January 8th Writing Prompt: Clockwork
It’s not unheard of for someone to want to excel at things they enjoy. One day, a would-be tinker wakes up to find that everything they touch turns to clockwork. How do they react when they first experience this strange magic? How does it affect them over time?
Ideas and questions:
One of the first things that the tinker might want to know is what caused the phenomenon to occur. They might see if prayers to a god were answered, or if there is some other magic carrying hold over them.
The way that the clockwork is created may be an important element to the story. If the tinker is able to cover their hands with gloves (even if they turn into clockwork of some kind), perhaps other items they touch are not converted. But if their transformative power carries forth even through a protective layer, they might find that they’re creating a whole world that they may not want to.
The tinker may find that they either enjoy their power or loathe it, depending on the breadth of how it is used. It may be something that they’ve come to decide they want to get rid of, and that may be a focal point of their journey going forward.
Does this power only affect inanimate objects? Or does the tinker find that when they touch something living, it also turns to clockwork? Does it affect fauna as well as flora? Is the being that is turned into clockwork more or less aware of what they are and what has happened to them?
Does the item or being that turns into clockwork stay that way permanently? Or is it a power that only takes hold for a brief while? If it is temporary, do living things seem aware of what happened when they are returned to their natural state?
Challenge:
Find an interesting balance for your tinker. Give them opportunities to find good uses for their new talent, but also have them live with the horrors of using it inappropriately. Understanding the responsibility that comes with this “clockwork touch” could make for an intriguing tale!