This story is written as a response to the Muse on Monday writing prompt for July 7, 2025: Write a story about an anachronism. Bringing a Knife to a Laser Fight They told us we could pick any weapon we wanted for the semi-annual battle royale. It was all in virtual reality, so no one…
Tag: Writing
Muse on Monday – July 7, 2025
Recently, I visited an island with no cars or motorized vehicles at all. Everything was done with horse-drawn wagons and carriages. It was like stepping back into the 19th century (except, luckily, for the air conditioning). Still, it was charmingly anachronistic. An anachronism is anything that doesn’t fit in the current time period, either because…
Muse on Monday – June 30, 2025
This week, I want to look at birds. Birds are pretty fascinating for a lot of reasons: the fact that many of them travel long distances every year, much more than land animals; they have a big range of sizes and diets and characteristics, from the hummingbird to the ostrich, and they live in every…
Muse on Monday – June 23, 2025
The novel Leviathan, by Scott Westerfield, takes place in World War I. The situation is the same as the history we know except that the British have living machines made through genetic engineering and the Germans have steampunk mechanical machines, like walking fortresses. This is what is known as alternate history, where we imagine history…
Writing Corner: The Noob
The Noob There are times in a story where you need to explain things to your readers. It all depends on the type of story you are writing. If you are writing a story about middle school students in daily life, you can assume that your reader will already understand most things in the story…
Muse on Monday – June 16, 2025
Welcome to another week and another Muse on Monday! Today’s prompt is what I call a one-piece prompt, in that it gives you one piece of a story premise but leaves enough room for you to fill in the details about setting, genre and plot. Story Prompt: June 16, 2025 Write a story about a…
Muse on Monday – June 9, 2025
Story Prompt: June 9, 2025 Write a story based on the picture below: This is a picture of the county courthouse in Erie, PA. I’m not sure why it’s lit up blue, but it makes a cool effect. If you write a story with this prompt, send me a link to your story on your…
Muse on Monday – June 2, 2025
There is a quote by the science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke that goes “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” This means that while a gun or a lightbulb might seem like magic to someone from thousands of years ago, a tractor beam or teleporter might seem like magic to us, since it…
Muse on Monday – May 26, 2025
One of the main elements of fiction is conflict. There has to be some problem to solve or it is not that interesting to read. A lot of stories take place in horrific circumstances, where there is conflict all over the place. However, could you write a story in a seemingly ideal situation? What would…
Muse on Monday – May 19, 2025
Time for a super specific prompt this week, loosely based on the picture above. Story Prompt: May 19, 2025 You are hurrying home at night when you meet a figure in a black cloak and holding a sword. “Don’t be afraid,” it says. Remember that the plot and the tone are totally up to you….
The Green-Walled Treehouse 