A year of writing prompts: 13 November

How to use these prompts

Who is this woman?
Tell her story.

Prompts

1. "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." St Augustine of Hippo
2. It's Actor's day. Write a story in which the protagonist is an actor or actress.
3. Today is the thirteenth day after Halloween, a day when followers of black magic would summon up demons to help them with their work. People born on this date are said to possess the evil eye. Some sinister and scary things are happening. One of your characters is blaming the bad luck on the fact that it's the 13th day after Halloween. Are they right? You could include a character who is celebrating their birthday and could be deemed to have the evil eye.
4. In 1997, 10 Downing Street's cat Humphrey was moved to the country. This sparked rumours that Cherie Blair had had him put down, and so the cat was photographed next to that day's paper to dispel the rumours. Write a story about a cat which is being rehomed.
5. On the birthday of Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote Treasure Island, Kidnapped and Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde, write about a kidnapping, an island or a person with a split personality.

Character Names

Kristian, Joannou, Sylvia, Stanley, Mallory, Bruce, Brice

Character Traits

• Have a sense of duty, and tend to love their work.
• Intelligent, adaptable and diplomatic. Keep a cool head.
• Enjoy good health, although there may be a tendency towards rheumatism.
• There is a tendency to be pessimistic and dwell on sorrow. There may be a loss of a loved one which will cause grief and sorrow for a long time.
• Enjoy telling the stories of their hardships.
• Thrifty, possibly to the point of being miserly.
• Reserved, possibly to the point of being reclusive.
• Prefer shade to sunlight and dark colours to bright.
• Attracted to darkness and secrecy. Possible involvement with the occult.
• Will want to research and prove things rather than accept them on faith.
• Capable of building their own world from scratch.
• High moral standards in general, but can be nosey snoopers.
• Opportunities to better themselves often arise through relationships with the opposite sex.
• Aptitude for teaching. May also have a pronounced healing power and be attracted to a medic al career.
• Can be gullible. Snobbery may be an issue.
  

Possible Themes

Destiny.

New beginnings.

Routine. 

Charisma, oration.

Objects

A lumberjack; a wooden hut; a woman spinning; a tombstone; a weary traveller; a glass of water; Coca bushes.