fiction – Quote, Unquote

the once upon a time book tag

March 8, 2023March 7, 2023Liesl Brunner23 Comments

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

Today I’ll be participating in a fun tag co-created by Merie Shen of Imperial Scribis. This one has been sitting in my inbox for a little while now as I’ve been stewing over my answers, and I think it’s finally time to share them with the world!

Without further ado…let’s jump right in.

the rules

thank the person who tagged you
use the tag graphic above (optional) (I opted not to for this one!)
name a book for each of the following 12 categories
tag as many people as you would like

the fairytales

Cinderella: a book that changed your life

Does the Bible count? I mean, technically it did change my life, but I don’t think that’s the answer y’all are going for here.

This one took me a lot of thought, but I’d have to say Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.

I read Stargirl in middle school. It was one of the first books that I read that could be considered YA romance (though it’s honestly debatable whether it’s YA or MG), and it kicked off my love for the genre. Pretty soon I was reading more and more of the genre, and that lead to me wanting to write it. I credit Stargirl, in part, with my love of writing.

Sleeping Beauty: a book that took you forever to finish

I received Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights for my birthday in December of 2021, started it, and didn’t finish it until last month. Whoops.

Technically speaking, I took a long break, but if you classify “taking forever to finish” as “the interval between which one started and finished the book being long,” I’d say fourteen months is a pretty long time. (In fact, it was almost exactly fourteen months!)

Also, can we take a second to appreciate the Penguin Clothbound Classics editions? One day I am going to own every single one of them. They are gorgeous.

A Thousand and One Nights: a book you couldn’t stop reading

I started Crumbs by Danie Stirling in the afternoon, and when my mom poked her head in my room to tell me to come help with dinner, I felt like I was waking up from a trance. I plan to post a book review very soon, so I don’t want to spoil too much, but this is the best graphic novel I have ever read. It was just so CUTE. And the art style was AMAZING. And I LOVED IT SO MUCH. I couldn’t put it down. AAAAHHHH.

Little Red Riding Hood: a book you recently read in an unfamiliar genre

I had to look way back in my reading log to find something that wasn’t contemporary, fantasy, memoir, or dystopian sci-fi, and the earliest deviation I found was from October of last year.

#MurderTrending was recommended to me by a friend who loves thrillers. I’m not super into them, but I’ll read them from time to time, and I had to admit that this was a fairly interesting read. It was certainly fast-paced and action-packed and kept me on my toes. It was a little bit too gory for my taste, but then again, I am unable to handle even the slightest amount of gore, so that might just be me. Overall, a pretty good book.

The Wild Swans: a book with your favorite sibling relationships

The entire Boxcar Children series holds so much nostalgia for me. The original series was twenty-one books (one of which I have been searching for for years), and they’re all chock-full of the siblings solving little mysteries.

They’re intended for a younger audience and published in the 1920s, so there isn’t a whole lot of plot (they just happen to discover a lot of lucky things), but I love it. Sometimes it’s nice to read something lighthearted, you know?

And I love Henry and Jessie and Violet and Benny (and, of course, their grandfather). Their dynamic is just so sweet. I highly recommend all of the Boxcar Children books.

Snow White: a book filled with beautiful prose

You know it already. I’ve ranted and raved about The Book Thief so often on my blog. This was the book that taught me how to write prose. The descriptions, the emotion, the phrasing—yes. Just yes. If you haven’t read The Book Thief yet, you are missing out spectacularly.

Rapunzel: a book that you procrastinated on reading after buying

There are several books that I have acquired years ago and still haven’t read. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (although in my defense that thing is a brick), The Summer of Broken Things by Margaret Peterson Haddix…I could probably keep going. I need to get on that.

The Little Mermaid: a book that took you on a magical journey

Um…all of them?

I recently reread the WondLa series after a few years and ohhh boy. Ohhhhhh boy. I love these books so much. They’re such well-thought-out, well-written, all-around-amazing books with a teensy little bit of social commentary on humanity and nature.

I love the worldbuilding and the transformation of the characters, watching them grow up in just three books. I love the way the story never goes exactly where you expect it to. I love everything about this series, and I think that it’s a tragedy that it doesn’t get as much press as some of the more mainstream dystopian series.

The Frog Prince: a book that made you want to turn into a frog because you hated it so much

How about Apologia Exploring Creation through Chemistry?

Nah, just kidding. Chemistry and I have a mutual hatred.

It took me a while to find this book in my reading log, but once I read the synopsis, I was reminded why One Night That Changes Everything had the “would not reread” tag on it.

