Writing from prompts (2) – a prompt list

I was challenged to make a small series of prompts posts sourced in different ways. I got ahead of myself last post, distracted by writing to a prompt posted some time ago by a blogging neighbour. Back to task:

The photo below shows a page of book titles from the back of a young reader book.

It’s the wrong time of year to use many of these (generic) phrases as prompts to inspire writing. However much I don’t like horror stories, especially not when seeming to be created for children’s entertainment, they might come in handy nearer Halloween and from what little I remember the televised animated series based on the author’s creations were humorous.

As it’s quite poor and lowly practise to piggy-back off well-known author titles by using their same title, any writing etc. using these phrases as prompts should be given a new and original title based on the content produced as a result of the excercise. (Personal, non-commercial activity: practise & learning).

I haven’t read any of these stories, nor watched other than snatches (ie. glimpses) of the TV series based on the author’s works – or maybe I’m thinking of ‘TrapDoor’  – so I’m not influenced by the content.of those stories and hopefully – and I am sure – there’ll be no similarity whatsoever in any writing produced. And responses don’t have to be nightmarish tales, nor only writing.

So here’s my pick, not in order of preference, of hopefully inspiring phrases to prompt some creative response(s). I’ll be making and posting at least one post from this set from my own blog with a pingback to this challenge post sometime during the month of March. Feel free to join in and leave your link in a comment / pingback anytime, or not. (This is largely a post writing excercise).

1. (#3) stay out of the basement (or the cellar? or stay out of the …attic? somewhere else?)

2. (#11) the haunted mask (or if you don’t like haunts, ‘the hunted mask’ – retitled of course)

3. (#17) why I’m afraid of … (bees?) (or ‘while I’m afraid of… (bees-knees)…?’)

4. (#22) the scarecrow walks at midnight… (adapt, if you please)

5. (#24) my hairiest adventure 

(suggested adaptation of final phrase should maybe be ‘my hairiest dementia’,,if writing about myself…!)

[N.B. Image used – of an advertising page in the back pages of another children’s book – has been used in good faith and in context for this post and is believed to be Fair Use, in accordance with UK (English) Law. Direct citation to the author(s)/publisher is not provided so as not to imply nor infer association or endorsement therewith or thereby. Thank you.]