There aren’t any new stories, just new ways to tell them.
You’ve probably heard this line before (and in fact, we discussed this in our last Blogging U. course, when we talked about finding the best angles for our posts).
For this writing challenge, let’s experiment: we’ll provide options for two key elements of your post — the setting and the opening line — and you’ll choose the ones you’d like to work with. Then, you can write any type of post, in any style or genre (fiction, nonfiction, poem, multimedia story) as long as you stick with these two details.
While you’ll all have access to the same options, we anticipate very different perspectives and takes among your submissions.
Choose your setting:
First, select the setting of your piece. You can use one of the options in the gallery below as an actual, physical location for your essay, article, short story, poem, or other work. Or, you can use an image simply as inspiration — as a springboard for your musings.
We’ve not identified the specific geographic locations, as we don’t want them to restrict you. Use these general landscapes to shape your posts: you’re free to create your own worlds based on the details you see.
If you’d like to use an image in your own post, click on the image in the gallery, then click on “View full size” at the bottom right in the Carousel. You can then save the image to your computer. (Do practice proper image attribution and credit Cheri Lucas Rowlands/The Daily Post!)
Pick your opening line:
Second, choose your introductory line from one of these options:
- It’s a big world out there.
- I had been here before, a long time ago.
- I was uncertain, but kept going.
- In my dreams, I envision a place.
- Loneliness is an interesting feeling.
While we hope you stick to one of the options above, if none of these exact lines speak to you, tweak one of them to fit the mood or style of your piece.
Now, start writing! We look forward to reading your submissions.