The premise was promising, but the characters were flat, the plot was unrealistic, and the writing was terrible. I put it down feeling completely dissatisfied and like I had just wasted my time reading it. Not a good feeling to walk away from a book with.

(I’m going to be honest—I hate trashing books like this. I’m terrified that the author is going to see it and be hurt. So if you’re Lauren Barnholdt and you are reading this, I am so sorry.)

Peter Pan: a book that reminds you of your childhood

My copy of The Wishing Spell is so beat up by now that the entire book split in half. I loved this whole series as a kid, probably because the bookish, introverted, overly geeky heroine reminded me of myself. I remember my mom getting this for me at a homeschool book sale (because of course) and being utterly absorbed in it for the rest of the day. Good times.

The Goose Girl: a book you had low expectations for but ended up loving

I am not particularly a fan of John Green. When I first read The Fault in Our Stars, I didn’t really get what all the fuss was about. It was slightly absurd and overly pretentious. So I wasn’t expecting to like Paper Towns, but I ended up falling in love with it.

It’s still absurd and pretentious, mind you, but the premise, the plot, the characters are all so three-dimensional. The high stakes kept me on the edge of my seat. I still reread it every so often, even though the long philosophical ramblings don’t really make much sense. (I feel like you either love or you hate John Green’s style. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it.)

Hansel and Gretel: a book that made you hungry

The Magic Cake Shop by Meika Hashimoto feels like a fever dream of mine. When I was a kid, elementary school perhaps, I used to check this book out of the library at least every other week. There was just something about it. Maybe it was the illustrations that looked somehow exactly like the illustrations in the American Girl books of the time.

I barely remember what happens in this book. It feels like something my fourth-grade brain made up, but I just asked my sister and she remembered it, so I guess not? Unless it was a shared hallucination.

Anyway, there was cake. Lots and lots of cake. I remember that. I mean, obviously.

Okay, I just checked, and our library still has it. I’m going to read it and report back to you.

the tags

Honestly, tagging people on blog tags has always been a struggle for me, so I’m going to just leave this open for whoever would like to participate. Let me know if you do! I’d love to see your answers.

Thank you again, Merie and Diamond, for this lovely tag! I had a lot of fun answering your questions.

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday!

the new year’s resolution book tag

February 1, 2023January 31, 2023Liesl Brunner10 Comments

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a blog tag, and I saw this one on E. G. Bella’s blog and decided to steal it.

Well, I don’t really have anything else to say, so I’m just going to jump right in. Let’s go!

an author that you’d like to read (that you’ve never read before)

Sara Ella, Joanne Bischof, and Nadine Brandes. Starting in September, these three ladies are going to be among my writing instructors, and I’d like to brush up on their books before I start. I’ve been meaning to pick up Coral (Ella) and Sadie on the Rocks (Bischof), and I’ve heard good things about Wishtress (Brandes). But I’d like to read all of their books!

a book that you’d like to read

Um, all of them?

I’ve heard good things about The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, and I love bees, so that one is definitely on my list. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a bookstagram classic that’s been on my TBR pile for a while. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Six of Crows by Marissa Meyer, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alice Sáenz are also cult classics that I’ve been meaning to read for a while.

a classic you’d like to read

All of Jane Austen’s books! I’ve owned Mansfield Park for a while now but just…haven’t read it for whatever reason. It’s a little intimidating, not going to lie. And I have some beautiful copies of Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and Emma that I also haven’t read for whatever reason.

a book you’d like to reread

I reread the entire Harry Potter series every single summer. It’s honestly one of the highlights of my year, which I know sounds kind of pathetic, but there’s something comforting about hanging around outside rereading one of your favorite series.

a book you’ve had for ages and want to read

I picked up The Summer of Broken Things by Margaret Peterson Haddix at the thrift store a while ago, and it’s still sitting unread on my shelf. It’s got a beautiful cover, too—honestly, that might have been one of the reasons I bought it. Maybe I’ll post a review when I’m done.

a big book you’d like to read

Not so much “like to read” as “like to have read”, but A Patriot’s History of the United States. It is one of the thickest books I’ve ever encountered. I’m going through it for my junior year in high school right now, and I honestly can’t wait to be done with it.

an author you’ve previously read and want to read more of

Emma Lord is one of my most favorite contemporary authors, and she recently released a new book! I still haven’t read the book she released before that, so I need to pick both of those up at the bookstore.

a book you got for Christmas and would like to read

I received a book called Making Stuff and Doing Things from my grandparents for Christmas. It’s a compilation of zines with all sorts of things from making record bowls to doing your own bookbinding. I’ve thumbed through it a little bit, but I’d really like to read it cover to cover.

a series you want to read from start to finish

The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy by Kellyn Roth. I saw Kellyn speak at the YWW Conference, and she keeps posting little things about her characters on her Instagram story, so I want to support a fellow indie author and finally understand the jokes.

do you set reading goals? if so, how many books do you want to read in 2023?

