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You know what? To hell with my self-pity!Here's a prompt for your face (it should be a fun one, though... hopefully!):
The WORST place to hear the phrase "Welcome Back."
The thing that I want to stand out is the SETTING. Sometimes settings are overlooked in stories or at very least, more phoned in than anything else. Settings are also characters, you know (well, if you didn't, you know now). We're all so much more concerned with silly things like character development and plot... so for once, let's focus in harder on something else! Where is the character? The more unique and specific the better. Say they're at the doctor's office. But are they at the proctologist? An abortionist? The plastic surgeon? Surprise me. And if you can't be unique, try harder. If you need help, note me.
Guidelines

Setting is key but also think about if they are with someone for the first time. Or their grandmother.

Why is it the worst place for them to hear this phrase?

Don't go

ScreamPrompt #28, September 2012In the hopes of maybe spurring more than 14 of you to write a story for the group this month... I'm going to have to do something drastic. I'm expecting stories from each of you because there is no excuse for not doing the following: I feel like making you all get introspective and personal. We're familiar with the tired advice of "write what you know", so that's what we're gonna do this month. There is no way there should be any stragglers with this one. You all know something, right?

Think of a word/adjective you don't like being called. Tell a story about someone (NOT YOU) fitting this adjective. Something bad should happen to them that should teach them a lesson and they end up redeeming themselves in the end.
What word/adjective you don't like being called? For me, that would be "princess". In the past, the guys in the kitchen would call me that and I'd have no ide

ScreamPrompt #27, August 2012 + group changes!We're gonna do something a little different. Here's the prompt for the month:
Write a story. It should be at least 1000 words but no more than 2000. It can be a vignette or a short story. It can be any genre. It can be any POV. Hell, it can even be in 2nd person!

It can't be that easy.
You're right.
You can't use any adverbs.
Remember where you are.

Lolwut? No adverbs?
There are many types of adverbs and uses; the following information is a quick overview. Read through that and then I will explain further what I am looking for. I RECOMMEND YOU READ THE SOURCES LISTED BELOW because I don't want to just copy-paste from them and they will explain more in-depth than I want to get into here; this is a prompt, not a workshop.
Sources:
http://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/adverbs.htm
http://

All Hallow's Tales - RESULTS!October 31, 2012 - Time to put the chainsaws back in the shed, hang the skin-suits up in the closet and announce the WINNERS of this year's All Hallow's Tales Contest! Competition this year may have been less crowded than in previous years, but no less fierce! Please help me congratulate this year's winners:
FIRST PLACE:

Harvest Time by =Tobaeus
First Prize

1,000 points courtesy of Points Pool donors.

$20 Amazon Gift Card from `Memnalar

Dripping Blood Bookmark from `Memnalar

dA Print of winner's choice from #CRLiterature

6-month premium membership from #CRLiterature

3-month premium membership from `Memnalar

£50 worth of tokens in =TheSkaBoss' browser game Lyrania.*

Fre

ScreamPrompt #31, January 2013 + new video

NEW VIDEO! Planning vs Not Planning http://youtu.be/IbjqtyKJCAM
When I'm looking through books in a brick and mortar store, I flip to the middle of a book for some reason and then put it on the shelf as if I ever had any intention of buying it (I don't know what compels me to buy a book anymore, to be honest). HOWEVER...
When I am here at deviantART, our supercool scrolling thumb feature allows me to see the first sentence of a story and make the determination on whether or not I want to continue reading. That said... I don't read much around here.
Why?
Boy, rhetoric is fun. We know why.
I don't judge a book by its cover but goddamn I will judge a story by its first line. It's called a "hook" for a reason. No one wants to read your story if your opening sentence is
She heard a bird chirp outside her window; slowly, she opened her eyes and yawned, the winged animal acting as her alarm clock.
Nothing there to c

Literature DD Roundup - July 2012 July Literature Daily Deviations
Featured by ^Beccalicious

Drive by ~DodgingTheBeatBreathe by ~FerociousFruitThe Siren by =QuiEstInLiteris4.27: Sophia by *LaBruyereThe Silo Complex by *Laura-LieLion Heart by *Concora:thumb279641022:
Featured by `thorns
Romeo by *kittykittyhunterInhuman Resources: Chapter 1 by *DamonWakes:thumb305128584:a picture of a plane. by ~colbalt-rainbeta physics by ~sachalkhanProfessional Eulogist by ~ThermadorianGrey:thumb284475880:50 Berkeley Square by =star-blazerFine, Fine, Fine by ~kaleidofishFall by ^neurotype:thumb297319092:Girl, Fifteen, To A Lover She'll Never Meet by ~angel-in-piecesGreen fireflies. by ~theshadowkissedgirl* by *L0NE-W0lfFireating. by ~dweckieMagnetism by *MMDanielsonThe Monster Inside by ~Jaybird101
Our wonderful suggestors!
Again many thanks to EVERYONE who suggested DDs, but here are those whose suggested pieces were featured this month!
^NicSwaner, `LiliWrites, =TheSkaBoss, *UnspecifiedUnknown, :devV

