It’s the week before Christmas, and this is the time when many people are concentrated on gifts: either buying them for people or looking forward to getting them.

Gifts are usually good (at least, we hope so). We might say that someone has a gift for languages or public speaking. Or anything, really. Of course, if a gift is bad, we might consider it a curse.

What is really interesting, especially for stories, is when we are not sure if something is a gift or a curse. Maybe it’s both. For instance, in a fantasy story, something like knowing the future or being able to read people’s minds might be both a great gift and also a huge curse. There are plenty of more mundane examples as well (for example, being good at fixing computers: it’s a useful skill but you spend all your time fixing your friends’ computers).

Story Prompt: December 18, 2023

Write a story about an object or ability that is a gift but also a curse. Use your imagination.

You can send me a link to your story if you’ve posted it somewhere or send it to me at info@greenwalledtreehouse.com. You can also submit your story here for a chance to have it published on the site next week.

Good luck and happy writing! Come back next Monday for another story prompt.