I don’t necessarily set reading goals—I just like to see where the year takes me. However, I only started tracking my books last year, and I read over 120, so I know I can easily hit over 100. Maybe I’ll be a little ambitious and set a goal of 150 books this year, but I’m not necessarily going to be strict about it. I guess we’ll see.

any other reading goals?

I’d like to read more biblical nonfiction. I want to dive a little deeper into my faith and read more nonfiction, so why not combine those two? I’ve been pretty good about reading more nonfiction lately, and I think I’d like to expand that even more.

I also just want to have fun reading. I devoured books when I was younger. I used to come home from summer library trips and lie in the grass and just read two or three books at a time (usually Warrior Cats, heheh). So I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. I want to enjoy it like I used to.

Well, that about wraps it up! I’m not going to tag anyone here, but feel free to post this on your own blog (and let me know when you do!) or just answer the questions in the comments. I want to know what you’re reading in 2023!

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday!

book review: Run by Ann Patchett

January 18, 2023January 17, 2023Liesl Brunner3 Comments

It seemed from this moment of repose that God may well have been life itself. God may have been the baseball games, the beautiful cigarette he smoked alone after checking to see that all the bats had been put back behind the closet door. God could have been the masses in which he told people how best to prepare for the glorious life everlasting, the one they couldn’t see as opposed to the one they were living at that exact moment in the pews of the church hall, washed over in the stained glass light. How wrongheaded it seemed now to think that the thrill of heartbeat and breath were just a stepping stone to something greater. What could be greater than the armchair, the window, the snow? Life itself had been holy.

synopsis

Since their mother’s death, Tip and Teddy Doyle have been raised by their loving possessive and ambitions father. As the former mayor of Boston, Bernard Doyle wants to see is sons in politics, a dream the boys have never shared. But when an argument in a blinding New England snowstorm inadvertently causes an accident that involves a stranger and her child, all Bernard Doyle cares about is his ability to keep his children–all his children–safe.

Set over a period of twenty-four hours, Run takes us from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard to a home for retired Catholic Priests in downtown Boston. It shows us how worlds of privilege and poverty can coexist only blocks apart from each other, and how family can include people you’ve never even met. As an in her bestselling novel, Bel Canto, Ann Patchett illustrates the humanity that connects disparate lives, weaving several stories into one surprising and endlessly moving narrative. Suspenseful and stunningly executed, Run is ultimately a novel about secrets, duty, responsibility, and the lengths we will go to protect our children.

my thoughts

I found this book at the thrift store with no dust jacket on it, so I looked up the synopsis on Amazon, and before I even finished reading the synopsis I knew that it was going to come home with me.

I love books that are set in one day—for example, The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon and They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. Both books that I have read that were set in one day are some of my favorite books because they are so masterfully done. So I had high expectations for this book. I knew that it would be a little different because the two examples mentioned above were targeted towards young adults and this was more of an adult book, but I still expected it to impact me in the way those two books had.

What hit me first upon opening the book was the lack of paragraph breaks. Seriously, the paragraphs stretch on forever. They could be a bit info-dumpy, but for the most part, they kept me immersed in the story. Frankly, I was surprised by this—most of the time, books with long paragraphs are really good at allowing my mind to wander. But this one pulled me in.

The next thing I noticed were the characters. From page one you could see their struggles and desires so clearly. I loved the way Tip loved fish. Characters having a “thing” that they like to do, that their whole life centers around, is common, but I’ve never seen one so unique as ichthyology. Now I’m wondering why we don’t see things as unique as that ever.

I think that perhaps the best part about this book was that the plot twists just kept coming, and you never saw them before they hit you. Seriously, it was just blow after blow. This book kept me on my toes and wanting to learn more. I commend any book that can hook me in like that.

This book portrayed a lot of controversial themes such as racial equality, privilege and poverty, and religion, but I thought it did so very well. The characters would often quote speeches throughout the book, many by civil rights leaders, and I liked how there was “real-world” evidence sprinkled in the story.

