Freebie Mondays: A Second Prompt Novel Update

It’s been awhile since I wrote an update on my prompt novel project – so it feels like it’s time. Mostly because I want to make it easier to find the chapters I’ve written so far. And the best way to do that is to make an updated table of contents that links to all the currently published chapters.

But it’s also a lot easier to choose each week’s prompt if I’ve weeded out the list of prompts I already used.

Since the goal here is accessibility, I’ll put the new table of contents first and include an update on how the project is going at the bottom!

The Story So Far

If you’re interested in reading what I’ve written so far, here’s an updated table of contents with links to all completed chapters. (The original project introduction and prompt list is right here, and the first updated list is here!)

Chapter 1: Black Licorice Day
(Prompt: During a bout of road rage, a woman puts a curse on a man that upends his life)
Chapter 2: The Mawor
(Prompt: She has been walking for hours. Her feet are bleeding. But she can’t stop; she can’t let him find her again)
Chapter 3: The Specter of Memory
(Prompt: High school sweethearts reunite)
Chapter 4: The Queen of Pentacles
(Prompt: A character hears their future from a fortune teller)
Chapter 5: Cerulean Sky
(Prompt: Man gets lost in a virtual reality sim and can no longer tell what’s real)
Chapter 6: Limbo
(Prompt: One aspect of every dream a character has comes true the next day)
Chapter 7: Weird Patterns
(Prompt: Character is the only one who can read the lost language and therefore the only person who can decipher “the scroll”)
Chapter 8: Just a Small Thing
(Prompt: One character is actually a mystical creature living a normal human life for a short period)
Chapter 9: The Computer Whisperer
(Prompt: Using only dialog show two characters having their first date)
Chapter 10: A Cozy Fantasy
(Prompt: The lives of two people are changed forever when they meet and engage in a weekend-long love affair)
Chapter 11: The Witches Three
(Prompt: A family on a hike stumbles upon a group of witches in the middle of casting a spell)
Chapter 12: Real Again
(Prompt: Tell a story through text messages)
Chapter 13: The Wheel of Fortune
(Prompt: Two characters that had a fling discover they’re having a baby)
Chapter 14: A Family Reunion
(Prompt: A character thought dead returns home to the surprise of those that moved on)
Chapter 15: A Lifetime of Regret
(Prompt: Using only dialog reveal a long-hidden secret)
Chapter 16: The Most Mundane Curse
(Prompt: Character has to get to the bottom of their family’s deepest secret)

Prompts Yet to Come

My goal for this project has always been to have as light a plan as possible. Sometimes I pick the next sequence of prompts I intend to use. But if I think of an idea before I get to one, I’m happy to shuffle the order.

I did not limit myself to finishing only prompts from the first list before moving onto the second, so there are still a few prompts from the original project planning session remaining.

Here’s the list of prompts remaining from the first round of selection:
1. “If I knew then what I know now”
2. She tried to forget him but never could
3. A man asks his twin to fill in for him for a relationship he’s gotten tired of

And the list of prompts from the second round of selection (which I haven’t used many of yet):
1. You can buy a pill that lets you decide exactly what you will dream
2. Character gets to revisit one moment from their life
3. Past and present timelines begin to merge
4. Character discovers their best friend’s dad is responsible for the growing number of missing people in their hometown

I have been trying to keep some of the more challenging prompts in mind as I go so that I won’t suddenly find myself unable to fit one in. But by far the most challenging prompt to make work is going to be “a man asks his twin to fill in for him for a relationship he’s gotten tired of.” At this point, I might have to do something crazy to make that work!

My Thoughts

The most interesting thing about this project so far has been the way it forms in my mind. Typically, I don’t spend too much time thinking about the project when I’m not working on it, because the whole point was not to have a plan. But I do like to consider the scenes I intend to write the night before. Every time I start to wonder what I might do with a particular prompt, it seems to click into place in my brain, offering me a path forward.

When I first scanned the list of prompts I chose, I worried that some were too out of place to ever fit. And while it has been a challenge to find a place for those prompts, every time I sit down and really think about how to make them work, something comes to me.

In a lot of ways, this project has reminded me how fun it is to pants a project and just get in there with no real idea of how things are going to work out, just trusting and hoping for the best. But I never have to worry about writing myself into a corner because there’s always a new prompt to give the story a firm direction.

The biggest challenge has been trying to make sure the story doesn’t meander. At the beginning, I chose a lot of prompts that could be used to establish characters and events. As the story moved on, I had to focus on generating conflict. Now I’m moving toward the portion of the story that needs resolution and I’m wondering which prompts will grant me that.

I still don’t actually know where this story is going to end. That might be the most exciting part of the project. But I am deep enough into the story that I feel like I can say the exercise has been a resounding success. I’ve learned a lot. I just have to hope I can create an ending worthy of the story I’ve crafted!

I post all of the sessions that produce this novel on Youtube, in case you’re interested in watching it come together!