BET YOU CAN’T do this writing prompt. Take the 10 random words below and, in the comments, crush writer’s block by creating a cohesive, creative short story tying all of them together! And remember: after (if) you finish, highlight your words and click the bold button to make them stand out and help you determine if you forgot any words. (If you’ve missed previous writing prompts, we BET YOU CAN’T do those, either.)
- Precious
- Fragile
- Special
- Handle
- Done
- Damage
- Silver
- Plan
- Trust
- Little
NOTE: Don’t copy and paste from MS Word. Use a program like notepad that removes formatting or just type in the comment field itself. Also, finish your submission, THEN bold the words. Thanks. (And don’t forget to tweet this and share it with your friends.)
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Resources you should check out:
Thesis: Best Damn Theme on the Web
Collective Ink Well: Personalize Your Thesis Theme
Third Tribe Marketing: Marketing done the right way
Story Structure Demystified: Best damn writing book out there
{ 69 comments… read them below or add one }
Came from twitter – am I really first?
Life is so precious, so special and fragile. Please, handle with care. When damage has been done, and it happens, plan the repair with care, do it and trust there will be at least a little silver lining.
@Anne: I shall remember this at my doctor appointment on Wednesday for an expected hernia. Handle with care indeed.
Geeze, Shane, I’m going to the doctor Wednesday too – oh, that’s right – lol. Good luck! Sending well beams to you.
The firstest with the shortest! Nice one, Anne.
Cheers,
Mitch
Thanks Mitch.
@Anne-such a lovely message
She had precious few options. Her fragile hold on sanity slipped through the unspoken channels of her mind.
What made her so special? What did he want?
Her heart raced in fear of what it could not handle. Was her life as she knew it done?
Her labored breathing drummed a percussive beat against the damage of her battered body as the silver edge of night brought darkness once more. A solitary tear tracked its way over a reddened cheek, over lips that would not speak. She had no plan. Her trust in God diminishing with what little she had left.
@Cathy: I love reading your stuff. Super, solid writing.
Her heart raced in fear of what it could not handle – fantastic line.
@Shane-thank you, kind sir.
The image is haunting, Cathy. We just watched Alcatraz, so my mind is in a dark place…
Cheers,
Mitch
@Mitch-I guess I was in that dark place, too.
That’s superb. That second line is the most.
@sh13113151223-aw, thanks-this is why I love this place-so supportive
wonderful.
Thank you @Ingrid!
arghhhhh you make me want a whole book, Cathy.
April shot her son. The little bastard had done enough damage. As she pressed his fingers around the silver handle of the decorative letter opener, she went over the plan one more time.
***
15 minutes ago …
“Mom! I never touched the money! It’s in trust! How could I?”
“Liar! Your precious whore told me the whole story!”
“Lisbeth? What? How?”
“What? How? She tried to blackmail me! She made the mistake everyone has done since your father died – figured I was fragile and vulnerable to bad publicity! She came charging in here, threatening to reveal your special arrangement with the trustees.”
“Damn. I knew she had a big mouth. I was going to put it back, I swear!”
“Those thugs and that money is long gone, Thomas. All that’s left is your inheritance. You’ve just forfeited that.”
“Wha…”
@Mitch: YEAH! You jumped right on with the goodness. Fantastic stuff.
Thanks, Shane. This one was a ton of fun to write.
Cheers,
Mitch
@Mitch-you can just feel the venom-great write!
Thanks, Cathy. Yes, I was trembling as I typed. LOL
April ain’t no joke!
Cheers,
Mitch
Wow, speaking of wanting more, wanting a whole book! She shot her son! My goodness, don’t leave us hanging
He-he. Thanks, Anne.
Cheers,
Mitch
Hai Mitch, there is a whole novel in that small paragraph.
Thank you, sh13151223! What a nice thing to say!
