and plates. In the kitchen, Faye poured two large tumblers of Merlot for her and her sister.

“Sis, if you’re up to it, we can go through Mom’s things and decide what to do about some of it.”

“Of course, my dear.” Faye gulped.

Then the pendant was in the palm of her hand. This was a testing moment. She wanted to hang it around her neck immediately but thought it would seem callous. She let the heavy gold chain slide sensuously through her fingers while the ruby’s red eye winked at her.

“You have it, Faye, it’s too ostentatious for me. Mom also never wore it for that reason.”

“And these, Sis.” Debbie was on all fours in front of a deep drawer. She was pulling out ostrich leather gloves in every colour, handbags, clutch bags, more boas. They lay on the Kelim carpet like offerings to a queen. Faye stared and stared. “Oh yes!” her mind sang.

After breakfast the next day, Faye took her leave of Debbie who promised to visit as soon as everything was tied up and settled. When she was passing Mossel Bay, she started to relax and fingered the pendant at her throat. A warm glow filled her and she stretched to see it again in the rear mirror. It was an exquisite piece! She still felt surprised at how nonchalant Debbie was.

She decided to stop for refreshments outside Swellendam. She enjoyed stretching her legs in the shade of the old trees and watching the goats, chickens and ostriches they kept there for entertainment. She parked in the shade of a huge oak tree and went to the restaurant. She carried her fruit juice over to the enclosure on the lawn. A billy goat came towards her. Behind him a young ostrich craned its neck. A sheep, two lambs and a kid trotted up. Faye leaned forward.

She shrieked, jumped back and feverishly fumbling at her throat, she saw it

Ostriches also like jewellery.

I have not written a very long piece. It a quite short story. So…here it is…

Sydney woke up with a start, as beads of sweat adorned her furrowed brows. Next to her was her twin sister, Tanya, sleeping peaceful as Sydney had been a couple of moments before. She looked around as if searching for something or someone. Sydney almost dismissed the episode and went back to sleep when she heard it again, this time, even evident. The sound that had woken her up from her slumber. The sound that made her shiver and was even vexing than the sound of nails on chalkboard.

And then, it stopped. She looked around her for the source of what she heard. She decided to get some fresh air and walked out of the room she shared with her twin.

As she walked to the porch, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong but she knew something was. She leaned in to get a closer look at her reflection when something hit her head and she fainted. When she regained her consciousness, she looked around her. She was in the porch and it was dawn. She went back into her house when she glanced at the mirror again. She could see her mother, her sister and her father. They all looked around as if searching for someone. What she couldn’t understand was why she couldn’t see her reflection in the mirror. Then, realization struck her like a ton of bricks. She was in the other side. Of the mirror.

Then the ending credits rolled in. Though it was just a trailer, it was well shot. Everyone couldn’t wait to see the full movie. We congratulated our friend, Mills, who had shot the film and went to hang out at her place.

Wonderful ideas. Thanks for inspiration.

*I’ve been wanting to write for a long time but never really got the push until right now. Sorry if it’s bad, it’s my first short and I’m 14* “One, two, three. Perfect, now I can go…” I quietly say to myself. I have something called Pure-O. Some people think that it’s worse than “normal OCD”. The others think that it’s completely unreal and it’s made up. What people don’t know about me is that I have Pure-O and it’s completely real and my life revolves around it. I make sure that people don’t find out about it because I am considered “ popular and high-status” where I live. “ Happy, good thoughts. Nothing bad.” I think to myself. “They won’t find out….hopefully. I am Claire Williams who has the best makeup and the straightest hair. Not the Crazy Williams girl that broke down in front of everyone because her presentation wasn’t how she planned it.” I think. Then the flashbacks swoop in and fill my brain. “Hi my name is Claire Williams and I am doing my presentation on the Economic Downfall of 2008…” I pause and look around. I see people snicker and talking. The teacher is just looking at me and gesturing for me to continue. I get scared and forget everything that I worked so hard to memorize. “Umm. I’m sorry ma’am, I can’t finish.” I tell my Economics teacher. When I try to move and collect everything, I can’t move. “No no no no no this can’t be happening. I can’t be having a panic attack at school.” I think to myself. I feel tears well up into my eyes. They slowly fall down my face and I taste the warm salty fluid. I suddenly tense up and can’t breath. Because no one knows about my condition, no one can help me. “Look! Williams is going crazy! Crazy Williams.” I hear people snicker from the back and the attack gets worse. I hear something new in my flashback…. It sounds almost as a ringing. I realize the bell is ringing for the students to get to class. I come back to reality and hope for the best on my first day of Senior year. I mean after all, it’s just school. Nothing bad could happen right?

PEN-082a 694w Anne Frank, Bella and Me by Helen Kudatsky

At nine, I bought my mom, Bella, a birthday gift on June 12th, a magenta lipstick for 19c. I was so proud. First present I ever purchased. She made me return it; It was too extravagant, and besides, she said, “every day is my birthday.” I cried. I knew her secret though. although a proper Jewish woman, sometimes she longed to be a gypsy.

Now, 60 years later, I’m reading “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank, here in the home where I live. Though nursed, I’m often blue that I can’t dance or paint anymore. But I love to read and write, and my friend, Julie, the librarian, kindly brought me Anne’s book, which I am now devouring.

Anne was an eloquent writer, describing her schoolmates and boyfriends. She began the diary at 13, disclosing her first period, having a special secret and becoming a woman. I too began to menstruate at 13, pondering the mystery. It’s horrid to imagine eight people in 1944, crammed into the Secret Annexe, handling eating, sleeping, hygiene and trying to stay alive, while whispering and tiptoeing to avoid discovery by the Gestapo.

To maintain normalcy, the adults set up a plan. The children continued their studies: Dutch, French, English, history, geography and art. Although Anne liked most subjects, she found algebra notably loathsome. I’m in that club too.

Her people have become my friends and family: Anne Frank herself, Edith, her Mummy, Otto, her beloved father, Margot, her sister, and the others hiding with them: the VanDaans, their son, Peter who was first, her friend, then later, her crush and confidant, Dr. Albert Dussel, the dentist and Moortjie, the cat. Four of Otto’s devoted employees provided food, supplies and world news, which kept them alive and boosted their morale.

After the war, Miep, a helper, found Anne’s diary in the demolished remains and rubble of the annexe. She gave it to Otto, the sole survivor of the group. He was stunned by Anne’s maturity and the breadth of her feelings. The Diary has been published in 67 languages, portrayed on stage and screen, and is considered one of the most moving accounts of the Holocaust.

For those of us beholding atrocity, Anne Frank is a beacon: humorous, inquisitive, forgiving, cheerful. Sometimes moody, though, she was nicknamed “the incurable chatterbox.” as she’d quarrel with others in the Secret Annexe they occupied for their 25 months in hiding.

My mom, Bella, shared a birthday with Anne Frank, June 12th, but didn’t know of it until years after Anne’s death. Bella lived to be 95. She loved reading as much as Anne did, and she wrote poetry and stories, but didn‘t start until middle-age. Anne, 15, died in March 1945, just two weeks before the war’s end, when she would have been liberated. In two years of hiding, Anne was devoted to writing in the diary, at times prosaic, sometimes distraught, frequently terrifying, but often funny, spiritual and uplifting.

If the war had only ended sooner, I imagine the writing that Anne could have produced and I envision Bella meeting her. Bella, born in 1913, Anne in 1929, 16 years her junior, they could have been aunt and niece; I see them sharing a Shabbat dinner, singing a Hanukah song; I picture them speaking one of their languages. They believed in the same things. Finally, I dream of them proudly sharing their writings, a mystery, a story of love and longing, a poem, and of course, on June 12th, their mutual birthday.

I dream of them walking hand in hand, pale wrinkled fingers holding a smooth teenaged palm. They come to a table set before them, on it matzoh brei with applesauce, a plate of potato latkes with sour cream. There are apples and honey, wine and rugalech. Bella and Anne eat heartily and shout for joy, no longer whispering or tiptoeing, no longer afraid to be Jewish women writers, no longer afraid at all.

PEN-082a-Anne Frank, Bella and Me.wps by Helen Kudatsky w:09/03/17 ei 09/19/17 694 wds 08 mn 99 Park St.#104 Brookline,MA 02446 C-617-939-3387 e-m: [email protected]

My story plot is of the fantasy/adventure type.

In the fictional town of Surron, Colorado (which is surrounded by high mountainsides from every angle, a tragedy occurs on September 5, 1963. Six-year old Robert “Bert” Aruson witnesses his drunken, abusive father murder his mother with a broken beer bottle. Advancing on him, the father sleeps on another discarded bottle and trips, impaling himself on the bottle with which he killed his wife. Robert runs off into the forest to escape his father to look of help, unaware of his father’s death. With his parents living far back into the woods, he ends becoming lost and spending the night in the forest. A mother bear, Dewa, with two cubs of her own, the boy Gemape and girl Biha, discover the young boy and adopt him into their family, christening him with the new name Nuun. Ten years later in 1973, Nuun has led a happy existence with his loving and supportive new family, having even made new friends like the crow Hai and the mouse Naeene. He even prevented unnecessary violence between his family and a wolf pack led by Dande and Gupa. Any hunters that come into the forest have their weapons stolen and permanently disposed of in the night by Nuun. By this time, Nuun and his actions have become something of an urban legend in Surron. Back in that town, the mayor Aaron Burdon (who resides upon a hill overlooking the town) runs the town, though he views it with contempt due to one incident. His younger brother, Reagan, was beaten by thugs hoping to steal money off of his rich person, leaving him with brain damage. Despite this, the townspeople started treating him and his brother differently afterwards, cruelly even. This has caused his hatred to ferment over the years until he comes up with a plan to destroy the town’s population with explosives at the upcoming July 4 picnic. His wealth and power make the workers unable to resist him, as they will become jobless should he imprisoned. “Nuun” comes across one of Burdon’s worksites and almost steals workers lunchbox, but is chased away. News soon spreads through the town and Nuun finds his happy life in danger of being shattered once again unless he can have assistance from friends both human and animal.

Nikita This is the story of me, Nikita, an orphaned girl, who didn’t know anything about her family. I was kept in the orphanage with a bunch of other girls. Ms.Keeper, the owner of the orphanage doesn’t tell anyone anything about themselves or their family. I didn’t know anything about myself, but everyone knew that in Ms.Keepers room there was a filing cabinet with documents of the real stories of our lives. Nobody ever dared to go in there though. Ms.Keeper looked like she was somewhere in the 30’s, she had grey hair, bags under her brown eyes, a slim body and a huge pimple on her long nose. She was not married. I have brown hair, brown eyes, freckles and a healthy, slim body.