Writing Without Publishing: raspil speaksRecently it was pointed out to me that, overall, discussions on literature around these parts focus on writers who want to publish. I'm one of those people. I don't understand not writing your work for fame or money. However, I do know someone who's all about improvement and has no interest in publishing. So I asked `raspil to answer a few questions and she did so in the best raspil style. Fair warning: we will have a laugh over haters.
Unedited.
preface: i am going to give you what you want and what is expected. no bullshit, total honesty and odds are, some inappropriateness. if that makes this hard for some folks to read, then that's how it is. i don't apologize for who i am. as they say at Regular Ordinary Swedish Meal Time... haters are welcome.
(yes, we are starting with the boring shit.) how long have you been writing?
i have a vivid memory of writing my first short story in 3rd grade so i guess i was eight years old. it was a "story" of a group of girlfriends who get togethe

Our First Contest: Brevity Is the Soul of LitNational Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) is set to begin on April 1; what better platform with which to launch our first contest! So without further ado, allow us to present: Brevity Is the Soul of Lit.
Prize List

Everyone always scrolls down to the prizes first anyway, so let's just get that out of the way. As more prizes are (hopefully) added, they will be highlighted.
Best in Show (overall winner)

3-month sub, courtesy of $wreckling.

700 points, courtesy of `GrimFace242, `thorns, `LadyLincoln, ^neurotype and myself.

Inclusion in our Featured folder.

Critique, courtesy of `tiganusi.

Llama, courtesy of =AzizrianDaoXrak.
Best of Breed (themed entry)

450 points, courtesy of `GrimFace242, `thorns, `LadyLincoln, ^neurotype and myself.

Inclusion in our Featured folder.

Llama

ScreamPrompt #34, April 2013

I'm posting this early because of reasons.
Hi! Gonna keep this one simple for those of us who are (or are not) participating in Script Frenzy, Napowrimo or Camp Nano as well...
(remember -- simple doesn't always mean easy)
I saw something at Tumblr that I thought I'd bring here just for the lulz (May, I promise, will bring pain again) and wanted to utilize it.
Work the phrase "not since the accident" into some dialogue by the main character within the first 250 words of the story.
Here are the guidelines to follow to keep things on track:
1. Must be a minimum of 2000 words, max 3000.
2. The main character has a horrible secret that is related to the "accident" they speak of. The more creative the accident, the better.
The secret cannot be that the main character is lying about the accident having even occurred.
Yeah, car accident leaps to mind first. Stop. Accidents are everywhere. Not everyone gets "hurt" in an accident. Think about what an accident

Flash Fiction and Compressed PoetryCritique Week has begun!
Due to some difficulties in getting submissions in we're extending critique week to Friday, March 16th and then wrap up the workshop the following Monday.
Mark Twain once said, "If I had more time, I would write a shorter story." That is what we will be doing in this workshop. The Flash Fiction and Compressed Poetry Workshop is a project that is designed to help writers be effective with limited word use and for poetry's sake, little space to do it in.
What is Flash Fiction? What is Compressed Poetry?
Flash Fiction is a short piece of prose that has a story structure and uses its limited amount of words to make an impact on the reader. Some examples of flash fiction are:

Compressed Poetry, also known as Slender Poetry, is typically poetry that makes use of 4 or less words per line, depending on the length of the words. This can be used in many ways: to create detachment, is

ScreamPrompt #32, February 2013So yeah, we're gonna do something love-related for this month... everyone loves or hates or is apathetic about Valentine's Day and I thought I already wrote this out but I didn't so I'm not prepared and it's the 1st already!
But I have the idea...
Ready?
Write a story about something you* love so much and want so bad but can't have it.
*You can be either yourself (1st person POV) or an MC (3rd person), either is fine.
Emphasis on the word "something".
IT CANNOT BE ANOTHER LIVING BEING.
IT HAS TO BE AN INANIMATE OBJECT OR CONCEPT!!
And give us a cool/funny/mind-blowingly wtf or sad reason why it is out of reach.
Why?
One, because it's my group (but it's here for you). There are, I'm sure, other prompt groups out there doing the same old thing because they are the same old thing. You're here because you want something else. Two, because writing about unrequited love is boring and I don't want to read it or su

2013 AND A TIME MACHINE- Contest EXTENDED
CONTEST CLOSED!!!
FOURTEEN ENTRIES IN SO FAR!!! YOU HAVE TILL THE 21ST OF JANUARY TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES!! HURRY GUYSS!! DO NOT LET THESE PRIZES GO TO WASTE!!

MOAAAAAAR PRIZES!!
:icondinolaplz:
IMPORTANT NOTICE: PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO SIGN UP BELOW THIS JOURNAL ENTRY, I still don't know how many of you will be participating, or if anyone will at all, you see.