Cheers,
Mitch
@ Mitch
He tiptoed slowly through the corridor. Time was precious, so was total secrecy. He peeped into the room, the door was open and the little fragile soul was fast asleep. The damage done last night stayed vivid in his mind. The fine thread of trust needs to be handled carefully, alas a drunkard’s plans are mere day dreams. He moved creepily into the room and took the silver box that shined, as now light entered the room through the window.He kept that special gift near his darling son who had slept crying last night. Yesterday was his birthday but his drunkard father forgets things easily and gets into rage even more easily. The day was slowly blooming as the repenting father waited to see his son’s face glow up with happiness.
@Sh: Wow! That was powerful stuff. And this could go so many different directions. Continue this for sure.
@sh13151223-Wow-this line was stellar - alas a drunkard’s plans are mere day dreams. Well done!
@shane and cathy………Thanks so much.
sh13151223, you came with the power on this one. I’m sifting through a tangled web of regret, spun by an out-of-control character.
I would love to see more of the before-and-after…
Cheers,
Mitch
Will try my best……thanks for that support.
John was as always, a man of strict business and at this particular moment, a pimp exporting escorts for all those tourists visiting to taste some flesh in the name of travel & adventure all over Nepal. He loved playing with FRAGILE Chinese doll like innocent & unexplored yet aromatic curved fleshes.Yet he was all set & pretty clear about his visions.
One last job to be DONE before he could earn the TRUST of his beloved again by collecting some money for their daughters fight against a severe leukemia & return back to merry land to live happy & content forever again.
Exported from the far away steep mountain ranges of Tibet & cross-over borders connecting Nepal & china, SPECIAL arrangements & proper contacts & channels were already set & in place to make sure the heard of new flesh were transported safely inside the valley for all the hungry, rich & filthy seekers of the never ending quest towards licking new aromatic cunts.
“Hell yeaa… gimme one of those damned tears of your’s again, bitch, and i shall make sure of you neither ever earning through your cunt or either even the best of the men savoring your PRECIOUS body. If you do that one more time, i am going to DAMAGE your face with acid splashed all over your face” shouted john in disgust upon hearing “dharke” one of the middle men’s deciphering of the PLAN set by supposedly the most expensive of the baby girl & some of her friends attempt to escape out of the heavily guarded territories of the camp set out by the exporters somewhere in between the hills connecting highways of Tibet & Nepal. Pulling the LITTLE soul by her long black & silky hair, dharkey drags her to one of those confined room filled with all the rest of the 9 more such beautiful creations of nature, all fearful & gazing with uncertain eyes wandering how the almighty wanted to HANDLE their godforsaken future.
A ray of SILVER lightning thundered across the cloudy & freezing night on the hilltop while john was still busy sipping his last shot of jd on the rocks. He lifted his head to look up at the sky and smiling creepily at god knows what demoniac thought that surpassed through his evil mind, he shouted out loud, “fuck yeaa… don’t take that chance & you’ll never, ever, get whatever it is that you want”.
The clouds still kept thundering, however not at all affecting any of the worldly sins.
@Shantanu: Damn! That was powerful stuff!
Welcome to the CCC. I’m lovin’ your style thus far and I’m sure the others will too. What did you think of the challenge? Let us know.
I’ll add your name and url (if you have one) to our CCC Community Links page next. Everyone welcome Santanu to the addiction.
@Santanu-Welcome to CCC!
You have found our precious, little secret where fragile hope becomes a special joy.When life’s handle is beyond words, we get it done here, battling against the damage of a silent world. Words come alive with the silver shine of a shared cup where the plan you have is the trust you find in a world where dreams still count. Little did we know it was so close.
Welcome!
Oops-sorry-make that @Shantanu
Welcome to the CCC, Shantanu. This entry lays it bare, eh? If there was any doubt about the cruelty of the world you have created, the disdain of the clouds in the final sentence erases it.
Great job! I look forward to the next offering.