I always thought of running away. I felt like I was in that orphanage forever. I remember growing up in there since I was a child and now that I’m 17 years old, I’m still here, hoping to find my family. But that, I thought was too unrealistic. I was sitting in an orphanage, hoping to find my family. No, I wanted to DO something to find my family. The only thing that held me back was Ms.Keeper and the thought that I really had no family. Ms.Keeper was always afraid of one of the girls running away, that’s why she made some workers put a stronger fence around the orphanage property. Ms.Keeper was also afraid of talking to the government. I thought so because the government will shut down her orphanage. One time, I overheard Ms.Keeper talking on the phone to the government and they said that it was illegal to not show the orphans their identity and who they are, but Ms.Keeper ignored them and kept talking about something else. Also, at 18 years old, you are free to leave the orphanage and become independent. I just turned 17. No one else was my age except another girl, aged 14 and all the rest were smaller than her. There was once a girl named Gabby who was the only person who was older than me. Just last year, she turned 18 and was supposed to go. On her birthday, Ms.Keeper made an announcement at the last moment that Gabby was leaving right now and is right by the door. Every girl ran out to give her hugs and goodbyes. Ms.Keeper didn’t even move. She didn’t even say bye. It was so cruel of her. We didn’t have a birthday cake with Gabby because Ms.Keeper threw her out the door on her birthday!

Everyday, Ms.Keeper lets us go outside for one hour, three times a day. We ate mostly sandwiches and drank water and sometimes juice. We also had some snacks, which were mostly fruits. We did school during the day too but this wasn’t real school. Ms.Keeper taught us everything. Ms.Keeper also bought us a TV, which was in the dining room. We mostly had everything we needed, except a family.

One day, when Ms.Keeper let us go outside, I was lying on the grass by myself at the farthest point from the orphanage. Then all of a sudden I heard someone coming. I looked up but saw no one. When I turned around, I saw a boy, looked like he was 15. He had brown hair, blue eyes and was tall. He said “hi” to me and I said “hi” back. We talked to each other for awhile until Ms.Keeper called us in. I really hoped that Ms.Keeper didn’t see me talk to that boy because she would punish me.

For the next three days, I talked to that boy over the fence every recess. He told me about his life and it really surprised me. He said he had a house as big as the whole orphanage (the orphanage is as big as a hotel). He said he had his mom and dad living with him, that he has money, any kind of drink, and lots of junk food. He played video games everyday and watched TV and also he quit school. His mom and dad don’t care about what he does as long as he’s home by midnight! When he told me this, I started thinking, is every life out there like his? What is everyone’s else’s life like? I couldn’t sleep that night or any other night after that day.

Soon, we became friends and he asked if the orphanage was boring. I didn’t even know what to say because it was alright living in the orphanage but compared to his life, it was nothing. I didn’t say anything and he asked if I wanted to run away to his house. I, of course, was surprised and didn’t say anything for awhile but then I said I would think about it. Ms.Keeper called us inside, and I don’t know why but she never caught me talking to him. Ms.Keeper usually stands by the door of the orphanage, looking into the field of how we are playing. I was farthest away from her so maybe she doesn’t see so well.

After those days, I couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking of running away. But how was I supposed to run away? If I got caught, I would be punished and I would have to be a slave to everyone, washing dishes, sweeping, and cleaning. Besides, I couldn’t run away because we all slept in rooms with four people to each room. Our room was the farthest away from the exit. I would have to tip-toe (at night?!?) through the whole orphanage just to get to the exit. No, I couldn’t do it. I was too scared. But that boy kept assuring me that everything will be okay.

I talked it over with the boy and I decided to run away with him at night, at 11pm because he had to be home by 12pm. By 8pm, all the girls in the orphanage would be sleeping, but Ms.Keeper stays up till 10pm, listening to classical music in her favourite rocking chair. As not to wake Ms.Keeper, the boy suggested that he would come to my window at night and I would climb over. Our room was on the lowest level – level one- so it was the closest to the ground. It was supposed to happen in two days from then. I was very nervous and scared, and I kept looking at Ms.Keeper if she had any suspicions, but it didn’t look like it.

It was the day of the run. I packed all my stuff, which wasn’t really much. I put all my clothes in my pockets (it fit perfectly). I was wide awake that night, listening till Ms.Keeper turned off her classical music and went to bed. It was perfectly silent. You could hear every single breath of the girls. My tummy had a trillion butterflies in it and I couldn’t stop my heavy breathing. At 11pm, there was a quiet knock at my window and I knocked back. That was our signal for letting each other know we were ready. I then looked at everyone in the room. They were sound asleep. I opened the window and it’s super squeaky. I waited a moment to see if anyone woke up, but no one moved. I climbed over the window to the boy. I closed the window with a loud squeak and started running with the boy to wherever my feet let me go. It was a dark night and only the half-lit moon was our source of light. The boy led me through streets and streets of houses until we came to a huge house. It was so pretty. It looked like the orphanage but it had no spiderwebs. It was clean and super nice. It looked like they were rich to have all those diamond stuff on the door.

They boy opened the door and the light hurt my eyes. It was so bright in there, so big. The stairs were curved, like I only saw in fairy tales, and there was his mom standing in the doorway. She first smiled, but when she saw me, she made a confused face and came closer. I was so scared. What would his mom do? Did he tell his mom about me? My brain threw me a thousand questions to answer of which I didn’t know the answers for. The lady came closer and asked the boy slowly who I was. He told his mom that I was a friend from the orphanage. His mom got angry, her face started to turn red and she started to talk louder. She started saying that I’m filthy and that she doesn’t want to see me ever again and to get out off this house. I looked at the boy. He started to cry. I tear went down his cheek. He begged his mom to let her stay for the night but his mom didn’t budge. The boy’s mom shut the door on me and I was outside in the cold.

All of this was for nothing. This meet we had. All the recesses we talked, all the nights I didn’t sleep, and I couldn’t go back to the orphanage now. I was alone. I didn’t even know where to go. I got off the boys lawn and I sat down on the sidewalk, crying and I realized I didn’t even know what the boy’s name was! Suddenly, I heard a door open. I looked back to see if it was the boy’s mom. No, it wasn’t. I looked around and saw that the boy’s neighbor has opened the door and was calling me. The person at the door was a grandma. She told me to come in. I stood up and came inside. She told me that she heard the neighbors talking loudly so she went to see what the commotion was about. She asked me if I wanted to eat but I refused. She sent me to bed, not knowing anything about me. She was so kind to me. She sent me upstairs where I had my own room. I fell asleep very fast, and I slept till lunch the next day. I forgot all about the orphanage and went downstairs to meet my hero. She was making breakfast for me. We sat down at the table and she told me her name ( Grandma Laura ) and I told her all about my life. Every single thing. When I came to the part about the orphanage, her eyes widened.

Grandma Laura told me that many many years ago, she was the owner of the orphanage! The government fired her because they thought she wasn’t suitable for the job. When she went away, she made photocopies of the documents of the girls and kept them because the girls were so precious to her that she couldn’t just leave them. Grandma Laura stood up and went upstairs to go get them. When she came back down, she had a whole ton of documents! She found one by the name of Nikita.

That morning changed my life. She let me read my own document. It figures out that my real mom died while having me. My dad was still alive. My dad’s name was Walter Eggons. The grandma’s eyes widened when I told her the name of my dad. She told me that that was her husband! So Grandma Laura was my mom? She didn’t die? But Grandma told me the whole story. My dad, Walter, first married a lady named Agnes, and they had a baby named Nikita ( that was me) and during childbirth, Agnes died, but I lived. Later, my dad could no longer care after me so he dropped me off at the orphanage when I was 1 year’s old. For my dad, that was a hard decision. He had to work but he couldn’t leave me at home and there was no one to look after me. After my dad’s wife died, he married Laura. Laura was sitting in front of me, tears in her eyes and on her cheeks. She then told me the saddest news- my dad died of cancer a couple months ago. I started choking back sobs, and then tears. Grandma Laura was the only family I had. She was my stepmother.

It has been seven years since that happened and right now I am sitting with tears in my eyes, telling you this. I live with my stepmom and my husband, Jeffrey. Turns out that after that day, I lived with my stepmom for a couple months but then the boy’s mom found out that I was still in this neighborhood. The boy was so happy to hear that, and he told me his name- Jeffrey Jones. We soon joined our friendship together and a couple months later, we were married. Also,he wasn’t 15 years old, like I thought, he was 17.

-Written by Nikita Eggons-Jones

I hope you like this so far tell me what to improve on.

Gunnvor is the daugter of a powerful samurai but that is only thing that they have in common. Her father is a ruthless man who fights for war, on the other hand Gunnvor fights for humanity, no one can see her true colors because they want to believe she wants bloodshed as well like her father. She hates their thoughts, imprisoned in her fathers hand, the only way to escape, is for some one, like her, to save her in the outside.

As she swoon her sword with grace she sliced the broom like heads off. Her father and mother were observing her progress as a warrior, when she was do she went to her parents and bowed. She left leaving them behind a cold chill settled on them, the mother knew why the father ignored. Gunnvor loved to walk in the town down below her house, all the people were Good-hearted and kind in every way. She sometimes is jealous of the children for having such free lives. But she does not listen to her selfish conscience, she walked across the flower bridge as a gentle men suddenly bumped into her. “Oh sorry about that I didn’t see you,” Gunnvor quickly got up embarrassed for fall. She looked up and saw man that was strong but kind, she then noticed that he didn’t recognized him, he look like he was from another country. She then suddenly pulled her sword pointed it near his neck. the man was taken aback, he looked shocked and then said ” Yes did I say some thing offensive.”

“your not from here are you,” She moved a little closer, her sword started to dig into skin. “Yea I’m just traveling, I came from the neighboring kingdom, I thought they were in good terms…..right?” He backed away a little from the sword cutting his neck. Gunnvor then lowered her sword slowly, The man rubbed his neck just to find that it is bleeding “by the way what is your name,” she sheathed her sword in it’s case. “My name is gunnvor,” He quickly whipped his head to her “What the, Gunnvor, the daugter of the samurai.”

“Yes.” she turned and started to walk away and stop slightly turned her head ” And you,”

“Uh my name is Cota.” he said then Gunnvor walked away, when she arrived at home she swept past her father to her bed room. That night she could not stop thinking of Cota, she thought how strange he was dressed and the way he looked. The next how ever her father again trained gunnvor, the train this time was diffrent, he was pushing her to far.

Many days have past and Gunnvor noticed that Cota was spotted many times near her house. Then when she training with her father which was basically torture, Cota came up to her father ” You will stop hurting her,” He said slowly and manically. However he was not moved “My wife has convinced you to protect her,”

“No I came In my own accord.” The father then spun and grabbed his sword and pointed to cota. “Well then can fight me,”

“We”l see,” cota grabbed his sword and the two fought, they fought for a few hours and the father was vanquished. Cota then went to Gunnvor and asked her hand in marriage.

