PDA

View Full Version : The May Writing Prompt


TedTheewen
05-03-2010, 06:58 AM
Ah, May!
Thunderstorms, late-season frost, bunny rabbits and working in the yard.

May is time for Mother's Day and young maidens dancing around a phallic symbol in celebration of fertility--the original pole dance.

May is when we spy on the young neighbor laying out in the sun to get her first tan of the year and we find a stupid reason to get closer to her so we can gawk at her gorgeous body glistening in the sun. So we make up a lame excuse like a missing puppy we never had or how we have too much hard liquor in the house and we hate to drink alone. We all do that, right?

Okay, nevermind.

May is also time to get the garden planted so the various bugs and rodents have something to steal from us. Just today I was out working in my garden, which is really a collection of sod clumps and weeds struggling to take root before I hit them again with the rototiller.

This year, I'm planting potatoes, hot peppers and an odd assortment a green crap I'd never usually eat unless I had to in order to keep it from rotting in my garden.

Gardening is fun. It's also kinda creepy.
Nevermind the worms and slugs--what's with that rabbit giving me the stink-eye every time I pick some rhubarb?
What if my pepper seeds weren't pepper seeds?
What if something was in my garden and didn't approve of my variety of broccoli?
What if that stupid hump in the yard I tilled up to make my garden was really an Indian burial mound and my Troybilt tiller pissed him off?
Why is the garden gnome looking at me and smiling?
What is Old Lady Kepler's real secret for her giant pumpkins?

I have a friend who lives, eats and breathes orchids. He's been in magazines and books for it. He's the President of a ton of different Orchid societies. I've always thought his relationship with his orchids was a bit too intimate.

And then there's kudzu. Easy to plant--just throw the seeds and run. It'll grow a foot a day down south.

So the topic this month is The Garden.

Let's see what stories we can come up with that involve a garden, or gardening, or the weirdos who get so involved with it they buy shoes that match their pruning sheers.

If my peppers come up right, along with my tomatoes, I might have a jar of my extra special Ted's Sphincter-B-Gone salsa for the best entries.

Enjoy!

Haggis
05-03-2010, 06:46 PM
I miss my garden. Back in the day, I spent many a happy afternoon weeding and hoeing.

No, not that kind of hoeing, Leukman, the kind you do in the dirt.

Anyhow, I always wondered why the back part of the garden always seemed to grow things better than the front. Ted, you're on to something. I think this has the potential for some kick-azz stories.

Jcomp
05-03-2010, 07:33 PM
I miss my garden. Back in the day, I spent many a happy afternoon weeding and hoeing.

No, not that kind of hoeing, Leukman, the kind you do in the dirt.


So... it is that kind of hoeing, then?

Haggis
05-03-2010, 07:44 PM
So... it is that kind of hoeing, then?
Somehow I knew I should have left out the comments about weeding with "that implement."

soapdish
05-03-2010, 10:29 PM
Excellent prompt, Ted. I have two stories that I've started that actually fit this...and one slightly poem-ish thingy that I don't know what to do with...

If I could get my butt in gear and actually write this month...I might have something.

And I'm really curious what others come up with. Can't wait to read!

FOTSGreg
05-04-2010, 03:18 AM
Interesting...

Now, if I can get the Muse to work on Plots I might just have something later.

dgrintalis
05-04-2010, 03:33 AM
This is a fantastic prompt. Dare I admit I've started working on my story already? :D

EFCollins
05-04-2010, 04:52 AM
Great prompt. I've come up with absolutely nothing for the last couple of prompts, despite my efforts, so hopefully I'll be able to write some little something for this one.

slcboston
05-04-2010, 07:59 AM
What is Old Lady Kepler's real secret for her giant pumpkins?

Push up bra.

:D

I like this one, Ted. Seems like a good theme for a certain PI I write... just not sure what yet.

Of course, I had an idea for him back with the Skwirrel's prompt, too, just hasn't been executed yet. Maybe one of these months the prompt will just recycle all the unused prompts.

:e2writer:

slcboston
05-04-2010, 08:03 AM
This is a fantastic prompt. Dare I admit I've started working on my story already? :D

*is somehow not surprised. at all*

of course, this is the reason why if we recycled prompts, they'd have to be proffered up as an option with a new prompt, too. For those of you who continually make the rest of our short story muses look bad.

