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Writer's pictureOndrea Keigh

Writing Fun! - Writing Prompt #1

Updated: Feb 18

A person using a typewriter with a teacup sitting on the table next to the typewriter.

Last year, I thought about regularly writing some short stories for practice. Well, this year, I have decided to make it a habit! I plan to use these short stories for a project I hope to do one day, so I look forward to building a backlog of short stories to work with.


I invite you to join me! Each time I write a little story from a prompt, I will share the prompt with you in a Writing Fun! post and tell you the guidelines I gave myself (e.g., word count, time frame, any character requirements, etc.). When I am finished, I will update the post to let you know I finished and how I met each criterion! Because I plan to use these stories for a future project, I will not include the full story, but I may include a snippet occasionally!


If you write a story along with me, hop in the comments and let me know! I would love to hear about how you met the criteria in your own short story!


Prompt and Writing Criterion

Writing Prompt: Tree Houses of Washington State

Word Count: Min 500 – Max 2,000

Time Limit: 1 Week

Story Requirements: Must take place in the woods and must include a human and an animal.


Let me know in the comments if you plan to write along with me!

Enjoy!



Update

I completed a story based on the prompt above and the criterion I listed. Here is how I met those criteria.


Story Plot: A squirrel witnesses a man build a tree house in the woods and the two become friends.

Word Count: 1,823

Time to Completion: Three days

Story Requirements: To meet the story requirements, I included a man who was building a tree house in the woods and told the story from a squirrel's point of view. Here is a short excerpt from the beginning of the story.


It came about one summer day. A human began cutting down trees in the northern most corner of my neighborhood. I had seen that behavior before, but this was different. He did not take them anywhere. He just laid them down and moved on to the next, until he had cleared a large space around my great aunt Hazel's tree.
I tried to inform my mother, but she said that this human was responsible and would not take so many trees that us squirrels would not have homes. I pressed her, of course, I loved my great aunt Hazel’s tree. It was so large, and its branches were like never ending worlds that shot out into the air like fingers pointing to the beyond. Mother assured me, the human did not intend to cut the tree down. She suspected he liked it almost as much as we did. As to why, I wasn’t sure and didn’t take the time to ask. I was too distracted…and curious.
What is he doing with these trees?

Excerpt from My Tree House by Ondrea Keigh


This story turned out pretty well for a first full story written from a prompt! I think it could use more editing, but I think if I had used the full week, it would be even better. I will keep that in mind for the next short story I write.


I actually plan on using this specific story for a project, so I won't be sharing the full story. But I hope one day the project I have in mind will pan out and I will be able to share it with everybody!


Did you write from this prompt? Tell me about your story in the comments and what you plan to do with it!


Photo Credit: Wix Photos

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