“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.”
- John A. Shedd
The Oaken Inkwell is minutes away from lifting anchor. You need to load some items aboard and ready your quill, for words are the winds in the sails of the mighty ship. You prepare yourself for a near-month of the grueling rite of the first draft.
Dare:
Combing through a seaside market, you never know what you’ll find– between the shifty-eyed merchants and the tables of hidden treasures, each trip is unpredictable. Start your story off with a sentence from a random sentence generator. Here’s one we found works well.
Ambiance:
As you stroll through the seaside market, gulls call and vendors shout out their prices to the many chattering passers-by. Retrieve your things and get back to the ship quickly - it sets sail very soon.
Prompt:
As you haul your supplies back to the Oaken Inkwell, a street urchin bumps into you and then runs off into the crowd. You search your things only to find your apples missing. Unfortunately, you have no time to go buy more before your ship sets sail. Write about a circumstance that is unlikely, but abruptly happens regardless.
Question:
How does the beginning of your story impact the ending?
I really like that quote! Great post, thanks.