EDIT: PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO

THIS JOURNAL ENTRY AS WELL, THANK YOU

2013 AND A TIME MACHINE
A New Year's Contest
The Mayan calendar finishes one of its great cycles in December 2012, which has fueled countless theories about the end of the world on December 21, 2012 at 11:11(UTC).
End of days? Will the world keep spinning after the Mayan Calendar ends? Most likely.
Another year has come and gone carrying along with it the bludgeoning weight of not only our regrets, failures and disappointments, but also our wishes, achievement

Louder Than dA Bomb POETRY SLAM + Comment Below!If you cannot participate for the awesome prize pool, see the bottom of this journal for a possible reward.
A few days ago #Elocutionists received a huge helping of prize donations for an unnamed contest the likes and scale of which have never been seen on deviantART before. What is it, you ask?
It's a slam. A poetry slam. And it's Louder Than dA Bomb.
A poetry slam is a "no holds barred" spoken word competition. Poets are encouraged to alliterate, rhyme, shout, whisper, zing, compliment, parody, satirize, improvise, recite, quote, play with words and even sing if the opportunity arises.
For the longest time the #Elocutionists team have wanted to hear the roaring voice of literature, and this month we don't want to hear just any spoken word for a chance at prizes— NO! We want to listen to a writer's passion, emotion, and drive to keep being who they are; their inspiration to keep writing as they will and we want to hear you que

Chat Tour ScheduleWord Wars Chat Tour | Word Wars | Chat Tour Schedule
You're Invited!
Join us in our next game which can be found here:
Details

Date: Sunday, August 19th, 2012

Time: 3:00 PM EST (USA)
[What time is that for me?]

#theWrittenRevolution's Chatroom: http://chat.deviantart.com/chat/thewrittenrevolution
Next Stop, #theWrittenRevolution!
Due to an overfull schedule, we're returning to a wonderful group on our solo stop this August.

September will return to our usual crazy two stops per month schedule!
:iconthewrittenrevolution:
The Host Group
As written for the 11th stop: #theWrittenRevolution, run by another awesome staff team and headed by :devstarboyd

Workshopping with Rasp: Part 1 of 3Here it is, as promised.  Keep in mind that even though I do not have formal training as a writer, these are the things I keep in mind when writing my characters.  I have had varying levels of success here at dA and you are free to use my ideas or not.  I'm not claiming to know it all, the below is not gospel and it's not guaranteed.  But you never know.
Comments are appreciated, haters are welcome.
How to Create Compelling Characters
I can't speak for everyone but I read for compelling characters.  If the characters really move me, the plot can be as thin as it wants; though it's not always easy to have characters carry the whole thing if nothing is happening.
Where do we find compelling characters?  In books, of course, but they're obviously not confined to books.  Compelling characters in movies are just as important.  Unless you're doing improv, plays and movie

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ScreamPrompt #29, October 2012 + sermon + #1 video

by `raspil, Oct 1, 2012, 1:37:19 AM
Journals / Personal

The Concept
Write a story about something that was better left unsaid but was actually spoken.

Yes, I'm phoning this one in because phoning it in is better than skipping out on my responsibilities. I'd rather phone in a prompt than not post one at all. I am not happy about this but I think there can be some good results because you guys are smart and talented. You can think of this one as a softball or a breather all you want, won't change the fact that I'll come back with something to kick your butts later on.

Word count minimum is 2000. No vignettes/single scenes. Any POV, any genre.

  It is due at the end of October.

New Sermon
Please read it.  It might help.  [link]

FIRST VIDEO
[link]

watch it.  these will be in the journal link with past prompts and sermons.

39 Comments

ScreamPrompt #29, October 2012 + sermon + #1 videoby #ScreamPrompts

Journals / Personal

*Blacksand459 Dec 12, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

Guess I'm late to the party, but your video is cool.
Some folks just come across different on 'paper' rather than in person.

`raspil Dec 13, 2012 Writer

totally true. this is why i want to have a mix of both so they hear me and my voice and not their mom's or English teacher or whichever person in their life makes them hate their life.

~Celestriakle Nov 11, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

Omg, just watched your video. You're adorable~! owo

`raspil Nov 11, 2012 Writer

thank you

~Celestriakle Nov 11, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

You're welcome~

~Aussie-Necko Nov 4, 2012 Hobbyist Writer

I promise I will post something whenever I can!

Life hates me T.T

~TwistedAlyx Oct 19, 2012 Hobbyist Writer

Another thought: Sometime soonish, I think I'd like to (literally?) take a page out of your book and use these prompts to generate not a series of disconnected short stories but scenes for my novel-in-progress. Why not? This prompt in particular is obviously very broad.

Oy, my brain. I was trying to write that last part in Spanish. I couldn't figure out the English word. Maybe I'll have to take up Spanish short stories.

`raspil Oct 19, 2012 Writer

do what you would like with these prompts. they are for you.

~TwistedAlyx Oct 19, 2012 Hobbyist Writer

You seem scary on the internet because you actually write in correct English, hahahha. L0ts of oth3r ppl like 2 use "decorative" lanuag3, leik u no??? And you take your own work seriously. I think the video is less intimidating.

But I don't think being intimidating is necessarily scary. But I like scary people. One of my favorite professors is a grumpy grammar Nazi. I love to prove my worth to very critical people. I'm probably a little scary too.

I'll do you the favor of not ending with a crappy excuse about why I haven't been participating. But I'll say I want to, and I will. Count on it.

`raspil Oct 19, 2012 Writer

But I'll say I want to, and I will. Count on it.

always.

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