Let’s fire up those writing muscles! I was just thinking about what a slump I’ve been in with my writing for the last month. I think just about every writer experiences writer’s block. By helping you, I want to help me too. In my experience, it’s best to just keep on writing every day, even if it’s just a little tiny bit. This is just intended to help people suffering from writer’s block. If enough people like this idea, I will try to keep it going. Write a paragraph (or more) a day with these prompts. Don’t post your completed responses for 5 days. (Or not at all if you don’t feel like it, but I’d love to read them!) Day 1: Write about an injured bird. Maybe you hurt the bird, maybe you’re helping the bird. Maybe you are the bird. Or maybe the bird is a metaphor. Day 2: Write a paragraph or more about a kid who’s afraid of monsters under his bed. Are they real? What’s his parents’ response? Day 3: A box is sitting on your doorstep. Is it from a secret admirer? Or something more sinister? Day 4: You (or your protag) has been abducted by aliens! Day 5: You go on a blind date. What is your date like? Do they seem nice? Are they nuts? Is there a connection or are you just trying to get through this drag of a date?

I like the horror genre, because it's a safe way to explore our anxieties. Ghost stories allow children to receive relief from the things that frighten them, just as watching horror movies can help adults work through our fears; from the mundane (being unable to pay our bills) to the truly terrifying (being stalked by a killer). Both are real possibilities, although one is much, much more likely than the other. The purpose of this exercise is to explore one of your greatest fears by writing about it. Maybe not everyone will feel the same sense of relief I get from writing about mine. But I hypothesize that many writers feel about it like I do.

Halloween, as many of you probably know, is based on the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. It was believed that it was this time of the year, when earth was dying and readying to be reborn later in Spring, that the barrier between our world and the other world - the home of the faeries, was its thinnest. Your story can be about Samhain or the Aos Si (or faeries). It should be a little scary or creepy, (but can be funny too),, because although they were called the "good folk" (and they could be) they were often mischievous and sometimes downright frightening. For best results, I recommend Googling ancient Celtic beliefs of Samhain, Aos Si, or Sidhe. There were many different types and I'd love to read everyone's take on these interesting creatures of myth and ancient Celtic festivities. Have fun1

Write a short story about a cursed object. This can be funny or scary or whatever else you'd like to do with it. Just have fun.