Cheers,
Mitch
Found Experience
Little fragile package
special and precious
damage done
trust broken
Handle with care
plan thought too late
found experience
a silver lining
@Justin-you are a master at packing in so much in so few words!
Thank you, just comes naturally.
nice, super nice.
Hey Justin! Way to keep it rocking, man.
plan thought too late …
Isn’t that always the way?
Cheers,
Mitch
It’s true, Hindsight is 20/20
We’re back! The FB group entry extravaganza!
(Thanks for letting us play this way. I have encouraged the group to come here too… but alas, our game is fun too.)
***
”Aren’t you just precious,” Mavis said condescendingly.
The police officer simply grimaced in reply, delicately placing the old woman’s fragile wrists in handcuffs.
He couldn’t believe it… how could this 84 year old woman be a member of the special ops?!
Now really infuriated, Mavis declared…”This will go down as a special day in your career officer, for arresting little old ladies, INDEED!!!”
“Listen ma’am,” he said as firmly as he could, “I’d been told an agent, that’s you, went rogue and that I needed to handle the situation.”
Mavis, never one to focus on what has been done - only on what remained to be done – grasped the officer’s arm, angled her leg behind the officer and shifted her weight into him.
Within seconds she had introduced the officer to the ground. She shook her grey curls out of her eyes, and surveyed the room. Remembering the cuffs, she looked at her hands and saw that she had broken a nail. Collateral damage. She was used to this. Mavis, never without a plan and blessed with flexible joints quickly slid her hands out of the cuffs all the while deciding what to do about the officer…
”Listen,” she said with a hiss, “You wouldn’t want word of this to around, and tarnish that shiny silver badge you wear, would ya?” Following in a more indulgent tone, “I’m sorry about all this, but you’ve really connected the dots all wrong. It always happens when people do it backwards. You’ve just got to do it looking forward and trust in yourself.”
@Ingrid – love, love, love this collaboration – how fun! So many great lines – like:
Within seconds she had introduced the officer to the ground.
Collateral damage.
Too funny!
@Cathy — Thank you! I’ll pass on your comment to the writer responsible for that gem!
To Ingrid et. al.:
From: Mitch
Subject: Awesome
Ya’ll rock!
Cheers,
Mitch
Thanks Shane. Thanks muchos Cathy. & though i didn’t really got what u meant by Oops-sorry-make that @Shantanu, i really like how words flow through your fingers. Thanks to you all for inspiring me so much. i m gonna keep coming back for and with a lot more of these from here on.
In my welcome, I accidentally misspelled your name-that’s why the oops.
lmao. no big deal. u can call me santa for short. thank again ma’am.
“Trust me, I’ve got a plan.” Kelsith whined miserably, Achon’s boot grinding his neck into the dusty stone floor.
“That’s what you said a week ago, you miserable little runt! If you can’t pay me back what you owe, then your fragile carcass is worth more to me as an example to others than anything else!” Achon roared, infuriated.
“Please,” Kelsith squealed, writhing as he struggled for air, “I can get you back your silver! I’ve got a, argh, a connection that’s gonna get me something real special, worth three times what I borrowed, I swear to god!”
“If you had a way to get me back my money, you would have already done it.” Achon observed, but the anger in his voice had muted slightly with interest.
“I needed time to get a handle on it!” Kelsith burbled, sensing his way out, “I’ve been working a man inside the Daintree manor, made friends with him over drinks, offered to get him some harder stuff after a while.” He gasped for air, straining to get his information out fast enough. “He’s hooked on Scorma now, can’t go two days without feeling the damage, and he can’t afford the habit. I told him I could get him set up with enough to last him a lifetime if he could get the combination to the Daintree safe.”
“The Daintree safe…” Achon repeated, words slowing with a tinge of awe, “Did he get it?” he questioned urgently, pressing his foot down again.
