A few weeks ago I wrote a post called “40 really awful writing prompts that no writer should use.” At least one reader decided to take on the challenging of my rather bizarre writing prompts and decided to take on not one, not two, but three of my awful writing prompts in one short story.
The awful writing prompts selected were
24. Incorporate the line: You had me at Jell-O.
29. Write a story about Kurt Cobain rising from the dead to attend a Josh Groban concert and eat a cronut.
34. Due to a technical mishap a talking pickle is elected president. Hilarity ensues.
The result is “Pickles & Cobain” by C. L. Hesser. Here is an excerpt.
Cherry Doll, a sleepy-eyed Titian with long legs and threadbare eyebrows, set the table with cheap, thick plastic mugs, two red plates from the dollar store, and a vase full of dried roses. I took out the ham from the oven and set it down in the middle of the tablecloth, right next to the wine stain from Thanksgiving.
It was Christmas Eve and we’d already set up the three-foot tree in the corner of our apartment, decorated it with decade-old tinsel and a few tiny ornaments from the clearance section at Wal-Mart, and wound one string of cheap lights around the branches.
I shook out the dust from the wine glasses and put one beside each plate, took out the box of wine from the fridge, and clicked on the TV set before we sat down.
She was wearing that dress I liked, the green one with lace on the neckline. It had a weird reddish-brown stain just under her right nipple, but I didn’t mention it. We weren’t seeing anyone this holiday, it was just us this year. “Isn’t it crazy,” I said nonchalantly, “how that talking pickle got elected president?”
You can read the entire story here.
If you want to take on one or more my 40 really awful writing prompts send the resulting story to kimzdale [at] gmail [dot] com. If I like it I may share it.
Want to read what I write (generally not based on awful writing prompts)? Get notified of new posts by email. Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.
You can also find Kim Z. Dale on Twitter and Google+ and like Listing Toward Forty on Facebook.
Kim Z. Dale 