Were there shortcomings in this book? Of course. Every book has them. Because this was written from a third person omniscient perspective, sometimes it was hard to tell who was narrating at any given time. Between that, the plot twists, and the long paragraphs, sometimes I got lost and had to go back and reread. I also thought that the ending was neatly wrapped up—a little too neatly for real life, perhaps.

Overall, though, I think that this book was a very thought-provoking read. Although it was outside of my normal genres, I am very glad that I brought it home to read.

my favorite fictional heroes

August 17, 2022August 15, 2022Liesl Brunner8 Comments

A while back, I posted a list of my favorite fictional heroines. In that post, I promised a list of my favorite fictional heroes soon. Apparently “soon” to me means almost six months later…but here I am, with the foretold list. Let’s jump right in!

5. Nick Wilde

I’m absolutely obsessed with this guy. Zootopia is one of my favorite movies, and if I’m honest, part of the reason is Nick Wilde. He’s witty and wily, just like your average fox, but later in the movie you find out that he has a soft side. Though he doesn’t get as much screentime as Judy Hopps, the main character, he still has a tremendous character arc, in which he learns to trust people and put aside his pride.

4. Eli Stock

Honestly, part of the reason Eli made it on this list is because I love his and Auden’s (the main character’s) relationship. In the book, he’s reeling with guilt from his best friend’s death in a car crash where he was driving. Auden helps him over it, and he helps her through her troubles with her parents. He’s a very sensitive person, and I like how he has the ability to feel things, which a lot of male characters suppress.

3. Harry Potter

photo from *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone* (2001)

Everyone knows and loves Harry Potter. He gets a lot of flak–everybody calls him “unobservant” or “dumb”, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard the question “Who’s your favorite character from Harry Potter?” answered with “Harry Potter.” True, maybe he didn’t recognize his own teacher’s handwriting in The Half-Blood Prince, but I think that he makes up for his lack of external sensing with his internal intuition. He has a strict moral code and follows it every step of the way, and in true Gryffindor fashion, he is courageous, almost to a fault.

2. Gilbert Blythe

We all know and love Gilbert. Honestly, what can I say? I love his charm and his optimism, and how, when they’re children, he tries so hard to redeem himself with the endlessly spicy Anne. Plus, I mean, look at that face. He’s so earnest. Kinda reminds me of a puppy. (I’m running out of intelligent things to say.)

1. Weston Ludovico

(Sadly, I could not find any photos, fanart or otherwise, of Weston. Go read 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons.)

When I was making this list, I only came up with four at first. I knew I needed a fifth one, and I went to go peruse my bookshelves when it hit me–Weston! I can’t believe I didn’t think of Weston first, honestly.

In 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons, Weston Ludovico is an amputee, and it’s hard on him, but he stays endlessly optimistic. His catchphrase is “Never been better,” even when he’s not doing so well. He’s a staunch people person and everybody likes him–he knows how to make even the grumpiest person strike up a conversation. Overall, he’s just a really likeable character and probably my top favorite male protagonist.

Well, there you have it! My top five favorite heroes. Who’s your favorite? I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time,

Book Review: The Fog Diver by Joel Ross

December 1, 2021November 29, 2021Liesl Brunner5 Comments

“If we enter the Fog, we become blind and deaf. And if we stay too long, we die of fogsickness.”

“But not you,” Bea said.

“Not yet,” I said.

Bea shook her head. “You’re different.”

“I’m a freak.”

“Yeah,” Swedish said. “You get beat up by birds.”

Synopsis

Once the Fog started rising, the earth was covered with a deadly white mist until nothing remained but the mountaintops. Now humanity clings to its highest peaks, called the Rooftop, where the wealthy Five Families rule over the lower slopes and floating junkyards.

Thirteen-year-old Chess and his friends Hazel, Bea, and Swedish sail their rickety air raft over the deadly Fog, scavenging the ruins for anything they can sell to survive. But now survival isn’t enough. They must risk everything to get to the miraculous city of Port Oro, the only place where their beloved Mrs. E can be cured of fogsickness. Yet the ruthless Lord Kodoc is hot on their trail, for Chess has a precious secret, one that Kodoc is desperate to use against him. Now Chess will face any danger to protect his friends, even if it means confronting what he fears the most.

Opinions

I picked up this book in the middle-grade section of the library because I thought the cover was intriguing. It’s outside of the genres I normally read, so I wasn’t expecting to like it.

And boy, was I wrong.