“Ack, Yes! I was going to have him leave a window unlatched tomorrow night! Just think of it! I’ve heard the Daintree family has precious jewels in there that would keep a man living like a king all his life!”
Relief had crept into Kelsith’s voice, certain he’d found his way out of a rough corner. He couldn’t see the vicious grin creeping across Achon’s face.
“I’ve heard that too. I think perhaps you and I should have a little chat about that combination.”
@Sean: Knockin’ it out of the park again. Super job.
When I read your entries, this is how I feel afterward …
“He’s hooked on Scorma now, can’t go two days without feeling the damage
Cheers,
Mitch
such Precious Fragile things love be with Trust we Handle carefuly but once Damage be Done no silver can repay nor little plans reclam the love of that some special.
@Meek: Meek! Where have you been! Good to see you back. What’s new?
Hey, Meek! Busting loose on us, eh? Nice entry.
Cheers,
Mitch
gust been busy with my college work sorry it been so long.
“Hey Billy! Look at ‘um. They’s so precious… so fragile… so little. We’s got to handle ‘um wit’ care so as to not damage ‘um. And da special silver border is just lovely. I can’t believe we’s done.”
“Me either, Bobby. But you has to have trust in da good Lord’s plan. If he didn’t love us to pieces, we wouldn’t be sittin’ in dis here college auditorium goin’ through graduation.”
“You’s right, Billy. Look out corporate world; here we go!”
Oh, Lawd, here dey come!
LOL
Cheers,
Mitch
Wait. This is Monday’s? Now I don’t feel so behind!
The small hand opened, then its chubby pink fingers curled around the silver handle. Mama didn’t worry that Mercy would break it; the spoon, a precious gift from Auntie Mae, was not fragile. Auntie Mae planned and saved for the stainless steel trinket, a special gift for a special little one. Mama trusted Auntie Mae, a kind of trust that does not tarnish like the sterling Auntie polished every Friday, that would not fade like the sheets she’d hung on the line that morning. Mercy looked from Mama to Auntie Mae, done with her toy, no damage done, she handed it to Mama and hugged tight to Auntie’s elephant knees, her knee highs drooping around swollen ankles, so big to hold up her heart, Mercy knew.
Okay, then Jen, bring it! The Help ain’t got nothing on you. LOL
That was one beautifully detailed scene, shown with perfection.
Cheers,
Mitch
@Jen: Yeah, you should write your own version of The Help. Super stuff.
It’s not “The Help” I’m writing, but it is set in 1921, just before the race riots that burned much of Tulsa. Thanks for the kind words. These exercises helped me find a tone I had been looking for.
Holly came home and found a silver wrapped package on her doorstep. This caught her off guard because her plan was to come home and chill. The silver package had a “Fragile: Handle with Care” stamp on it. She smiled because she just viewed a YouTube video where a postal worker tossed a package over the fence. The owner ordered an iPad and the damage to it was surmountable. Without thinking about it, Holly picked up and shook the package and trusted that it wouldn’t explode. There was no reaction. She placed the silver package under her arm and opened the front door. Holly placed the special package on the island in the kitchen. How special? I wonder who sent this to me. She tore the silver packaging carefully which eventually revealed a precious, little plain brown box with a strip of tape across it. At least that’s done. She started to walk towards her office nook to get a pair of scissors when the box started to rock bath and forth. Holly’s eyes grew wide. “What the hell?” said Holly.
@Rebecca: How’d I miss this! Sorry for the delay. Great stuff. I saw that video! Unbelievable!
Damn, can’t believe you left me hanging like that. But I’m glad you did. Continue!
Lol! I was late with my submission. It’s been crazy.
When you were born, you are delivered
Handle this little soul with special care, He told me. “Trust me, my precious,” He whispered to it. “Trust the plan.”
The package was labelled “fragile“, then tied up in silver linings. “My will be done,” he insured, lest any form of damage should happen along the way.
@Stacia: So, so touching and beautiful. Well done.
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