August Prompt - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

dgrintalis · Jul 31, 2009

Okay, Houndies. Below this text I've placed several pictures. These are the August prompt.

Your story must include the forest (the cabin is optional) and the man. For reference, the man is Russian; however, I will stretch the prompt a bit to say the story can occur anywhere in Eastern Europe in whatever season and era you want. Pick whatever flavor horror story you wish, just use the images to give birth to your tale.

I'm not setting a word count either. Write it as long or as short as it needs to be.

Oh and why did I pick this? Well, my Dad sent me the pictures of the man as a literary game. I had to describe him in one or two paragraphs and I could not get his face out of my mind, so I thought it would make a nifty prompt. Plus, Eastern Europe is filled with superstitions so if you wanted to base your tale on something real, there's lots of stuff you can dig up on the web.

slcboston · Jul 31, 2009

he has an interesting face...

oh, that reminds me, I need to PM you about something Russian.

anyway, cool prompt. Not sure if this will inspire anymore productivity from me, but it's a cool prompt

dgrintalis · Jul 31, 2009

If that man's face can't inspire you, you might be a lost cause!

Of course, you can always write a story about soft fur and daisies.

Cranky · Jul 31, 2009

You have found my favorite-est way to start a story, D.

Hmmm. I have not been terribly productive over the last little while, but maybe....

dgrintalis · Jul 31, 2009

Cranky said:
You have found my favorite-est way to start a story, D.

Hmmm. I have not been terribly productive over the last little while, but maybe....

I will keep my fingers and toes crossed for you, Jen. His eyes in the second photo are incredibly compelling, IMO. I bet he had a million tales of his own to tell.

Cranky · Jul 31, 2009

He looks like he might be tellin' one in the first photo.

soapdish · Aug 1, 2009

Hmm, I am getting a serious Ansel Adams vibe here...this is actually working for me. I have something brewing...FINALLY!

CoffinHunter19 · Aug 1, 2009

I couldn't help myself and wrote a quick short story, only 1913 words, but the story was there. I really liked the pictures, crazy looking guy...anyway, don't worry about being gentle with the criticism...I'm a big boy. Enjoy! (by the way, this is the first time I have ever posted my work at the Water Cooler....YAY! I'm official!) You can find the latest nugget of golden excrement at the share your work page becuase the effin PC won't let me link it!!!! *chews into monitor and electrocutes self on wires* ....man, I can't even win in my own fantasy....

Kmcelhinny · Aug 3, 2009

Wow... those are some fabu picts Damien. Maybe I will have something for this week. Wicked pretty/spooky picts of the forest too. *Sigh* I love forests (esp when they have blood and guts or ghosts in them....)

KTC · Aug 3, 2009

awesome...i'm gonna tuck into this one and try to see it through. i already have a voice in my head...scratching in there like mice in a mincemeat grinder. thanks!

Kerr · Aug 5, 2009

Does it sound kind of like Burgess Meredith, Kevin? That's the one I was hearing.

Kmcelhinny · Aug 8, 2009

BTW the pictures of the forest/woods are fabulous! So pretty Damien

I can't wait to make something horrifying happen in them!

alcoholicnightterror · Aug 15, 2009

are these prompts open to everyone? Can you point me to a thread that explains rules, where to send, format, etc... Thanks.. I like this one. Will do it for the hell of it either way.

Kerr · Aug 16, 2009

These prompts are open to everyone, alcoholicnightterror, and we are doing them monthly. This is Aug., due by the end of the month. It gives us some kind of goal to shoot for in our busy live's. And they're just plain fun. They are posted in the Horror SYW for crit and polish. Also, with a similar time frame, Haggis and Stew added the nightmare prompt. They are offering a prize for those, though, and they should be PM'ed to Haggis by the end of the month. Come join in and good luck with your stories.

Kerr · Aug 16, 2009

Damien, nice pics. I worried a bit at the beginning as nothing came, but this morning had me dreaming of them. I still haven't quite settled on what is the story, but the atmosphere's great getting there. LOL Working from pictures does add certain depth.

Haggis · Aug 21, 2009

I had an inspiration for this one last night and I'm going to see what I can come up with tomorrow. The trouble is, how can I get a freakin' Lithuanian to Chicago?

The rest of you have to step up too. You know you want to. This one has all kinds of possibilities.

EFCollins · Aug 21, 2009

I'm workin' on it, Puppy...

darned slave-driver...

*grumbles*

Nah, I've been working on it, but it's like here in the last few days everything I write comes out like a purple frigging posy and I hate that. I keep writing and deleting and writing and deleting. And not just on my short stories either... on the novels too. But I am trying.

dgrintalis · Aug 21, 2009

Haggis said:
I had an inspiration for this one last night and I'm going to see what I can come up with tomorrow. The trouble is, how can I get a freakin' Lithuanian to Chicago?

The rest of you have to step up too. You know you want to. This one has all kinds of possibilities.

Dear Doggy, don't you know there is a section of Chicago called 'Little Lithuania'? Chicago has more Lithuanians than any other city in the US.

dgrintalis · Aug 21, 2009

EFCollins said:
I'm workin' on it, Puppy...

darned slave-driver...

*grumbles*

Nah, I've been working on it, but it's like here in the last few days everything I write comes out like a purple frigging posy and I hate that. I keep writing and deleting and writing and deleting. And not just on my short stories either... on the novels too. But I am trying.

You want slave driver? Mwahahahahah!

:whip:

Seriously, though, I got halfway into a nice little horror tale about these pictures and it died. My story ended up not really horror, but it's what the muse wanted me to write.

TedTheewen · Aug 22, 2009

Chicago rocks for Lithuanians and Poles. There's places like Little Warsaw.

Kerr · Aug 22, 2009

Haggis, use a plane. Boats take forever.

Haggis · Aug 22, 2009

dgrintalis said:
Dear Doggy, don't you know there is a section of Chicago called 'Little Lithuania'? Chicago has more Lithuanians than any other city in the US.

I didn't know that. Thanks, Damien. That's very helpful.

TedTheewen said:
Chicago rocks for Lithuanians and Poles. There's places like Little Warsaw.

Wonderful. Very helpful, Ted.

Kerr said:
Haggis, use a plane. Boats take forever.

Real helpful, Kerr.

soapdish · Aug 22, 2009

Hey, mine is Lithuanian related too : ) Only it is actually in Lithuania. I am still tinkering with it.

jgold · Aug 28, 2009

Gorgeous pictures, DG. I loved this prompt. Mine is posted here.

I was in an antique store and saw a picture of a birch forest that looked so much like one of the photos it was a little freaky. Right next to it were portraits of two children in old-fashioned clothing, plus the old man, and it just seemed obvious what story to do.

soapdish · Aug 31, 2009

OK, mine is up.

August Prompt - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

'Tis true, she is a monstergirl

Pasture-ized

'Tis true, she is a monstergirl

'Tis true, she is a monstergirl

writing

Hyperborean Wanderer

Stand in the Place Where You Live

I vant to bite you

I vant to bite you

I vant to bite you

Evil, undead Chihuahua

World Class Rambler

'Tis true, she is a monstergirl

'Tis true, she is a monstergirl

AW's Most Adorable Sociopath

I vant to bite you

Evil, undead Chihuahua

writing

Grinning

writing