A Prompt, a Prompt, my Kingdom for a Prompt!

A long-standing hit in my Writing Club meetings are writing prompts. They are a great way to get the brain juices flowing and to get our creative hats firmly strapped on. Some of the prompts I use are acquired at random from the internet. I also obtain some from other writing resources such as The Writer, an excellent magazine that I have access to at the library where I work.

Just as often, I make up prompts based on creative inspiration and ongoing events. Prompts I've used over the last couple years include

• Jacket Patches - use/create a character and describe any iron-on patches they may have on their jacket

• Noodle the Cat - discuss the great wonders beyond our plane of existence that only Noodle can see 

• New Skill - write about a skill and the group will guess whether you have this skill already or would like to learn it

• Goblin Mode - write something inspired by Oxford's 2022 "Word of the Year"

• Animal Antics - pick an animal and generate a character based on their visual and behavioural characteristics

• Fish in a Bird Cage - take the song lyric given to you and without knowing the whole song, write something inspired by it, then we will listen to the full song (I used Fish in a Bird Cage)

Other things that make regular appearances at our meetings are picture prompts and random colour/name/thing generators. My all-time favourite of the former is the image of a road sign depicting a car, a cliff, and a monster. The pieces the participants shared were so varied and entertaining to hear. The following is what I produced from the prompt in 15 minutes of writing time:

Clarkwell Canyon is well known for a number of reasons. Its gorgeous rock formations and sediment structures draw the eye of anyone from a seasoned geologist to an average tourist. Its winding backroads are perfect trails for mountain bikers and hikers alike. Its spindly rivers house various species of fish endemic to the region, making its silty waters the perfect place for animal lovers and underwater photographers to congregate. Of course, the most infamous reason for Clarkwell Canyon’s fame is the Cliff Beast, known to the locals as Henry.

Henry lives high up on the western slope of the canyon. Normally he keeps to himself, but he has been known to venture down to the roadside to act against cars with rumbly mufflers or squeaky drive-shafts. Henry is a very shallow sleeper and thus has little tolerance for mindless noise. For this reason, travel along the western road is discouraged. For those brave, or stupid, enough to venture that way, they are greeted with a series of road signs warning them of the potential danger of the area. Fortunately, no one has died for at least 10 years.

The Cliff Beast is centuries old if nearby cave paintings have been interpreted properly. Ancient residents of the area revered the beast and left him to his own devices. More recently, approximately three hundred years ago, colonizers tried to attack the beast. Fortunately, locals stood up for the creature, eventually paving the way for his home, and the canyon at large, to be designated as a heritage site.

Tourism booms all year round in the towns adjacent to the canyon. Tours take vacationers to a lookout point for a chance glimpse of Henry’s tail dangling down from his roost. A gift shop located just outside the site makes millions of dollars annually by selling all manner of art, souvenirs, and memorabilia of Henry.

What would you write about using this picture as a prompt?