Nikita This is the story of me, Nikita, an orphaned girl, who didn’t know anything about her family. I was kept in the orphanage with a bunch of other girls. Ms.Keeper, the owner of the orphanage doesn’t tell anyone anything about themselves or their family. I didn’t know anything about myself, but everyone knew that in Ms.Keepers room there was a filing cabinet with documents of the real stories of our lives. Nobody ever dared to go in there though. Ms.Keeper looked like she was somewhere in the 30’s, she had grey hair, bags under her brown eyes, a slim body and a huge pimple on her long nose. She was not married. I have brown hair, brown eyes, freckles and a healthy, slim body. I always thought of running away. I felt like I was in that orphanage forever. I remember growing up in there since I was a child and now that I’m 17 years old, I’m still here, hoping to find my family. But that, I thought was too unrealistic. I was sitting in an orphanage, hoping to find my family. No, I wanted to DO something to find my family. The only thing that held me back was Ms.Keeper and the thought that I really had no family. Ms.Keeper was always afraid of one of the girls running away, that’s why she made some workers put a stronger fence around the orphanage property. Ms.Keeper was also afraid of talking to the government. I thought so because the government will shut down her orphanage. One time, I overheard Ms.Keeper talking on the phone to the government and they said that it was illegal to not show the orphans their identity and who they are, but Ms.Keeper ignored them and kept talking about something else. Also, at 18 years old, you are free to leave the orphanage and become independent. I just turned 17. No one else was my age except another girl, aged 14 and all the rest were smaller than her. There was once a girl named Gabby who was the only person who was older than me. Just last year, she turned 18 and was supposed to go. On her birthday, Ms.Keeper made an announcement at the last moment that Gabby was leaving right now and is right by the door. Every girl ran out to give her hugs and goodbyes. Ms.Keeper didn’t even move. She didn’t even say bye. It was so cruel of her. We didn’t have a birthday cake with Gabby because Ms.Keeper threw her out the door on her birthday! Everyday, Ms.Keeper lets us go outside for one hour, three times a day. We ate mostly sandwiches and drank water and sometimes juice. We also had some snacks, which were mostly fruits. We did school during the day too but this wasn’t real school. Ms.Keeper taught us everything. Ms.Keeper also bought us a TV, which was in the dining room. We mostly had everything we needed, except a family. One day, when Ms.Keeper let us go outside, I was lying on the grass by myself at the farthest point from the orphanage. Then all of a sudden I heard someone coming. I looked up but saw no one. When I turned around, I saw a boy, looked like he was 15. He had brown hair, blue eyes and was tall. He said “hi” to me and I said “hi” back. We talked to each other for awhile until Ms.Keeper called us in. I really hoped that Ms.Keeper didn’t see me talk to that boy because she would punish me. For the next three days, I talked to that boy over the fence every recess. He told me about his life and it really surprised me. He said he had a house as big as the whole orphanage (the orphanage is as big as a hotel). He said he had his mom and dad living with him, that he has money, any kind of drink, and lots of junk food. He played video games everyday and watched TV and also he quit school. His mom and dad don’t care about what he does as long as he’s home by midnight! When he told me this, I started thinking, is every life out there like his? What is everyone’s else’s life like? I couldn’t sleep that night or any other night after that day. Soon, we became friends and he asked if the orphanage was boring. I didn’t even know what to say because it was alright living in the orphanage but compared to his life, it was nothing. I didn’t say anything and he asked if I wanted to run away to his house. I, of course, was surprised and didn’t say anything for awhile but then I said I would think about it. Ms.Keeper called us inside, and I don’t know why but she never caught me talking to him. Ms.Keeper usually stands by the door of the orphanage, looking into the field of how we are playing. I was farthest away from her so maybe she doesn’t see so well. After those days, I couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking of running away. But how was I supposed to run away? If I got caught, I would be punished and I would have to be a slave to everyone, washing dishes, sweeping, and cleaning. Besides, I couldn’t run away because we all slept in rooms with four people to each room. Our room was the farthest away from the exit. I would have to tip-toe (at night?!?) through the whole orphanage just to get to the exit. No, I couldn’t do it. I was too scared. But that boy kept assuring me that everything will be okay. I talked it over with the boy and I decided to run away with him at night, at 11pm because he had to be home by 12pm. By 8pm, all the girls in the orphanage would be sleeping, but Ms.Keeper stays up till 10pm, listening to classical music in her favourite rocking chair. As not to wake Ms.Keeper, the boy suggested that he would come to my window at night and I would climb over. Our room was on the lowest level – level one- so it was the closest to the ground. It was supposed to happen in two days from then. I was very nervous and scared, and I kept looking at Ms.Keeper if she had any suspicions, but it didn’t look like it. It was the day of the run. I packed all my stuff, which wasn’t really much. I put all my clothes in my pockets (it fit perfectly). I was wide awake that night, listening till Ms.Keeper turned off her classical music and went to bed. It was perfectly silent. You could hear every single breath of the girls. My tummy had a trillion butterflies in it and I couldn’t stop my heavy breathing. At 11pm, there was a quiet knock at my window and I knocked back. That was our signal for letting each other know we were ready. I then looked at everyone in the room. They were sound asleep. I opened the window and it’s super squeaky. I waited a moment to see if anyone woke up, but no one moved. I climbed over the window to the boy. I closed the window with a loud squeak and started running with the boy to wherever my feet let me go. It was a dark night and only the half-lit moon was our source of light. The boy led me through streets and streets of houses until we came to a huge house. It was so pretty. It looked like the orphanage but it had no spiderwebs. It was clean and super nice. It looked like they were rich to have all those diamond stuff on the door. They boy opened the door and the light hurt my eyes. It was so bright in there, so big. The stairs were curved, like I only saw in fairy tales, and there was his mom standing in the doorway. She first smiled, but when she saw me, she made a confused face and came closer. I was so scared. What would his mom do? Did he tell his mom about me? My brain threw me a thousand questions to answer of which I didn’t know the answers for. The lady came closer and asked the boy slowly who I was. He told his mom that I was a friend from the orphanage. His mom got angry, her face started to turn red and she started to talk louder. She started saying that I’m filthy and that she doesn’t want to see me ever again and to get out off this house. I looked at the boy. He started to cry. I tear went down his cheek. He begged his mom to let her stay for the night but his mom didn’t budge. The boy’s mom shut the door on me and I was outside in the cold. All of this was for nothing. This meet we had. All the recesses we talked, all the nights I didn’t sleep, and I couldn’t go back to the orphanage now. I was alone. I didn’t even know where to go. I got off the boys lawn and I sat down on the sidewalk, crying and I realized I didn’t even know what the boy’s name was! Suddenly, I heard a door open. I looked back to see if it was the boy’s mom. No, it wasn’t. I looked around and saw that the boy’s neighbor has opened the door and was calling me. The person at the door was a grandma. She told me to come in. I stood up and came inside. She told me that she heard the neighbors talking loudly so she went to see what the commotion was about. She asked me if I wanted to eat but I refused. She sent me to bed, not knowing anything about me. She was so kind to me. She sent me upstairs where I had my own room. I fell asleep very fast, and I slept till lunch the next day. I forgot all about the orphanage and went downstairs to meet my hero. She was making breakfast for me. We sat down at the table and she told me her name ( Grandma Laura ) and I told her all about my life. Every single thing. When I came to the part about the orphanage, her eyes widened. Grandma Laura told me that many many years ago, she was the owner of the orphanage! The government fired her because they thought she wasn’t suitable for the job. When she went away, she made photocopies of the documents of the girls and kept them because the girls were so precious to her that she couldn’t just leave them. Grandma Laura stood up and went upstairs to go get them. When she came back down, she had a whole ton of documents! She found one by the name of Nikita. That morning changed my life. She let me read my own document. It figures out that my real mom died while having me. My dad was still alive. My dad’s name was Walter Eggons. The grandma’s eyes widened when I told her the name of my dad. She told me that that was her husband! So Grandma Laura was my mom? She didn’t die? But Grandma told me the whole story. My dad, Walter, first married a lady named Agnes, and they had a baby named Nikita ( that was me) and during childbirth, Agnes died, but I lived. Later, my dad could no longer care after me so he dropped me off at the orphanage when I was 1 year’s old. For my dad, that was a hard decision. He had to work but he couldn’t leave me at home and there was no one to look after me. After my dad’s wife died, he married Laura. Laura was sitting in front of me, tears in her eyes and on her cheeks. She then told me the saddest news- my dad died of cancer a couple months ago. I started choking back sobs, and then tears. Grandma Laura was the only family I had. She was my stepmother. It has been seven years since that happened and right now I am sitting with tears in my eyes, telling you this. I live with my stepmom and my husband, Jeffrey. Turns out that after that day, I lived with my stepmom for a couple months but then the boy’s mom found out that I was still in this neighborhood. The boy was so happy to hear that, and he told me his name- Jeffrey Jones. We soon joined our friendship together and a couple months later, we were married. Also,he wasn’t 15 years old, like I thought, he was 17. -Written by Nikita Eggons-Jones

Yoyoyo its generikb here and today we are playing roller coaster tycoon

Anyone got ideas for a short story titled as Leornard’s Fatal Oversight. In need of help asap.

Ugh, this is getting do frustrating! I thought to myself as I struggled through the streets. My ankles kept twisting every time I slipped. Heels are so not comfy. I shouldn’t have worn them. As if my struggle wasn’t enough, people were pushing me as they passed me by. I was being shoved left and right amidst the bustling sidewalks of New York. Feeling fed up, I decided to lean onto a nearby store to regain my balance. What an awful idea it was. Unfortunately, I have miscalculated the distance between me and the store and I ended up leaning on thin air. I tried to right my footing before it was too late but I ended up tripping on my own feet. With a loud oomph I slammed into a passerby. Papers went flying around us as we both fell to the ground.

“Oh my gosh! I am so sorry.” I tried to hurriedly stand up but I ended flat on the ground again. “I didn’t mean to! I was just trying to lean on the wall to regain my balance since it’s the first time to wear heels, and oh my god, it is very hard and painful.”

The person nodded quietly and started gathering the papers. I got to my knees and tried to help. “I was supposed to be looking smart for today’s meeting, but I don’t think it’s been working out so well. I bet I look as smart as a baboon’s butt.” I heard the person chuckle but I went on with my rant, “I also bet that I am a total mess; I don’t how will I meet everyone at work this way. Oh man! They sure will give me an earful of criticism!” I didn’t realize I had been holding on to the few papers I collected while he tried to pull them from my grasp. “Oh, I am so sorry, once again,” I said still holding on to the papers while I got up, “I didn’t realize I was holding on to the documents…it’s not like I’ve read them; I’m just guessing they were documents as your suit looks neat and yeah.” I tugged gently on the lapel of the suit and finally raised my eyes to his face. My eyes probably widened as I saw him for the first time. To cut it short, he was hot! Like smoking salmon hot; or more like hot chili pepper that Indians eat hot! Now I’ll give all the details, I know you want them…I would want them if I was listening to one of my friends telling me such a story. Anyways, he stood a good foot or so taller than me. He had light brown hair styled backwards. His angular, defined jaw was covered with a five o’clock shadow. Bright hazel eyes shone with amusement as a slight smile covered his lips. “I don’t usually talk to strangers as much as I do. God! I’m coming off as talkative! I am not usually the talkative type; I seriously don’t know what is wrong with me today. And whoa, you look handsome,” my eyes widened in shock as he raised both eyebrows, “Did I say that out loud? Oh my god, I said that out loud. I didn’t mean to say that…I don’t mean you’re not handsome, because you’re one hell of a man; I just mean…Ugh! Now I’m coming off as a weird man-gazing half-crazed stalker. That is if I’m not fully crazed. I don’t think I’m making any sense…I should probably get going.” I went to turn around when I felt a tug onto something I’m holding to. With a confused look I looked to my hands and found the stack of papers. With a not so faint blush, I handed him the papers, “I’m sorry again.” I threw my hand behind my shoulder pointing in the opposite direction, “I should probably get going,” I said with a sheepish smile. I turned to leave again, but I was stopped…again. He cleared his throat, “I think you’re forgetting something.” “Um…no, I think I’m,” I turned his way to find him holding my bag. I awkwardly stepped to take it and said, “Thanks. I’ll see you around, not that I know where you are…I’ll just get going.” I took my bag and headed off in the opposite direction before I could embarrass myself any further. As I waited for the subway, I recalled what just happened and face palmed. I took the short ride to the office to compose myself. I was in for a surprise once I entered the meeting room, though. The man I bumped into was standing at the head of the table. “Good morning everyone, before starting today’s meeting, I would like to introduce you to the company’s new CEO…” Well, I wasn’t expecting this. I sat rigidly on the chair once we were told to. “Good morning everyone, I am Nathaniel and I am looking forwards to working with everyone on this team,” he said with a smile on his face. “Mr. Nathaniel, I would like you to meet our best employee, Ms. Felicity Brown.”My boss pointed my way and I wish he hadn’t. Nathaniel’s eyes found mine. They were filled with amusement. Oh this was going to be a long day.