As soon as I picked up this book, I was drawn into a wonderful world full of humour and hilarity. My favourite part of this whole book was the way it handled humour–during high-energy or tense scenes, there was just enough for it to maintain the tone of the book, but throughout the rest of it, the characters were very real in their use of humour. The characters felt real, despite being in a very steampunk setting.

One of the things I did notice, though, was how fast the plot moved. In some places, it felt like too much. I couldn’t keep track of the characters; every time I turned around (or turned a page) there was a new name and a new face. I kept a list of the characters as I went, though, and that helped, but still, the way they were introduced was less than optimal.

However, the worldbuilding in this novel was so well-done. The backstory and information you needed to know was woven in expertly through inner narrative and dialogue, and clear descriptions of the setting helped me see the world vividly.

All in all, I loved this book. I would recommend it for anybody who’s a fan of Rick Riordan’s books. And I will definitely be checking out the sequel next!

Stats

Pages: 328
Genre: Middle grade sci-fi
Year of publication: 2015
Content warnings: some made-up swear words, violence, light romance
My rating: 8/10

If you liked this book, you also might like The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.

50 Awesome Fiction Prompts to Get Your Inspiration Flowing

February 10, 2021February 11, 2021Liesl Brunner13 Comments

I know that sometimes it’s hard to get inspiration for a new story or even for one in progress. Thankfully, we have fiction prompts to turn to! I’ve compiled a list of 50 of my favourite fiction prompts from my good friends on the Young Writers Workshop. The ones you find may be dialogue, a concept, or a scene. Go get inspired!

Content warnings: There may be blood, murder, death, etc. discussed in these. What can I say? We’re writers.

“I’m not very fond of this idea.”

“Well, I’m not very fond of you right now. Just put it on and get in the car!”

“And they rode away into the sunset…”

“What’s a sunset?”

“Well, I don’t know, but my granddad saw one once.”

“Look, there’s even a statue dedicated to you!”

“Yes, but I’ve never been here before.”

When he produced two syringes of clear fluid, she knew what lay ahead. Pulling up her sleeve, she could only hope everything would turn out as it should.

“You did what?”

“It was an accident!”

“How do you blow up an entire building on accident!?”

“Stop glaring at my mark.”

“I’ve lived too long under that symbol to ignore it.”

“And I’ve lived over you for too long to enjoy you disobeying me. But we don’t always get what we want, do we?”

“My heart is made of stone and covered in a pretty layer of ice.”

The antagonist has kidnapped two of the protagonist’s loved ones and is holding them hostage. Could be a sibling, a boyfriend/girlfriend, a parent, a best friend. The protagonist has to choose which one dies and which one lives. Who dies? Who lives? Does the protagonist save them? Does the protagonist sacrifice one of them? What are the outcomes?

The traffic was painfully slow as the cab reached the airport. She couldn’t leave, not without me telling her that I love her.

When I finally reached the airport, I knew I had missed my shot–but something else was wrong. Emergency services were everywhere. A plane had crashed.

Her plane.

“You didn’t have to throw it!”

“It was a cat. Why wouldn’t I throw it?”

There is nothing quite like an unfamiliar place in the dark. Especially when you can’t see the blood, just smell it.

“This is your prophecy, young one. You must use the map to–”

“I, uh, may have lost the map. Is there a backup?”

“There’s something about you I can’t quite replace…”

“Don’t you mean explain?”

“No, I mean replace.”

“Is he…?”

“He is.”

“She has built an empire of driftwood. All I’ll need is a little spark…”

“Oh, is that true? Too bad I’ll have to kill you now…”

A character is a woman with the power to draw magic from the night sky, one star at the time. When her significant other/a family member/a friend gets sick, she has to drain the Milky Way to cure them. She is now known as “The Sky Thief”.

“You have the heart of a rebel.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Gotta love skylights. No one ever thinks to guard them.”

The villain shook their head. “What a pity…”

“Let me go!” begged the protagonist again. “Please,” she sobbed. “Please.”

“You could have been Queen. It’s a pity you chose this path instead.”

The villain lifted their dagger.

Lindsay first saw the ghost at the bus stop.

Once upon a time, I died. And that’s what started this whole mess.

“You’re brave, but you don’t have a conscience. Therefore, you act like an idiot.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Dude, then why did you do the trust fall with me?”

“Because I knew that if you dropped me, I would have an excuse for missing my chemistry class. Plus, they always give me suckers at the doctor’s office.”

“You know we’re not all born with the ability to throw fireballs, right?”

Person 1: “What is your current mental state?”

