Julie Duffy's Blog, page 147

September 19 – Who’s Your Pop Culture Crush?

Fan fiction has really taken off in recent years, especially with the success (relatively speaking) of several fan fiction stories that became novels and even movies. Fan fiction is a tricky kind of writing because you often have to immerse yourself in someone’s world to write about it. And it’s also tricky because of potential […]

Sept 18 – Friday Favourites 3

Hi, all! It’s Monique again with another “Friday Favourite,” a prompt that is a generic premise for a story that is also the description of a classic (or favourite!) novel. The Prompt A stranger to a remote area encounters a family with a mysterious and troubling past. (Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte) Tips How does […]

Visibly Invisible

Prompt: Visibly Invisible Today’s prompt is about the inner self of your character trying to break out, to be seen, to be heard, to simply be acknowledged. Think along the lines of being present in a group, yet you’re being discussed as if you were not there.  Now multiply those feelings by 100 for your character who, […]

Sept. 16 – The Widower

The Prompt They had been married sixty years. She always did the cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, and cleaning around the house. He has just returned home after the funeral and finds himself alone to figure it all out for himself. Go! Deanna Denny is retired after many years of working in Human Resources. She became […]

[Reading Room] Close Encounters by J. D. Daniels

Originally published in The Paris Review, I came across this story in the wonderful Short Story Thursday email series by Jacob Tomsky. This is the kind of short story I hate: self-absorbed people acting in self-destructive ways and complaining they’re not happy. I don’t actually hate this one, though. Maybe because the main character doesn’t […]

Sept 15 – Tension Tuesday

A Blind Date For today’s prompt we’re looking at romance. In today’s world of Internet dating, there must be many more blind dates than ever before. But meeting someone you’ve never met in person before can still be very tense. Exchanging emails is not quite the same thing as talking face to face. The Prompt […]

September 14 – Perspective: What Do Others See?

  Selfies aren’t a new phenomenon. They’ve existed for centuries in one art form or another. Like all natures of art, selfies are all about perspective. But that also extends to other kinds of art. What if your main character is someone in a piece of art by Vermeer or Rembrandt or Warhol? What does […]

Sept 13 — Odd Couples

There’s nothing that spices up a story quite like a dynamic relationship between characters. If your creations are too similar and want the same things, your story loses a lot of potential conflict and momentum. But if characters are opposites forced to work together, your story suddenly has the potential for fireworks. The Prompt Write about an odd […]

Sept 11 – Friday Favourites 2

Hi, all! It’s Monique again with another “Friday Favourite,” a prompt that is a generic premise for a story that is also the description of a classic (or favourite!) novel. The Prompt A person just starting out in their field takes a prestigious, entry-level position in a big city, but the result is not as […]

Sep 10 – The Tunnel

The Prompt Today’s prompt has your main character is about to enter a tunnel, what sort is for you to decide but here are some tips The Tunnel – You are in control.  Is it dark or are there lights along the walls or roof ?  Is it long and winding or can you clearly see the […]