Some possible brainstormed prompts for FKFicFest '23

[brightknightie]

I've been brainstorming some possible prompts for fkficfest (nominations open through April 15; any community member may nominate). Some of these are wholly my own imagining; others are based on Google-searching "great short story prompts."

If any happen to appeal to you, please do feel free to take or modify and use or submit them! If you've already got yours set, and you see how some of these could be better, please let me know.

Some personal favorites so far:

• a minor or original character must step up and fill in for a major character
• the first thing that happens is that a canonical character dies
• didn't expect to run into that person at the party
• unexpectedly wakes up in the trunk of a car
• forced to stay home
• keeps coming across the same stranger
• two characters switch bodies [a la Freaky Friday]
• a character is aware that he/she/they are in a story and/or have an audience [a la She-Hulk]

Assorted others:

• day of rest
• waking up to the best news
• retreats to a remote cabin
• lost old letter finally reaches a reader
• in a packed storage unit
• an unusual photograph turns up during research
• a deep fear holds a character back
• dead body at a house party
• brush with fame
• something we don't usually show visitors
• here, put on a mask
• disowned heir
• decluttering
• all suspects point to each another
• murdered after a company retreat
• the victims had the same taxi driver months before
• an elderly person suddenly confesses to a series of murders
• a virtuoso musician is found dead
• the night before an important social function
• Try again; concentrate; it won't be easy.
• Are you sure you want to do this?
• an antique locket
• Why does that person look familiar?

Not good for a common prompt in a fest, but could make a good story in the right circumstances in the right authors' hands:
a "metaphor of the week" parallels Nick's conviction that he should be human, and Lacroix's rejection of that conviction, with a trans character's experiences

Comments

[thefruitbat]

That's a good and broad mix of topics. :) Shortly thought about submitting the "breaking of the 4th wall" one myself, it gives you a lot of possibilities how to do it.

"A minor or original character must step up and fill in for a major character" sounds really interesting to me, as does the unexpected meeting at a party one.
The Freaky Friday trope is such an invitation for shenanigans. :D Just read the one with the enchanted moccasins that switched Nick and Lacroix a while ago. I think it was from Shelly(?). Such a good take on it.
"Here, put on a mask" also inspires quite a plethora of possible plots. I'm really looking forward to seeing which ones you'll choose.

Happy Holidays!

[celli]

the trunk of the car one is great!

[greerwatson]

I've just put my three prompts in.

As for the ones you have here: I think some of them are a bit specific. For example, "dead body at a house party" certainly describes the classic country house murder à la Agatha Christie and her peers. The obvious North American equivalent would be to relocate to a "weekend at a summer cabin". But might one substitute some other situation with a self-limitingly small set of suspects, such as a convention, school lock-down, Greyhound bus trip, or such? I mean, does it have to be a party per se?

I guess my question is how closely the interpretation needs to cleave to the prompt.