Write Club: Segment One Prompt
So. You’ve been hearing a lot about Write Club lately, I’ll bet. You wouldn’t have dropped in to read this post otherwise, am I right?
Unless I’m wrong? If that’s the case, let me lay it on you. Write Club is a sixteen week intensive writing commitment for eight raving fools eager writers who really want to hone their craft. Consider it a boot camp, if you will. A very aggressive boot camp for writers. I am one of the Eight, who will somehow manage to give birth to eight premium short stories over the next few months, or die trying.
Well, folks? Tonight is the night.
I have the singular honour of being the first among the Eight to choose what our writing prompt will be. I give it to you here, my fellow writers.
Segment One Prompt: A story about a sacrificial gift.
Story and Author: The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
Link: https://www.teachervision.com/o-henrys-gift-magi
Discussion: You’ve probably heard this classic old story before. I can’t say that it is my favourite, but with Christmas and Epiphany having just passed us by on the calendar, it was quick to come to mind. Nor can I say that it is an example of “great writing” because the author sometimes uses devices and writing methods that I know the good folks in The Writer’s Block Fiction Workshop would cringe at.
But I love the story. A young married couple, hard up on cash, who each sell their most prized possession in order to purchase one another a Christmas gift. This particular tale employs a comic irony at the end, which makes those sacrifices even more gut-wrenching, since those priceless purchases had been made to complement the items sold.
I don’t care whether you employ the irony. My only requirement is that in your story there must be a gift given, and it must cost a lot. Not in an expensive way, but in a sacrificial way. On your mark, get set, GO!
For those of you watching in the stands, I offer the same challenge! See what you can come up with for this prompt. And by all means, drop by The Writer’s Block on Discord and let the fantastic people there help you polish your story into something fantastic! You might even see me there, from time to time, when I’m not sweating over a keyboard!
What a killer prompt (perhaps literally), and a great way to push yourselves! I might try writing along with you guys as well!
Thanks! I hope you do try writing along, i think it's going to be hard but also a lot of fun. The stuff I've read on your blog so far is really great so I'm sure you can pull this off!
Aw, that's very kind of you! There's certainly nothing to be lost by giving it a shot! I know you guys won't necessarily be sharing what you produce on steem, but I hope you'll tell us where we can find them if you do print or publish them anywhere?
I think you can count on that! I want to be able to share what I've come up with but posting it on steemit basically nullifies any chance of publishing elsewhere except for self-publishing, since it's permanently locked into the blockchain. But we think we've come up with a workaround... so that will be revealed when we get it arranged!
I definitely won't start writing tonight, but I def will read the story and maybe brainstorm a tad.
Thanks for the prompt Tangle! Break a wrist, everyone!
Haha. Brilliant turn of phrase.
Thanks! I spent two entire days coming up with it.
And there it is! I’m sharpening my wits and my pencils and am off to the races. Thank you, @tanglebranch for this most auspicious beginning!
Nice work @tanglebranch! Great way to lead off for those eight folks (and other random bandwagoners) who are participating!
Challenge accepted!
Good luck to all!
That's a nice prompt, Tangle. I remember an old japanese story that went somewhat similarly... But I honestly can't recall. Still, if any of the proverbial feeling of this story carries on to the products of your efforts, I think it'll be an interesting one.
Thanks Chitty :D i am hoping for some greatness too, and especially looking forward to what the rest of the Eight come up with.
I just realized this is like literary Sense8. Take that as you will.
Despite the fact I'm not part of Write Club this go around, I think I'll take that prompt and use it.
Goodluck. Got drawn here by your tangled branches. My holy branches says Hi
Hey!! Maybe we're long lost cousins! Thanks for coming by, nice to meet you XD
Having familiarised myself with the prompt rules, I'm going to take this at face value and run away with it. "My only requirement is that in your story there must be a gift given, and it must cost a lot. Not in an expensive way, but in a sacrificial way. On your mark, get set, GO!"
Like Caleb said, "Break a wrist, people!"
That’s a big commitment, more than I can take on, but I look forward to the results.