And this, kids, is how I met your father.

A great (and family friendly) writing site is http://www.storybird.com

I might write a story about a girl who was born a princess but all her family died on a ship except her aunt and cousin…she gets taken to an orphanage and everyone else thinks she died too and she gets adopted a few Years later she goes to school and everyone is talking about her…one days she finds out that… oh u want to know well I’ll probs write a story about it on wattpad so u can look for it, it will be called…A princess???

Four new members have a look at couch on top of Crestwood center ship

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WRIGHT TWP. In all perhaps had to be the most significant reorganization matching presented among Luzerne regional 11 institutions zones, Crestwood school panel swore located in four sign ups compared to the ne member, repairing incumbents which are either of them missing in action unique reelection tenders belonging to the primary or elected to get not to research another phase.

wayne Brogna, Stacey Haddix, Kimberly Spath and thus Lauren McCurdy got been sworn appearing in thursday night. The four bought conducted completely considering that the to produce enhancement community. really earning incumbent from a big part that do survived habitual grievance in past times two very long time came anna Hollock Bibla, which will garnered your ex first four year terms the particular snowboard. you become a member of in 2017 because of profitable an exclusive two year sitting.

The aboard had been proven a good solid director in just cost Jones deleted the primary. He extended in the direction this quite get-together ahead departing the barrier. But contact considering his or place for year isn an exciting new face. really 5 4 election with all four rookies in opposition of, james Costello vice president in the past year came branded president.

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barry Boone is unanimously specified as vice chairman, Maureen McGovern came chosen assistant, and after that Brogna been recently branded as treasurer.

all of the reconstituted block have their first finding for normal establishment votes arrange for Dec. 19, Five days right after the contract over curious law firms in order to post proposals on a structured feasibility study, sense my blackboard can have to be able to merit a legal contract.

Four newbies your day Crestwood their school panel accept the promise of health care office at some stage in thurs reorganization talking. right between lead are actually Stacy Haddix, Kimberly Spath, Lauren McCurdy and as a consequence randy Brogna. 17 public speaking.

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looking to you can keep them respond back to me made by the following thursday, Belusko considered that Friday.

maybe authorities decides to transfer an appointment it provides a week in order to place and with seating rather than a unique fourth area chambers.

was regarded as thinking that it is recently doing open talking long before the performance visit someplace (home buyers and thus local authority or council) may questionthings just to associated with us transfer to the author’s your job session. which unfortunately whatever i thinking about, Belusko claims.

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village owner david Gazenski suggested it authorities call on which direction to start.

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20 Fun Adventure Writing Prompts And Story Ideas

There’s a reason that adventure stories like Harry Potter are so popular. Kids, teenagers, and even adults love to use their imaginations and picture themselves going on a wild adventure. Writing adventure stories is equally enjoyable for the same reason. Starting an adventure story can be challenging for students, but with these fun adventure writing prompts and story ideas your students will be able to easily start their fun adventure story. Before we take a look at these adventure story starters, first let’s talk about what adventure stories are.

What Are Adventure Stories?

Adventure stories follow a certain formula. They include a hero who is going on a journey or quest in an unfamiliar environment . For example, in Lord Of The Rings, the ‘hero’ (Frodo) leaves his hometown and sets off on a quest to destroy the ring in the fires of Mount Doom. In adventure stories, there’s almost always a villain and a certain element of risk . As an adventure story progresses, the main character usually transforms from an ordinary person into a hero.

Fun Adventure Writing Prompts And Story Ideas

Here are 20 fun adventure writing prompts and story ideas:

• You find a flute in the forest. When you play it, you are transported to another world. What’s the world like? How do you get back home?
• One day, in P.E. class, you fall and bump your head. When you get home, you can understand everything your pet is saying. What does your pet say? What adventures do you and your pet have next?
• On  Christmas  eve, Santa clause crashes his sleigh in your backyard. He needs your help to deliver all the presents before Christmas day. How do you help?
• You move into a new house and find an old board game covered in dust. You decide to play the game, and when you roll the dice, you get sucked into a different world. What’s it like there? How do you escape?
• Some equipment malfunctions while working in a laboratory on a top-secret project. The next day, you start to notice strange new powers. What powers do you have? What do you do with your new powers?
• Your father is an inventor. You go into his office and find a ‘ray gun’. You accidentally fire it, it hits you, and you shrink to the size of an ant. What happens next?
• While on vacation in Europe, you get lost in the backstreets of a city. There, you discover a portal that transports you back in time to World War 2. What do you do there?
• While cleaning your room, you discover an old dusty book. You open it, and there is a key hidden inside. What does the key open?
• You visit a charity store and buy a cool jacket there. When you put it on, you suddenly become invisible. What adventures do you get up to with your new jacket?
• You go for a walk in a forest and get lost. As night falls, the trees and plants begin to talk. What do they say?
• The year is 3022, and your cleaning robot starts behaving strangely. You look outside, and all the other robots appear to be malfunctioning. What happens next?
• While trekking in the jungle, you come across some ancient ruins. In the center is a pool of clear water. What happens when you drink the water?
• While cleaning the attic, you discover a tiny door. When you go through it, you are transported into the mind of somebody famous and can control what they do for a day. Who is the famous person? What adventures do you get up to?
• At school, you discover a ghost. The ghost has some unfinished business and needs your help. How do you help the ghost?
• Halfway through a 7-month journey to Mars, your ship gets struck by cosmic rays. What damage does it cause? What do you do to make it to Mars safely?
• You have a time machine, and you travel back to prehistoric times. There, you kill a mosquito. When you return to the present day, the world is entirely different. What’s this world like now?
• You drop and break your T.V remote control. You put it back together, and suddenly it controls real life. What happens next?
• You find an old cell phone while clearing out your desk. You charge it up and suddenly receive a call. It’s a detective from the past who needs help solving a crime. What happens next?
• While shopping for antique furniture, you come across an antique mirror that catches your eye. What happens when you look in the mirror?
• During a thunderstorm, you get struck by lightning. The next day, you start having visions of crimes that haven’t taken place yet. What do you do next?

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Fantasy Writing Prompts Quick Writing Prompts 4th Grade Writing Prompts

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How to Write Adventure Fiction

By Georgina Roy

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part 1: research and plotting, 1) defining adventure fiction, 2) the faraway world, 3) essential rules of worldbuilding, 4) plotting the story, 5) research: when, how, and how much, part 2: writing, pace, and characters, 1) creating the protagonist, 2) creating the cast of characters, 3) writing the novel, 4) determining the right pace, 5) climaxes and endings: most common errors, part 3: editing and publishing the novel, 1) editing the manuscript, 2) fixing story errors, 3) fixing character and worldbuilding errors, 4) the importance of a good cover, 5) publishing an adventure novel.

Most stories are adventure stories. This stems from the fact that most stories – especially good stories – take the protagonist and the characters on a journey. Sometimes that journey is an inner one, especially in literary novels that focus on the studying of a character. Other times, the journey is purely an external one, where the protagonist leaves their own world to see and experience another one. In the latter case, an inner journey is also part of the process, leading to the protagonist discovering something new about themselves and changing in the process – or, he or she has what we like to call a character’s arc.

However, in this guide , our focus will be on writing Adventure Fiction specifically. Additionally, since it’s impossible not to discuss adventure as part of any fiction genre, we will also touch upon where and how adventure plays a part in other genres of fiction. As such, we hope this guide will be useful to most fiction writers, regardless of the genre they are writing in.

So, let’s begin.

Adventure fiction, in its essence, requires a lot of plotting and research. Let’s take a look as to why.

The most common writing advice is to write what you know. And these days, that becomes even more important because a lot of attention falls on stereotyping in fiction (and media in general). But, if you are to always just write only what you know, then writers would not need a good amount of imagination. This is where research comes in. Just because you don’t know something, it doesn’t mean that you cannot learn.

Adventure means the protagonist goes to a new world (more about that later), and the plot together with the personality of the protagonist needs to provide an undisputed reason as to why the protagonist has to do this, where the call of adventure comes from, and why the protagonist has to answer that call. If the protagonist can solve the problem they have at hand without venturing into the new world, then your story fails at its basis. If your story was a house, then this would be its foundation. The plot then becomes the structural walls, and the rest of your story (events and characters) is what will fill the house itself and give it light and color. The call of adventure, however, needs to be clear and undisputed within the logic of the story and the world you are creating.

For that reason, in this section, we will begin with marking the defining elements of Adventure Fiction and move on to how to craft the plot.

If there are two words we can use to define adventure fiction, those would be: new and dangerous. New, because the protagonist is taken to a new world outside of their own familiar world, and dangerous because the protagonist’s journey is wracked with constant danger that is primarily used to move the plot forward.

Another two words to describe adventure fiction would be: physical action. And while an adventure might happen in a person’s mind while they’re sleeping, both the protagonist and the readers will only be aware of the physical action and events that are taking place, even if at the end of the adventure story, we learn it was all a dream. (Note: avoid the “it was all a dream” type of ending at all costs. More on that later.)

As such, adventure fiction is the genre that tells, primarily, the story of a protagonist who goes on a journey into a new world and undergoes a drastic change in the process. Adventure fiction depends on physical action and exploring an alien world. Often, the alien world is fraught with danger – causing the protagonist to think on their feet to solve their problems and get out of sticky situations, which brings us to the third word that describes adventure fiction: the sense of danger.

For example: Let’s say that we have a character, let’s call him Mark, who loves hiking. One day, while hiking, he discovers a world within the forest populated exclusively by small pixies. Now, if all the pixies are nice and treat him like an honored guest, he will probably have a cup of their finest strawberry mead and go on his way, and maybe several years down the road, he will think that he dreamed the whole thing.

