Writing Prompt: The Letter

In Going Postal by Terry Pratchett, postmaster Moist von Lipwig delivers a letter (one of many) that had been sitting in the post office for decades. The letter conveyed the acceptance of a marriage proposal, and after its delivery, the couple reunited and were finally wed.

Write a poem, scene or story in which a long-lost letter is finally received, altering the recipient in some way.

Check this article for some additional prompts.

Writing Prompt: Discworld dialogue

Many moons ago, I would send out monthly writing prompts to my fellow classmates from Gail Adams’s flash fiction class. I stopped after a couple of years when interest started waning, but at the writing retreat, mentioned that she’d like to see me revive the practice. So this entry is the first of what I hope will be a weekly series, with new prompts each Friday afternoon. (If you’re familiar with RSS, you can use it to subscribe to my blog so that you can automatically keep up with future prompts: http://tembrooke.net/feed/.)

This week’s entry uses lines of dialogue from one of my favorite authors, Sir Terry Pratchett, who spins delightful tales of humor and satire that take place on the fictional Discworld. Pick a quote you like and use it as inspiration for a scene or a brief story.

  • “Now would be the right time to run.” Moist von Lipwig, Going Postal
  • “Always remember Rule One.” Lu-Tze, Thief of Time
  • “I vas vaiting for zer roll of thunder.” Otto Chriek, vampire, The Truth
  • “…one always feels somehow that there is something delightfully dangerous about a captain.” Sybil Ramkin, Guards! Guards!
  • “DAMN. I WISH THEY DIDN’T LEAVE ME TO DEAL WITH THIS SORT OF THING.” Death, The Truth

Happy writing!

Check this article for some additional prompts.