Person 2: spins around in an office chair while staring off into space

Person 1: “That isn’t a–“

Person 3: “No, no, he’s got a point.”

He showed up at my cell in a purple robe. Leaning on the bars, he sighed. “Hey Emily, would you sing?”

“You want your hostage to sing to you? Are you threatening me?”

He rubbed his fluffy hair. “No. It’s late. I can’t sleep. I like your singing voice. That’s it.”

I snorted. “Well, I’m so sorry, but you’re not going to hear it.”

“I’ll get you a pastry or something in the morning.” He shrugged.

I crossed my arms. “Okay, fine.”

I always thought the phrase “My mind is elsewhere” was an expression.

Well, I was dead wrong.

I was dead.

My life flashed before my eyes.

Everything leading up to this event replayed itself in my mind.

All of it slowly leading up to this moment.

I was so dead.

“Please turn in your Algebra homework.“

My body screamed in pain.

Unfortunately for it, I only speak English and sarcasm.

“Well, one good thing came out of that.”

“What is it?”

“I can cross it off my bucket list!”

“That’s a terrible idea. What time?”

The phone rings. The voice on the other end says “We need you again,” then hangs up.

The evil queen keeps a diary. Write her first entry, then her 12th, then her last.

Suddenly, all over the world, all children start drawing the same thing over and over again.

Your antagonist has died. Who leaves flowers on their grave?

He shook his head. “That’s like trying to stop a volcano with a cork.”

My sister inherited my mother’s high cheekbones and wavy flaxen hair. My brother inherited my father’s tall frame and smiling periwinkle eyes.

And me?

I inherited the family’s guilt.

Or that may have been acquired.

For the longest time, I have loved the stars.

“Sorry about that,” he says apologetically, reaching down a hand to help me up.

“That’s okay,” I reply, taking his hand and hoisting myself up. I dust myself off. “I’m used to it.”

You stand on the stage, your stomach fluttering and your knees knocking. Any moment now your form will be announced, the form you will get to shape-shift into.

The announcer turns towards you and booms into his microphone, “This young student is diligent, smart and hardworking! Their form will be one in the mollusk family…!”

You tune out. What could be worse…

The year is a 3021. Writers now struggle to make a living. They are esteemed but almost all of the ideas have been hashed. In order to keep books from dying, the government picks the most elite writers and sets out recycling bin for ideas. Most people don’t write anymore and are paid for their ideas.

Your job as the janitor is to empty the ideas into the vault, where they are sorted. The ideas in bright yellow are fresh and valuable, the dark green less valuable and the burnt crimson unusable. The writers then pick the best ones and write them. You are a little figure behind the scenes, but you don’t mind. You don’t get noticed either.

Until one day when the brightest yellow idea you have ever seen escapes from the vault and runs away. You chase it, expecting to lose your job if you don’t catch it. Little did you realize how much more you risked–and how much you could gain.

I opened my eyes. A breathtakingly beautiful woman was leaning over me, anxiously scrutinizing my face.

“Who are you?” My throat felt scratchy.

Her eyes widened.

You go over the list of things you need to do while you pet sit.

Dust two times a week
Bring any mail or packages in
Water the cat
Feed the plants

“That’s got to be a typo, right?” you ask the cat. Suddenly, the cat bursts into flames.

“So what are you in for?”

She looks up at me with glowing amber eyes. “You don’t want to know.”

Boy:

She screws up her eyes, wrinkles her nose, and presses a hand to her already bruising temple. She could cry. I wouldn’t mind. It hurts more to try not to. I can tell she’s in pain. She bites her bottom lip and clenches her fists, but she doesn’t cry. I admire her for it.

Girl:

He watches as I try not to cry out in pain. I’m afraid that if I cry, he will laugh. I can feel his eyes on me and I want to shrink away. I meet his gaze and he smiles at me. One tear drips down my cheek. He doesn’t look away or laugh. I admire him for it.

As much as I told myself I hated her completely, I couldn’t believe it. I knew I would love her as much as I hated her. No matter how much she annoyed the crap out of me, I was overcome with the desire to stay by her side.

Forever.

Everyone in the world has the ability to read thoughts. Except for one person.

You are one of the mechanics on the first-ever self-flying airplane.

Your pen pal lives on the opposite side of the universe.

I laughed in the face of death.

And Death laughed right back at me.

She had been called many things in her life.

Thief, vagabond, exile, outcast.

Now she would be called empress.

I hope you enjoyed those prompts! Which one was your favorite? Did one spark an idea for you?