But, what if the pixies are a divided folk? They don’t want to interact with humankind, so they’ve set up traps around their settlements. The first time Mark stumbles into them, he falls into a trap that threatens to kill his life. Fortunately, some Pixies disagree with murder, so they help and free Mark, who now has to find a way to either escape from the pixie settlement – or do his best to change their minds about humankind in general. Now that is more in line with an adventure.

There are several different ways of portraying – and building – the faraway, or foreign, world in an adventure novel. These ways lead to a few different types of worlds that are very common in adventure fiction. Let’s take a good look at them.

• The New World : The new world is an alien place. Usually the protagonist is transferred there via a portal or a device or (in the cases of space operas) a starship. This new world is completely alien to the protagonist, and the cast of characters he meets along the way serve as his informants – and the readers’ informants as well – introducing the protagonist to the world. More often than not, this world features magic, science advanced enough to be considered magic, and other creatures and beings that are far different from what the protagonist considers to be the norm. This type of world is best presented in The Chronicles of Narnia, where the protagonists fall into a closet-turned-portal to discover a different world on the other side.
• The Side World : Instead of traveling to a new world, the protagonist travels within secret places of their world, places that were previously unknown to them. Similar to the new world, the side world is a wondrous place that features things that we don’t see in our everyday life, from magic to science, creatures and animals, and often, whole societies that function differently than our own. Best portrayed, of course, in the Harry Potter series, where Harry, by virtue of discovering his true heritage, is plunged into the hidden magical world that exists alongside our own.
• The Lost World : This type of world is quite specific, and often gets confused with the Side World, since both exist in secret alongside our own world. But while the side world is hidden, no one suspects its existence. The lost world, however, brings to mind places like the lost island of Atlantis, Lemuria (perceived as a lost continent or a land bridge that used to connect India and Madagascar), Avalon (a lost island found in Arthurian, Cornish and Welsh legends), Agartha (a legendary kingdom said to be located inside the core of the Earth), and even Eden (the legendary paradise and the birthplace of Adam and Eve). The lost world is always a legendary place within the context of the normal world, and the protagonist may be actively seeking the world. An example of this type of world can be seen in The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
• The Same World : Today, we have a whole world of information at our fingertips – including information about our own world. We know all of its landmasses and continents, and if we don’t, that information is a mere Google search away. For this reason, it would be tough to take a protagonist from Europe traveling to America and call it an adventure – although, that’s what it is precisely. However, while for some readers this would be a new world, and the same would apply to the protagonist, for an American reader, it would be a delving into their own world, wouldn’t it? However, back in the day, exploring the new world was an adventure in and of itself – the novel Robinson Crusoe comes to mind. On the other hand, this doesn’t mean that the “Same World” type of world absolutely cannot be used in contemporary adventure fiction. There are two different ways to go about it. First is perspective, and the second is delving deep into places that would be unfamiliar and new to your general audience (the Amazon rainforest, the Atacama Desert, the highest peaks of the Alps and Himalayas and other gigantic mountains of the world, and more). The difference in this type of world (compared to the other three) is that these are real places with real features. The danger in these stories stems from the need of survival, rather than the world (or some of its inhabitants) being out to “get” the protagonist. The other way of portraying the same world, through perspective, means that in the beginning of the novel, the protagonist gets plunged into the same world they have always inhabited, but they are looking at now from a different perspective. For example: A protagonist, who has a normal life: a job, a family, and two dogs, is suddenly accused of a crime they did not commit. Despite their innocence, neighbors and friends start to treat them differently, giving the protagonist a good taste of what is really lying underneath the surface of society. In the meantime, in order to save themselves from being wrongfully convicted, they need to prove their innocence. Since no one wants to help them, they need to delve deep into the underbelly of their city or town to track down the real perpetrator. This plunges the protagonist into a completely new world – a world that they always knew was there in the back of their mind, but never really thought about it. However, this types of stories are usually placed within the crime genre, drama, and thriller, especially because they do not feature a complete new world. The difference between the Side World and this world for example, lies in the fact that this world has never really been hidden. Moreover, in Side World, the protagonist visits the hidden world, and maybe eventually gets out. The hidden world remains hidden from the rest of the normal world. However, in the Same World category, shown through a different perspective, the new world becomes visible. Once you’ve seen it, you cannot un-see it. Additionally, it’s worth noting in this section how The Lord of the Rings is a good portrayal of adventuring into the same world. While the world of Middle-earth is new for us, the readers, Frodo as the protagonist doesn’t actually go to a new world – he explores the known world, something that is unthinkable for a Hobbit to do, since their society is a comfortable one that rarely seeks adventure and danger.

And what ties all of these together is the innate sense of wonder and danger that follow the protagonist like a good angel and a bad devil on their shoulders. The sense of wonder means that parts of the new world are going to be wonderful. From magic, to humans possessing magical powers, to all sorts of legendary creatures, like angels, pixies, faeries, chimera, gryphons, and a lot more. The sense of danger, of course, has to follow: the protagonist can be unwanted in the world by the world itself (fighting nature), or from its inhabitants (as in our example above).

First rule of worldbuilding is, of course, consistency . If you establish that a certain type of plant found in the new world is a panacea for all illnesses, then you need to remember that fact as you write the rest of the story. If later on in the story, a character falls ill, and the readers know of the panacea that can be found, it would be a glaring plot and worldbuilding hole if the protagonist doesn’t seek the panacea out as an all-cure method to heal the character.

The second rule of worldbuilding is: never try to reveal all of the world, all at once. The world you’re going to build for your story is an iceberg. Your readers will only glimpse the section of it that’s above the water. This means that you need to explain only the information that the readers need to know in order to understand the story. Revealing too much means you are giving the readers info-dumps that are not necessary to what is happening to the protagonist at the moment (for example, when a bad guy is chasing the protagonist through a cave littered with attacking creatures, it’s enough to say that the cave has a defense system that has been breached and now the defensive creatures are attacking. That moment is not the time when you need to explain all the different defense systems available in the world).

Third rule: avoid stereotypes. An easy example: Let’s say that the protagonist goes to a lost world in the Amazon rainforest, whose people haven’t met other humans for centuries. The first image that pops in mind is of backwards tribesmen who probably wish to hunt the protagonist, or maybe even want to eat him. Even if you’re writing a new world, beware of creating characters that fit into known stereotypes (the overly-feminine gay male, the knowledgeable nerd wearing glasses, etc.). Even if you’re delving into a new world, it doesn’t mean that some stereotyping will not happen by accident, especially when you consider the fact that a lot of stereotyping has already been done in all sorts of media and entertainment – yes, including novels.

No matter which genre you’re writing in, plotting the story means structuring it around several specific events: The Inciting Incident, which sets the story in motion and presents the problem, followed by Plot Point 1 (which marks the end of Act 1 at the same time), and is the moment when the protagonist makes the wrong decision. Act 2 is the trials and ordeals and wonderful things that happen as a result. First, it appears that the protagonist made the right choice in Plot Point 1, only for him to discover in Act 2 that it was the wrong one. Making the right decision is Plot Point 2 (marking the end of  Act 2), means you’ve crossed into Act 3, where the protagonist acts upon the right decision and resolves the conflict and the story.

But, when it comes to adventure fiction, it’s worth noting that there are several other stages to consider. For that reason, we’ll draw upon the journey best described in The Hero With a Thousand Faces (by Joseph Campbell), and see how it relates to adventure fiction.

The Hero’s Journey does not offer a different type of structure. We still have three acts – or phases – of the story. What we can glean from it, though, is a more detailed outline. Since Campbell’s journey is too long, we will use the adaptation of it made by Christopher Vogler.

The hero’s journey, as presented by Vogler, is as follows:

• Ordinary world
• Call to adventure
• Refusal of the call
• Meeting with the mentor
• Crossing the first threshold

The Hero is presented in his own ordinary world , and he receives the call of adventure . This call can be a literal call, a problem that needs to be solved by going on what would essentially be a dangerous adventure, or, as we mentioned above, the Inciting Incident. Initially, the Hero is reluctant to leave the Normal World and refuses the call (due to insecurity, believing they have no means of achieving the goal, and more). As the hero refuses the call, he receives help in the form of a mentor ( meeting the mentor ) to guide him, or a new power, tool, or artifact that will help the Hero. The Hero accepts the call and crosses the threshold into the new world of adventure.

• Tests, allies and enemies
• Approach to the innermost cave

In the second phase of the journey, the Hero has arrived in the New World. Here, he is faced with all of its wonders. He meets characters who become allies. But, he also meets the dangers of the world, and its less-than-friendly inhabitants too. The stakes get higher and higher – and the Hero’s life gets more and more in danger. To reach the peak, the Hero needs to go through an ordeal that will lead him to discovering something about both his own self, and about the world that he is. This is the reward moment, when the Hero has seemingly achieved his primary goal. The hero, who, for example, had been stranded into the new strange world, discovers how he could go back.

• The road back
• The resurrection
• Return with the elixir

In the third phase of the journey, the hero gets on the road back home. However, when things are not as they seem, the Hero discovers the real solution to the problem, which is the moment of resurrection, and then return with the elixir. The elixir in this case can be a physical item – but it is also represented in the change in the protagonist as a result of the character’s arc he had undergone through the journey.

At the end, the Hero can either go back into his old world and try to pick up ththe life he had left behind. Or, he could embrace the new world and remain there.

Adventure fiction seems like the perfect genre where the writer can use their imagination to the fullest – and run completely with it. And while that is true, there are still some additional things that all writers must think about these days.

We will start with the most problematic question that has arisen recently in the literary world: who gets to tell whose story? The problem stems from cultural appropriation. When a person of a certain race or skin color decides to write a book that is not strictly about “their own race,” an upheaval results in the form of negative reviews, with the question we mentioned above coming to the forefront. If you’re not a person of color, do you have the right to write certain types of stories and characters? Moreover, can the writer manage to tell their story and avoid stereotyping?

The first answer that you want to give is: of course! No writer would be consciously stereotyping in their novel, right?

Except, often, all writers create stereotypes – even when they do not intend to do it. One of the reasons why this happens is because in a book, many things are exaggerated, more dramatic, and more intense than they often are in real life. That’s because conflict keeps things going, and exaggerated traits in characters makes those characters memorable. Our advice: write from the heart. Someone out there will be insulted even if you do your very best not to stereotype. As for the cultural appropriation, if you DO plan on writing about a race other than your own, the best thing you can do: well, that would be research.

In the process of writing a novel that you will know will need research, the best thing to do is to get the research out of the way first. However, you may end up buried in your research books for months – because you may not know what you will need in your novel. For that reason, create a vague outline before you start your research. This outline may even include your basic cast of characters, especially if those characters belong to a certain race or culture (in which case, talk to a real life person).

But, if you want to write about the lost Atlantis world, for example, you need to plan what will be the outcome of the story – whether the protagonist will find it and stay there, find it and come back to reveal it to the world, or find it and come back and continue hiding it from the world. In all cases, the best thing to do is to research the island, and gather all the information on the myth that surrounds it. And with the outline in hand, you will be able to focus on the specific aspects of it that you will need: the landscape, the buildings, and finally, the people. You will not need to read about all the expeditions there were in the past to find the island (if there were any), and even if you do, you would only need specific information – like how the people went about exploring in the past, and how would that exploration happen if it were happening in the present day (which means, researching modern exploration expeditions).