Which is my SS muses fault, not yours DG

:D

mdin
05-05-2010, 01:11 AM
Here's my entry:

How Shirley Got Her Gnome Back (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4923252)

User Poets
05-05-2010, 01:55 AM
Is there a word max/min for monthly prompts?

slcboston
05-05-2010, 01:59 AM
Is there a word max/min for monthly prompts?

In general, no, but anything much over 3K is usually more than most people will take the time for in SYW, without a word count warning ahead of time.

Bear in mind, these are meant to be shorts, not novellas.

:D


(says me, who has trouble getting shorts in under 5K)

:e2writer:

bigb
05-06-2010, 05:10 AM
Amazing prompt, being an avid gardener myself vegetables and such. I'm in!

Of course I'm a much better gardener than writer.

Kerr
05-06-2010, 07:20 AM
Ha Ted, great prompt, and a great gift idea. As soon as I get through this week and a few things I'm up to, I'm going to give gardening a shot.

dolores haze
05-06-2010, 07:23 AM
Good to see you around, Kerr!

I like this prompt, too. Hopefully, I'll get time to take a stab at it.

EFCollins
05-06-2010, 06:25 PM
Well, this is gardening of the third kind. My may prompt story:

After the Blooms Die (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4929121#post4929121)

dgrintalis
05-07-2010, 12:39 PM
Here is mine: Le Jardin de Larmes Amères (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4932582#post4932582)

Tin Man
05-08-2010, 09:29 PM
Hmm. Tasty prompt.

-begins to cultivate the soil of a fevered mind-

soapdish
05-17-2010, 06:20 AM
Mine is up here (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180297).

The Scip
05-17-2010, 04:01 PM
I'm about 1/2 way through mine. Although I had the entire story about 2 minutes after I read the prompt I haven't had much time to work on it.

smsarber
05-18-2010, 04:53 AM
I may have to do mine on Sphincter B-Gone salsa!! Too great!!

Neurotic
05-19-2010, 02:28 AM
I've written one, but I'm waiting until I'm not so swamped with coursework before posting it. So maybe November-ish.

smsarber
05-19-2010, 06:06 AM
I've written one, but I'm waiting until I'm not so swamped with coursework before posting it. So maybe November-ish.
Then how do we know you've really written one?:roll:

smsarber
05-19-2010, 06:10 AM
Here's mine: How Does Your Garden Grow? (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180445) Mind you, this was written between 3 & 6 AM this morning, so it's a bit rough, but given more time I'll have a submittable story I think.

Rhoda Nightingale
05-19-2010, 07:47 AM
....Does landscape maintainance of a cemetery on a hill count as "gardening," or is that cheating?

soapdish
05-19-2010, 07:54 AM
I think it counts, Rhoda. Do it. :D

smsarber
05-19-2010, 08:40 AM
Yeah, I ddn't start this prompt, but I think if you grow anything (horticultually):D it's gardening.

soapdish
05-19-2010, 08:44 AM
I had one on weeds I almost did. Evil weeds :evil

And one on Magnolias.

And one on Daffodils. I think I'll be working with this prompt for a looong time :D

Neurotic
05-19-2010, 09:25 AM
Then how do we know you've really written one?:roll:

My honest face? :D

smsarber
05-19-2010, 09:45 AM
:Thumbs:Gotcha! I always believe an honest face hiding behind a cannibal banana avatar:D

Neurotic
05-19-2010, 09:51 AM
Yeeeeesss. Trust the banana.

ETA: So that assignment was less time-consuming than expected. So, proof the banana speaks the truth. Blood and Bone. (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4968458#post4968458)

NathanBrazil
05-29-2010, 02:30 AM
I've never posted for a prompt here before. I had some assistance from a couple of writers with my garden piece. Is that verboten?

smsarber
05-29-2010, 03:24 AM
Yeeeeesss. Trust the banana.

ETA: So that assignment was less time-consuming than expected. So, proof the banana speaks the truth. Blood and Bone. (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4968458#post4968458)
:banana::sword Banana smilies for you!

smsarber
05-29-2010, 03:25 AM
I've never posted for a prompt here before. I had some assistance from a couple of writers with my garden piece. Is that verboten?
Story's what counts here. Post your story and link if ya want.

NathanBrazil
05-29-2010, 09:49 AM
Here's mine. :scared:

Doreen's Garden (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4999834&postcount=1)