Writing Prompt: The Frozen Crown

This week, we’re going to do something totally different: I’m inviting you to join in writing an interactive story.

Yesterday, author Cat Rambo tweeted about a fun site called An Ancient Tome; the site turns writing into a game by facilitating interactive stories. You can start a story of your own and allow other people to write with you, or you can add to a story already in progress. The two available genres are sci-fi and fantasy, and the system will provide prompts or inject information to either jump-start the story or keep it moving. Each contributor writes a “chapter” (200 words or less) before another writer gets a turn.

I’ve started a fantasy story called “The Frozen Crown,” and you’re invited to add to it! You just need a Twitter account to log into the website. Here’s my starting chapter, based on the prompt “the white shield”:

Something was wrong.

The woods were unusually quiet: no flapping of birds’ wings, no rustling of rabbits or squirrels. Sasha slowed her pace, keeping eyes and ears alert for any threat.

The shield must have been enchanted; she couldn’t see it until she was an arm’s length from it. It leaned at the base of a wide oak tree and the painted white surface seemed to glow in the sunlight. It seemed to call her; Sasha wanted to touch it, to claim it for herself. She stumbled and nearly tripped as she stepped back, knowing those feelings were not her own. Her instincts told her to flee. She turned and ran.

And the shield sang after her, calling her name.

Here’s a link to the story thus far.

If sci-fi is more your thing, here’s a link to the sci-fi tale started by Cat Rambo: Inside the Glass. Anyone can add to this story as well.

I hope you join us and add a few words to a story (or start one of your own). Happy writing!

1 thought on “Writing Prompt: The Frozen Crown

  1. Thanks for the post. I’ve seen similar interactive writing sites, but for once I decided to join in. The prompts are a nice touch. It’s nice to join in a story someone’s already started, for those of us afraid of a blank page!