So, create your outline and basic cast of characters. Then, research everything that seems important. Next, before you start writing, look at your outline again. See if it still works. Use your newfound knowledge to brain storm ideas. It’s very probable that during your research, you will be inspired with many new ideas – some of which will be probably be better than before. Create another outline, even if you plan on writing by the seat of the pants. You do not have to stick to the outline precisely, but make sure not to diverge too much from it.

When are you ready to start writing your novel?

The easy answer is: never. You will never feel a hundred percent ready to start writing your novel. But you will need to start writing it – lest the idea and excitement of it are washed away by other ideas that might seem better and more interesting than your original idea.

But, how can you get close to being ready?

Well, this depends on your method. If you’re truly a pantser – someone who writes from the seat of their pants, then by all means, keep doing it that way. Many people think that pantsers create everything as they go along, however, the truth is that they have an idea in their mind about the plot and the characters – and they keep that idea from changing throughout the novel. They just don’t write it down. Many of them, notably GRRM, say that if they know everything that happens, it’s not interesting for them to write the story.

But, if you do prefer to have an outline and a basic sense of the characters, then the best way to get ready to write your novel is to start with the protagonist. Since this is adventure fiction specifically, we will note three things from the start: the world, the characters, and the plot all need to serve the story. Let’s take a closer look at these elements.

Who is your protagonist? Well, since this is an adventure story, your protagonist has to be the person who gets to go on an adventure. That means that you will write the story from their point of view, and you will structure the plot around said adventure. You cannot tell an adventure story from the point of view of someone who gets to accompany someone on an adventure – because that role is reserved for the sidekick.

What does the protagonist have? The protagonist has agency. It doesn’t matter if the protagonist doesn’t know how to get somewhere, he or she is the one who makes the decision to go somewhere (which is why your protagonist cannot be a sidekick in the story – unless, as the story goes along, the protagonist rises from a position wherein he or she was a sidekick, and even that rise needs to happen at the beginning of the novel).

Your protagonist also needs two other things: wants and needs. Or, to be more appropriate: a want and a need. The protagonist’s want is obvious: when you’ve presented him or her with a problem, their obvious want is the solution of the problem. That’s what drives them to act throughout the story. What the protagonist needs, however, is a subtle thing – something that is unique within the protagonist as a person, a certain kind of need that they never openly admitted to themselves. That need, also, is something that drives the protagonist to act, even if the protagonist doesn’t realize it. For example, a retired cop decides to (enter a different world) to solve a case. Their want: to solve their case. Their need, however, is to feel important enough again, or, to help another person again. Throughout the story, the cop would find themselves in situation where they have to face this aspect of themselves again and again, until they understand that truth about their motivations.

It’s also worth noting that the adventure genre is one of the genres that actually welcome an ensemble of protagonists. And just like the name implies, an adventure novel can have multiple protagonists, all with different roles and journeys within the adventure world. Often, each one of them has a unique trait that helps move the overall plot along, and, they all have inner journeys and inner issues that they have to work through in their characters’ arcs.

Additionally, an ensemble of protagonists might work in a different way as well, where the author tells a part of the story from the point of view of one protagonist, and then continues the story (often in a sequel) from the point of view of another character, who serves as the protagonist in the latter story.

We will talk about creating the core cast of characters a bit later, but it’s worth to remember that your core cast of characters in your adventure novel should receive almost the same treatment as the protagonist in terms of development. Nothing ruins a story better than a one-dimensional protagonist. It often occurs in stories with multiple points of view and protagonists, where the “main” protagonist is the simple leader who always decides what to do, but has very little brains in actuality. This protagonist serves only to recklessly rush forward, get everyone into danger, save them from the same danger, and keep the story going.

How does one create compelling characters? The quick and easy answer is: by elevating the intensity of the characters’ traits. We already talked before that by exaggerating certain traits, you run the risk of writing characters that are not archetypes but stereotypes. So, here, we will talk about how to not mess up the characters you create.

First, your core cast of characters (the protagonist(s)+major characters) should be introduced at the beginning of the novel. Second, they need to be layered, more than one-dimensional stereotypes, and have their own unique voices. What kind of mistakes can you make here? The answer is many. For example, a female character that serves only as a love interest to the protagonist and adds nothing more to the story. The glasses-wearing socially awkward man with genius brains. The leader protagonist who has big muscles and small brains. This list goes on and on. It’s actually easier to get it wrong than to get it right.

But, there is a way of getting it right. Of course, exaggeration makes characters memorable. But, the same effect is achieved by making the characters real. Treat your characters as real people. They’re not just mouthpieces for the plot – they have hopes and dreams.

If your book features a protagonist and three other central characters, and they all go together on the adventure in the novel, then all four characters will react to what is going on around them in four unique ways. Maybe one of them will want to head back immediately, but by the end of the novel, has fallen in love with adventuring and prepares for their next adventure. Maybe one of them is an adrenaline junkie who by the end of the novel has decided that home is the place to be. Which leads us to: give them all characters’ arcs .

We talk about the character’s arc all the time, but what it truly means is to give your major characters an aspect about themselves that they will change. We do not refer to a redemption story – where a person with negative traits works on them and becomes a better person. We refer to an inner journey that makes a person change their perspective on a lot of things in life – both within the world of adventure, and out of it as well.

They all say, create characters that people can relate to. Others say, I want to read about antiheroes and villains, because goody two shoes are not interesting enough. Many will even add that when a villain becomes good, they become less interesting.

Neither of these statements is gospel truth.

A red-haired person can relate to a redhead protagonist even if none of their other character traits match. And sympathy works a lot better in relating to someone – but if you make the characters too pitiful, then you’re playing with the readers’ emotions to protect yourself from criticism.

So, how does one get a core cast of characters done right?

1) treat the characters as real people;

2) give them histories, backstories, opinions, and layers – some even contradictory with each other – and most of all, reactions!

3) have them change throughout the story.

To get their voices right, listen to real people chatter and talk as a daily exercise. Listen to your family members, your friends, and even random people when you go to a café or ride a train or visit a grocery store. Note how they all speak in the same, yet different manner.

Additionally, the same treatment needs to be applied to the antagonist and the villain, regardless of whether they are the same character or not. An antagonist is someone who is constantly opposing the protagonist – but he or she doesn’t necessarily have to be a villain. A villain is a representation of pure evil. A good villain will also be an antagonist to the hero, while a one-dimensional villain is just someone the hero has to defeat to get the reward and either stay in the new world or go back to their own.

You can find a lot of methods on writing a novel, regardless of genre. Some writers say the best thing to do when you’re writing a novel is to build up a routine: write at least (insert an impossible sounding amount of words) every day. Or, write every day for eight hours, just like you would work for eight hours in a regular job. Some will advise to write even when it’s hard and you’re suffering from a writer’s block. They say, write anything until something of value comes out.

But, here’s the kicker. You might not be able to write that big of an amount of words per day. Some days, you might write 3000 words, out of which barely a 500 will make it into the final version of your novel. Some days, you will get stuck – unable to get the words out, maybe because your inspiration has left for the moment, maybe because you have been writing every day for the past three weeks and actually need to rest, not write whatever comes to mind, just to keep writing.

Some will tell you that you made a mistake when you outlined your novel – now it’s no longer interesting for you to write it. Others will say that you made a mistake by not outlining your novel – now you’re lost.

Our advice is to write your novel in the way that it suits you. If you can write for three days, and then need a break of two days – do not look at that break feeling guilt over lost time. But, we will point to a single realistic fact: inspiration comes and goes. On some days, you will have to chase it. But you don’t have to chase it by writing anything down. You can chase it by brainstorming. If you’re having a writer’s block, ask yourself why you’re not excited to write what’s about to come in your novel – chances are, you need to change that. Another fact also remains: the longer you’re away from writing, the further away you’ll get from your story.

In the end, writing a novel requires diligence, patience, and determination – however, make sure to take care of your own self during the process as well. Take breaks when needed, but make sure that they’re not too long. Because if they are, you will lose some of the drive and may never actually finish the first draft.

Pacing in a novel is very important. A novel that is too fast-paced, without any “breathing moments” can be difficult to read. On the other hand, a slow paced novel, without any fast-paced action scenes can be a little bit dull and boring. And by all means, a slow pace has no place in an adventure – the word adventure itself implies action, danger, and excitement.

So, you don’t want to tire your readers, nor do you want to put them to sleep.  What is required is a certain kind of balance.

Adventure novels begin in the ordinary world (for the protagonist). At the beginning, the pace needs to be slow. But that needs to change pretty quickly. Soon, the protagonist is presented with the call of adventure. The action continues until the protagonist crosses the first threshold into the extraordinary word. Here, the pace can slow down, as the protagonist takes it all in, but danger follows soon after, bringing action back into play.

A balance between a fast pace and slow pace, interchangeably, offers the chance to keep the readers glued in. Remember, backstories and flashbacks tend to slow the pace down to a crawl, so make sure to balance out these moments with action scenes.

The two things that can make or break your adventure novel are the climax and the ending.

The climax is the moment when all the action comes to a head – the hero defeats the villain, grabs the elixir, and is ready to go back home. This is followed by the ending, where the hero makes the decision to stay or leave, and when you can wrap up everything nicely.

What are the errors that happen in this part?

The first is defeating the villain too easily. If the villain is Achilles, for example, and you’ve presented his heel as a weak spot at the beginning of the novel, and all the hero has to do is hit it, then by the time this comes into the novel, the readers will be bored.

Second, the villain gets defeated too early. If your villain is defeated around the 85-90% mark, you’ve done a good job. But if he is defeated earlier than that, then you’re taking too much time with the wrap up of your novel. Compare it to an action adventure film – if the climax happens to soon, it feels like the film just doesn’t end.

Third, the villain is defeated too late. After the climax scene, you jump immediately to the epilogue, where you retell what happened afterwards in a series of flashbacks, or even worse, you make a time-jump epilogue where the hero is back in his own home even. Why is this wrong? Because you’ve skipped out on wrapping things up, and you’ve denied the readers to witness the protagonist’s choice to stay or leave.

In this section, we will be talking about the final steps you need to take before you publish your novel. Regardless of whether you’ll go for it traditionally, or self-publish, you need to make sure that the final version of your novel is well-edited, well-paced, and has a minimal amount of errors.

And while we say these are the final steps – please note that the editing process can take a while. Writing is one thing, editing is another. You may need to do extensive re-writes. You may need to write new material and discard some of the old.

Additionally, we suggest to take some time away from the novel: a week, two, or even more, whatever it takes to get fresh eyes on your manuscript. Going away for some time – and trying even not to think about it at all – might be difficult. You might want to get on to publishing immediately, in which case, we suggest you give your novel to an experienced editor to look at and give you suggestions before you start the editing process. Let’s take a closer look at these steps.

