Writing Prompt #1: The Mysterious Object

I’m not a fan of the “describe your perfect vacation” writing prompts. They do nothing productive for story development, character development, or elements of suspense, fear, love, etc.

So I’m more interested in writing prompts that help you write stories or scenes that could actually be incorporated into a story of some sort someday.

With that thought in mind, here is my first writing prompt:

Someone unseen had left the object on the desk (floor, bed, table, etc.) It was a totally foreign object, unlike anything else in the room….

So, first person, third person… whatever rocks your boat, just write it. What is the object, where was it left, and what does it do? Is it good or bad? Was it left by a friend or a foe?

I invite anyone who wants to participate to post their response in the comments. Here is my own response:

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The light glinted off the metallic disc that had appeared on the desk. Rufus gripped the keys tightly, staring at the mysterious object. No one had entered the room while he stood guard. There was no access except through his door and only he had the keys. Nothing else in the room had been touched. The treasure remained where he had locked it inside the iron cage against the far wall.

Rufus approached the disc cautiously with one hand on his weapon. The disc began to give off a faint glow as he neared, a red hazy glow that caused him to falter. He was afraid of what the disc was capable of doing to him. He was alone. The other guards had already been released for the evening, and the commander had left him to ride out to the valley fort and inspect the garrison there.

He swallowed his fear and continued forward, pulling his sword from its scabbard. He reached out tentatively and tapped the disc with his finger, testing it for some kind of terrible magical trap. Nothing happened, so he lifted the disc to examine it.

Words appeared in silver, scrawling across the metal surface as if they were being written at that very moment.

“Your commander is dead. Your comrades are dead. Seek out the tablet if you wish to live, for this task you have been spared.”

Suddenly the red glow faded and the disc split down the middle. Rufus dropped the half he was holding and turned and fled from the room. In his fear, all thoughts of any tablet left him. He readied the fastest horse in camp and deserted the settlement.

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Do it quickly and keep it short! Just write whatever is wanting to be written.