July 20th Writing Prompt: Speak
Members of a tribe must venture into the wilderness and claim a trophy from their first hunt in order to prove their worth. It is time for a new member to make their journey. When they find their prey, however, the animal begins talking and begging for its life. What does the hunter do, and how does this change things with the tribe?
Ideas and questions:
Perhaps the hunter has happened upon a younger version of a powerful animal, and he sees it as less of a monster than a helpless creature.
In another time, maybe the animal would have welcomed a battle with the hunter. It could be that they are wounded, and are now fearful.
Is the animal a reliable character? Does it offer anything of value to the hunter or make some sort of promise, and if so, can it be trusted at its word?
Does the hunter find this talking version of the animal to be a sign that it should be captured or left alone?
Is it possible that any other people from the hunter’s tribe knows of the animal’s gift?
Challenge:
Write about a member of the tribe who has been at odds with their kinsmen. If they don’t come back without a trophy, they’ll be banished from the tribe. What does this new element do to change the story?
Monthly Contest
July’s contest is now closed. There were no entrants, so no winners were chosen.
Every third Monday of the month, Fantasy Writing Prompts is going to be running a monthly contest for all aspiring writers. In order to enter this month, writers must write a story of at least 1,000 words that follows the prompt above. Note: you do not have to abide by the ideas or challenges, but you must follow the story line of the prompt. In this case, you’ll need to write a story about the hunter happening upon the prey that speaks. Link to your work in the comment section of this prompt by the 10th of August. After that, all entries will be reviewed, and a winner will be chosen, with that entrant’s story featured on the site.
This month’s prize will be a $25 gift card to Amazon.