While editing the manuscript, you need to pay attention to:

• world building: is the extraordinary world strange, beautiful, and a place where you would like to go to live and play?
• characters: do they have a unique voice? If you’re writing in first-person point of view, does the voice match the protagonist?
• plot: does the plot flow seamlessly? Are all the events in your novel connected with the chain of cause and effect, or do some scenes appear to come out of nowhere?
• pace: are there sections of your novel that are too fast, or too slow? Is the juxtaposition between fact paced scenes and slow reflective scenes balanced out?
• flashbacks: do they come in the right moment, if you have them? Are you divulging the character’s backstories at the right time?

Read your first draft with these questions in mind. Give honest answers to these questions. And prepare yourself for an extensive editing process. After you’ve finished fixing story, character, and world errors, you can proceed to the next step, which is editing and proofreading while looking for grammar, syntax, and spelling errors. In this case, paragraphs that are too long need to be shortened. Sentences as well. Descriptive passages need to be look at closely; to check for accuracy and flow. If the descriptions are too long, shorten them. If they are too short, expand upon them without going overboard.

Story errors are errors that most often are called “plot holes” by reviewers. When you’re reading a novel, and something does not make sense, then there is a plot hole somewhere.

For example, if the hero is searching for a super special artefact in an extraordinary world, then the hero needs to find the artefact. If the hero finds it too soon , then something needs to be wrong with the artefact (broken, in need of repair, or the hero might need to search for another one). If the hero finds the artefact and all is well and good, then why does the story continue? Even if you’ve found a logical reason, the readers will still feel like the story continues just for the sake of continuing.

How can you fix it?

The first thing to do, is to see what you can change without changing the overall story. If the hero continued to use the artefact from the example above, then change something in the beginning that turns the artefact into a tool for the protagonist to use , rather than seek . Change the protagonist’s final goal to match the story better. This can result in rewriting a lot of sections, because you will need to make sure that the cause and effect chain is consistent throughout the story.

The second thing to do is to give into an extensive re-write. However, do not give into it unless there are too many other errors that you need to fix as well, like world building errors, and character inconsistencies. This might result in a draft that is very different from the first draft – and it might even change the story so much that it barely resembles your original idea. Because of this, even if you do give in to an extensive re-write, be careful not to create new errors in your manuscript, regarding the characters and the world.

We touched upon worldbuilding errors for a bit, and here, we will expand upon it a little. Worldbuilding errors can have a great impact on the plot. Most often, it is believed that the story happens in a specific world with its own rules. In a way, it is believed, the world produces the story in an organic way. The truth is a bit different, however. The world needs to serve the story you’re trying to tell. Or, the world needs to serve the plot, not the other way around. For that reason, you need to analyze the world, its wonders – as well as its limitations. The world needs to have wonders and danger. The wonders produce the tools and other possibly magical tools for the characters to use. It also needs to have certain types of limitations, and explanations as well. For example, if you’ve introduced a world where no one ages, and do not answer the question of immortality, you’re introducing a plot hole because the world would naturally make everyone a near-immortal being. And if your story does not involve the question of immortality, then what is the point of having an immortal world? Does this aspect of the world really belong in the story, if your protagonist and characters are merely seeking an artefact related to, for example, alien contact?

For this reason, you need to edit your novel with the worldbuilding in mind after you’ve edited the story in itself. Since the world needs to serve the story, it comes in second to review and edit. During this process, you will need to analyze and possibly remove many aspects of the world that do not fit into the story, especially if the presence of these aspects (or wonders) do not actively impact the story in any way.

Another thing to analyze when it comes to world building is whether you have a lot of moments of “info dumps” in your novel, where one character explains the world to another character in what seems to be an endless monologue. To fix this, think of your world as the tip of an iceberg – the iceberg is there, but most of it is underwater. Your readers only need to know a bit of it to understand what is happening and why. They do not need a history lesson of how the world and its society came to be.

Character inconsistencies are not character idiosyncrasies that might just seem odd in a specific scene. A character inconsistency happens when a character acts decidedly out of character, without a prior cause for that. For example, let’s say that your novel has a group of protagonists, each one with a primary trait that should make them memorable. Then, in one scene, the character known for kindness, for example, does not proactively offer help when needed, or maybe even actively hurts another character without being provoked into it – it happens just because.

Another error that might happen regarding the characters is voice. For example, a child that appears in the novel actually talks with the vocabulary of an adult. Another example is when a character is supposed to talk in a specific dialect, and then they do not. Additionally, if you’re writing in first person point of view, then you need to imagine that it’s the protagonist who is talking and telling the story. You need to use the language of the protagonist in the narration, their specific voice. If you come across a passage that reads like it was written by a narrator, then you need to rework it to make it sound like the protagonist. Similarly, a third person limited point of view also needs to sound like the protagonist, however, since third person point of view implies a detached narrator, you can get away with passages that seem wordy and do not sound like the protagonist.

How can you fix these errors?

Well, the more important question is when. If you fix character inconsistencies before you’ve finished tightening the plot and making sure the story makes sense, then you might need to make more changes in the characters later. As such, it’s better to leave the characters for the final edit before proofreading and fixing grammar and syntax errors. Even though it would be the last, when you’re editing for character consistency and voice, what you need to do is read your draft thoroughly and carefully, analyze each character in each scene, and determine whether they sound and act the correct way.

A good cover is essential in attracting readers, but it also needs to connect to the content of the novel. And since we’re talking about adventure fiction, the cover has to attract the readers to go on the adventure together with the characters.

If you are getting published the traditional way, chances are you will get a whole team of designers to work on the cover of your novel. In this case, you might not even get a lot of say in what the cover would look like, depending on the publisher and your contract. But, if you’re self-publishing, you need to create the cover on your own, or hire a professional designer.

What does your cover need?

It needs to connect to the content of your novel, and offer a bit more insight into what the novel is about. It also should not misguide the readers. If your protagonist is whisked off into a magical world where the trees have strange colors and the sky is the color of steel, then it would be great to picture that on the cover. If your novel features an ensemble of protagonists, how many can you have on the cover – and how can you depict them (shadows, outlines, or a double exposure image of the protagonists and the world)?

What you really need to do is to make sure the cover looks professional. There are many tools you can use, if you’re self-publishing, to create a professional looking cover, but you may still fall short if you do not have the right skills. Sure, you can go for a mono-colored background and the title and your name in big white letters, but that might scream textbook instead of adventure .

Publishing your novel can be done in two ways – you can go the traditional way, or the self-publishing way. It’s a given, however, that if you’re getting traditionally published, your novel will automatically get more attention. If you’re self-publishing, then you need to attract attention towards your novel on your own.

Publishing your novel traditionally is harder than self-publishing. You need to get an agent to sign you on, because many publishing houses only accept manuscripts via agents. If you don’t get an agent, you will need to look for publishers that accept unsolicited manuscripts – and publish in your genre, in this case, adventure fiction. Moreover, publishers that accept unsolicited manuscripts have a certain window of opportunity during which they accept new entries. If you miss that window, you will have to wait for the next time they do so – which can be months or even a year. If you get an agent, then the agent takes on this task. Just make sure that you’re signed on by an agent who has had previous experience in publishing adventure fiction. This means that the agent already knows which publishers to send your manuscript to, as well as how to get the right price.

Self-publishing means that you will be your own publisher. You will take care of the formatting of the novel, the cover, and the marketing that your novel will need before you even publish it. There are many tools that you can use, depending on the platform where you will self-publish your novel, Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and more. It takes time and effort to self-publish, and it can also take money, especially if you want to make printed copies. Amazon’s print-on-demand option – which means that a copy is printed upon a customer’s order – might ease some of the costs. But, what you really need when you’re self-publishing is an established platform (most often, via social media), and if you don’t, then you need reviews. What you can do is find book reviewers who focus on adventure fiction, and ask them if they would be interested in getting a free copy of your novel for an honest review. Additionally, you can run contests where your potential readers can get free copies, and, finally, you can pay to promote your book on Amazon, Goodreads, and other social media platforms.

In the end, no matter which path you choose, remember that publishing a novel can take a lot of time. It would take time until you find the right agent who will sign you, and it will take you time to perfect the novel before publication. It will take time before a publisher signs you on, and it will also take time for you to build a platform online (unless you already have one prior to writing/finishing your novel).

Adventure fiction is one of the more exciting genres today, and the stories belonging in this genre are always full of equal amounts of danger and beauty. Adventure fiction takes the protagonist and the readers on a journey that is both fun and terrifying. Moreover, the best novels always feature some sort of adventure, which is what makes the adventure genre overlap with a lot of science-fiction, fantasy (both epic and dark fantasy), urban fantasy, paranormal stories, as well as world-exploration stories. Additionally, adventure is featured in mystery novels, thrillers, and more.

What this means is that there are no demands in adventure fiction – beyond having the protagonist embark on a physical and emotional journey. Whether that journey is into a new world – or within the shadows of the current world – depends only on you and the story you want to tell. In adventure fiction, you can use elements of all the other genres – mystery, paranormal, science – fiction and more – to create a good story. Start with your idea and your characters, develop the ideas and the world. Write the first draft, then edit it until it’s the perfect version of itself.

Georgina Roy wants to live in a world filled with magic. As a screenwriting student, she is content to fill notebooks and sketchbooks with magical creatures and amazing new worlds. When she is not at school, watching a film or scribbling away in a notebook, you can usually find her curled up, reading a good urban fantasy novel, or writing on her own.

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How to Write an Adventure Story

Last Updated: March 6, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 170,543 times.

Everyone just loves to listen at a good old adventure story, who doesn't? It's fun to hear how adventure heroes like Indiana Jones explore the world in a thrilling way...Now you can write your own adventure story too! Just follow the steps below. (NOTE: this guide is all about how to make an adventure story similar to the Indiana Jones, this might not be the adventure story you're looking for.)

Expert Q&A

• Make cliff-hanging obstacles that are near death for your hero to overcome. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't just focus on the artifact. Give your heroes a little or big problem they have to face from the villain. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Be much convincing. You must be convincing when telling your adventure. For instance, your story must cope up with your setting because how can your listeners relate to the story if it's about Nazis chasing a treasure hunter in the year 2011? Nazis only existed from the 1930s-1950s. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Never mock or insult anything based from real life. Thanks Helpful 59 Not Helpful 9
• Don't prolong your story. Your listeners might get bored. Thanks Helpful 57 Not Helpful 11
• Be original. You must make your own story, don't copy from others or else you'll be a criminal for infringement. In case that you based your story from an inspiration (movie, novel, etc.) make your own concept out of it. Thanks Helpful 59 Not Helpful 12

Things You'll Need

• pencil or pen
• computer, notebook, or paper (for writhing)
• reference sources

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Alicia Cook .

• ↑ https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/brss_tacs/samhsa-storytelling-guide.pdf
• ↑ https://www.cia.edu/blog/2014/11/quick-tips-for-character-design
• ↑ https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/more-focus-areas/resources/heroism-why-heroes-are-important/
• ↑ https://positivepsychology.com/narrative-therapy/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/creative_writing/characters_and_fiction_writing/writing_compelling_characters.html

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The Best New Adventure Short Stories

Adventure stories are a staple in literature — pretty much everyone grows up having followed a courageous character on an exciting and unexpected journey somewhere far away. Whether it’s a fight for survival or a search for a treasure, whether it features mythical creatures or real-life monsters, adventure stories provide a spark for your imagination, transporting you to exhilarating landscapes from the comforts of your home. 

Adventure short stories aren’t exactly the same as novels — they don’t get the space to tell a complete journey, from start to finish. What they do give you is a healthy dose of adrenaline by plunging you and the characters into a wild, awe-inspiring, and yet dangerous place, even for the briefest moment. A lot of world-building goes into an adventure short story, yet not so much that it seems overwhelming — in other words, just enough to leave you wanting more. 

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And if you want to try your hand at crafting an action-packed short story, join our contest. You might even walk away with next week’s prize — plus a shot at publication in Prompted , our new literary magazine!

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150+ Story Starters: Creative Sentences To Start A Story

The most important thing about writing is finding a good idea . You have to have a great idea to write a story. You have to be able to see the whole picture before you can start to write it. Sometimes, you might need help with that. Story starters are a great way to get the story rolling. You can use them to kick off a story, start a character in a story or even start a scene in a story.

When you start writing a story, you need to have a hook. A hook can be a character or a plot device. It can also be a setting, something like “A young man came into a bar with a horse.” or a setting like “It was the summer of 1969, and there were no cell phones.” The first sentence of a story is often the hook. It can also be a premise or a situation, such as, “A strange old man in a black cloak was sitting on the train platform.”

Story starters are a way to quickly get the story going. They give the reader a place to start reading your story. Some story starters are obvious, and some are not. The best story starters are the ones that give the reader a glimpse into the story. They can be a part of a story or a part of a scene. They can be a way to show the reader the mood of a story. If you want to start a story, you can use a simple sentence. You can also use a question or an inspirational quote. In this post, we have listed over 150 story starters to get your story started with a bang! A great way to use these story starters is at the start of the Finish The Story game .

If you want more story starters, check out this video on some creative story starter sentences to use in your stories:

150+ Creative Story Starters

Here is a list of good sentences to start a story with:

• I’ve read about a million stories about princesses but never thought I could ever be one.
• There was once a man who was very old, but he was wise. He lived for a very long time, and he was very happy.
• What is the difference between a man and a cat? A cat has nine lives.
• In the middle of the night, a boy is running through the woods.
• It is the end of the world.
• He knew he was not allowed to look into the eyes of the princess, but he couldn’t help himself.
• The year is 1893. A young boy was running away from home.
• What if the Forest was actually a magical portal to another dimension, the Forest was a portal to the Otherworld?
• In the Forest, you will find a vast number of magical beings of all sorts. 
• It was the middle of the night, and the forest was quiet. No bugs or animals disturbed the silence. There were no birds, no chirping. 
• If you wish to stay in the Forest, you will need to follow these rules: No one shall leave the Forest. No one shall enter. No one shall take anything from the Forest.
• “It was a terrible day,” said the old man in a raspy voice.
• A cat is flying through the air, higher and higher, when it happens, and the cat doesn’t know how it got there, how it got to be in the sky.
• I was lying in the woods, and I was daydreaming.
• The Earth is a world of wonders. 
• The fairy is the most amazing creature I have ever met.
• A young girl was sitting on a tree stump at the edge of a river when she noticed a magical tree growing in the water.
• My dancing rat is dressed in a jacket, a tie and glasses, which make him look like a person. 
• In the darkness of the night, I am alone, but I know that I am not. 
• Owls are the oldest, and most intelligent, of all birds.
• My name is Reyna, and I am a fox. 
• The woman was drowning.
• One day, he was walking in the forest.
• It was a dark and stormy night…
• There was a young girl who could not sleep…
• A boy in a black cape rode on a white horse…
• A crazy old man in a black cloak was sitting in the middle of the street…
• The sun was setting on a beautiful summer day…
• The dog was restless…”
• There was a young boy in a brown coat…
• I met a young man in the woods…
• In the middle of a dark forest…
• The young girl was at home with her family…
• There was a young man who was sitting on a …
• A young man came into a bar with a horse…
• I have had a lot of bad dreams…
• He was a man who wanted to be king…
• It was the summer of 1969, and there were no cell phones.
• I know what you’re thinking. But no, I don’t want to be a vegetarian. The worst part is I don’t like the taste.
• She looked at the boy and decided to ask him why he wasn’t eating. She didn’t want to look mean, but she was going to ask him anyway.
• The song played on the radio, as Samual wiped away his tears.
• This was the part when everything was about to go downhill. But it didn’t…
• “Why make life harder for yourself?” asked Claire, as she bit into her apple.
• She made a promise to herself that she would never do it.
• I was able to escape.
• I was reading a book when the accident happened.
• “I can’t stand up for people who lie and cheat.” I cried.
• You look at me and I feel beautiful.
• I know what I want to be when I grow up.
• We didn’t have much money. But we knew how to throw a good party.
• The wind blew on the silent streets of London.
• What do you get when you cross an angry bee and my sister?
• The flight was slow and bumpy. I was half asleep when the captain announced we were going down.
• At the far end of the city was a river that was overgrown with weeds. 
• It was a quiet night in the middle of a busy week.
• One afternoon, I was eating a sandwich in the park when I spotted a stranger.
• In the late afternoon, a few students sat on the lawn reading.
• The fireflies were dancing in the twilight as the sunset.
• In the early evening, the children played in the park.
• The sun was setting and the moon was rising.
• A crowd gathered in the square as the band played.
• The top of the water tower shone in the moonlight.
• The light in the living room was on, but the light in the kitchen was off.
•  When I was a little boy, I used to make up stories about the adventures of these amazing animals, creatures, and so on. 
• All of the sudden, I realized I was standing in the middle of an open field surrounded by nothing but wildflowers, and the only thing I remembered about it was that I’d never seen a tree before.
• It’s the kind of thing that’s only happened to me once before in my life, but it’s so cool to see it.
• They gave him a little wave as they drove away.
• The car had left the parking lot, and a few hours later we arrived home.
• They were going to play a game of bingo.
• He’d made up his mind to do it. He’d have to tell her soon, though. He was waiting for a moment when they were alone and he could say it without feeling like an idiot. But when that moment came, he couldn’t think of anything to say.
• Jamie always wanted to own a plane, but his parents were a little tight on the budget. So he’d been saving up to buy one of his own. 
• The night was getting colder, and the wind was blowing in from the west.
• The doctor stared down at the small, withered corpse.
• She’d never been in the woods before, but she wasn’t afraid.
• The kids were having a great time in the playground.
• The police caught the thieves red-handed.
• The world needs a hero more than ever.
• Mother always said, “Be good and nice things will happen…”
• There is a difference between what you see and what you think you see.
• The sun was low in the sky and the air was warm.
• “It’s time to go home,” she said, “I’m getting a headache.”
• It was a cold winter’s day, and the snow had come early.
• I found a wounded bird in my garden.
• “You should have seen the look on my face.”
• He opened the door and stepped back.
• My father used to say, “All good things come to an end.”
• The problem with fast cars is that they break so easily.
• “What do you think of this one?” asked Mindy.
• “If I asked you to do something, would you do it?” asked Jacob.
• I was surprised to see her on the bus.
• I was never the most popular one in my class.
• We had a bad fight that day.
• The coffee machine had stopped working, so I went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea.
• It was a muggy night, and the air-conditioning unit was so loud it hurt my ears.
• I had a sleepless night because I couldn’t get my head to turn off.
• I woke up at dawn and heard a horrible noise.
• I was so tired I didn’t know if I’d be able to sleep that night.
• I put on the light and looked at myself in the mirror.
• I decided to go in, but the door was locked.
• A man in a red sweater stood staring at a little kitten as if it was on fire.
• “It’s so beautiful,” he said, “I’m going to take a picture.”
• “I think we’re lost,” he said, “It’s all your fault.”
• It’s hard to imagine what a better life might be like
• He was a tall, lanky man, with a long face, a nose like a pin, and a thin, sandy moustache.
• He had a face like a lion’s and an eye like a hawk’s.
• The man was so broad and strong that it was as if a mountain had been folded up and carried in his belly.
• I opened the door. I didn’t see her, but I knew she was there.
• I walked down the street. I couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.
• I arrived at my parents’ home at 8:00 AM.
• The nurse had been very helpful.
• On the table was an array of desserts.
• I had just finished putting the last of my books in the trunk.
• A car horn honked, startling me.
• The kitchen was full of pots and pans.
• There are too many things to remember.
• The world was my oyster. I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.
•  “My grandfather was a World War II veteran. He was a decorated hero who’d earned himself a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart.
• Beneath the menacing, skeletal shadow of the mountain, a hermit sat on his ledge. His gnarled hands folded on his gnarled knees. His eyes stared blankly into the fog. 
• I heard a story about a dragon, who was said to be the size of a house, that lived on the top of the tallest mountain in the world.
•  I was told a story about a man who found a golden treasure, which was buried in this very park.
• He stood alone in the middle of a dark and silent room, his head cocked to one side, the brown locks of his hair, which were parted in the middle, falling down over his eyes.
•  Growing up, I was the black sheep of the family. I had my father’s eyes, but my mother’s smile.
• Once upon a time, there was a woman named Miss Muffett, and she lived in a big house with many rooms.
• When I was a child, my mother told me that the water looked so bright because the sun was shining on it. I did not understand what she meant at the time.    
•  The man in the boat took the water bottle and drank from it as he paddled away.
• The man looked at the child with a mixture of pity and contempt.
• An old man and his grandson sat in their garden. The old man told his grandson to dig a hole. 
• An old woman was taking a walk on the beach. The tide was high and she had to wade through the water to get to the other side.
• She looked up at the clock and saw that it was five minutes past seven.
• The man looked up from the map he was studying. “How’s it going, mate?”
• I was in my room on the third floor, staring out of the window.
• A dark silhouette of a woman stood in the doorway.
• The church bells began to ring.
• The moon rose above the horizon.
• A bright light shone over the road.
• The night sky began to glow.
• I could hear my mother cooking in the kitchen.
• The fog began to roll in.
• He came in late to the class and sat at the back.
• A young boy picked up a penny and put it in his pocket.
• He went to the bathroom and looked at his face in the mirror.
• It was the age of wisdom and the age of foolishness. We once had everything and now we have nothing.
• A young man died yesterday, and no one knows why.
• The boy was a little boy. He was not yet a man. He lived in a house in a big city.
• They had just returned from the theatre when the phone rang.
• I walked up to the front of the store and noticed the neon sign was out.
• I always wondered what happened to Mary.
• I stopped to say hello and then walked on.
• The boy’s mother didn’t want him to play outside…
• The lights suddenly went out…
• After 10 years in prison, he was finally out.
• The raindrops pelted the window, which was set high up on the wall, and I could see it was a clear day outside.
• My friend and I had just finished a large pizza, and we were about to open our second.
• I love the smell of the ocean, but it never smells as good as it does when the waves are crashing.
• They just stood there, staring at each other.
• A party was in full swing until the music stopped.

For more ideas on how to start your story, check out these first-line writing prompts . Did you find this list of creative story starters useful? Let us know in the comments below!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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