30 Days of Prompts: Woman on the Run

Yesterday's post contained prompts related to a dystopian future. Some could be connected, and some were unrelated. You decide how to use them. 

Today, I've pulled up prompts about Jenny, a woman on the run. The 30 days of prompts encompass a whole story that you can formulate based on the prompts. You can add to them, or change them as you see fit. 

Have fun with it and start a new habit.

30 Days of Prompts: Woman on the Run

Day 1: The inciting incident. Describe the moment Jenny realizes she has to flee, and what she witnesses that terrifies her.

Day 2: On the road. What does Jenny pack in her haste? Where is she headed?

Day 3: Disguise. Jenny needs to blend in. How does she alter her appearance?

Day 4: Flashback. What was Jenny's life like before she went on the run?

Day 5: Close call. A near miss with her pursuers puts Jenny on edge.

Day 6: Morality test. Jenny encounters someone in need. Does she help, risking exposure, or keep running?

Day 7: Exhaustion. Jenny finds a temporary haven. Describe her internal struggle: fear vs. hope.

Day 8: Unexpected kindness. A stranger offers Jenny a small act of generosity.

Day 9: Resourcefulness. Jenny finds a clever way to obtain something she desperately needs.

Day 10: Doubt. Jenny questions her choices and if she can outrun what's chasing her.

Day 11: Discovery. Jenny stumbles upon a clue that might help her understand what's after her.

Day 12: The pursuers. Describe them in detail. Are they human?

Day 13: Technology vs. Nature. Jenny must choose between using technology that could expose her or relying solely on instinct.

Day 14: Lost and Found. Jenny loses a precious memento. Does she risk going back for it?

Day 15: Dreams. A vivid dream offers Jenny a cryptic message or a glimpse into her future.

Day 16: Internal conflict. A part of Jenny wants to fight back. How does she navigate this urge?

Day 17: Unlikely ally. Jenny finds an unexpected partner in her fight for survival.

Day 18: Sacrifice. Jenny has to give up something important to stay one step ahead.

Day 19: The chase intensifies. Jenny narrowly escapes capture. Describe the chase scene.

Day 20: Hidden talent. A forgotten skill Jenny possesses might prove crucial.

Day 21: Moral dilemma. Jenny faces a difficult choice that could have lasting consequences.

Day 22: Revelation. Jenny learns a shocking truth about her pursuers or her past.

Day 23: Hope rekindled. Jenny finds a reason to believe she can actually win.

Day 24: Setting a trap. Jenny decides to take a stand and lure her pursuers in.

Day 25: The confrontation. Jenny finally faces her pursuers. Describe the battle (physical or psychological)

Day 26: Aftermath. Jenny deals with the physical and emotional repercussions of the confrontation.

Day 27: Decision time. Does Jenny continue running or try to rebuild her life?

Day 28: Unexpected twist. A new threat emerges or an old enemy resurfaces.

Day 29: Unfinished business. Jenny realizes she needs to address something from her past to find true peace.

Day 30: The ending. Choose an ending that feels right for your story. Does Jenny find closure or is her journey far from over?

Lost Technology: A World Remade: 30 Days of Prompts

My idea of a 30 day challenge is buzzing in my head. I am trying to get myself psyched to do it. My health issues often derail me, but I want to block out time and do this. So, I'm pulling things together to inspire, not just for me, but you as well. I hope you'll challenge yourself to write for 30 days. 

This set of prompts explores a world where a specific technology has vanished, forcing humanity to adapt and rebuild. Choose one or combine elements from a few to get your story started!

1. You are a librarian in a world without digital storage. How do you preserve knowledge? 

2. A traveling tinkerer repairs broken machines with ingenious, non-electronic solutions. 

3. A community struggles to maintain a vital irrigation system originally designed for automated control. 

4. A young person discovers a hidden cache of electronics and sets out to understand their purpose. 

5. A thrilling chase story - a smuggler tries to transport a rare working machine across a lawless territory. 

6. A religious sect believes the lost technology was a divine punishment. 

7. A group of engineers race to rebuild a power grid using forgotten blueprints and scavenged parts. 

8. Write a news report from a world struggling to adapt to a transportation system without cars. 

9. A detective investigates a series of seemingly impossible crimes – are they linked to the lost technology? 

10. A musician composes a symphony using only acoustic instruments, a novelty in this new world. 

Deeper Impact

11. How has the loss of technology impacted social structures and communication? 

12. Explore the emotional toll of a world that has lost a great convenience. 

13. Is there a black market for remnants of the lost technology? 

14. A character grapples with the ethical implications of potentially rediscovering the lost technology. 

15. Write a letter from someone who remembers the world before the technology vanished. 

Unexpected Twists

16. The lost technology wasn't what it seemed, and its absence reveals a hidden truth. 

17. A faction emerges that claims they can bring the technology back online, but at a terrible cost. 

18. The loss of technology is actually a natural defense mechanism against a greater threat. 

19. The story is set hundreds of years after the loss, and the technology is now myth and legend. 

20. The lost technology is slowly reappearing, but in a strange and unpredictable way. 

Broaden the Lens

21. How has the loss of technology impacted the natural world? 

22. Write a story from the perspective of an animal who benefits from the technology's absence. 

23. A team of scientists investigates the cause of the technology's disappearance. 

24. A community thrives despite the loss of technology, proving human resilience. 

25. The story takes place on a space colony that loses contact with Earth, forcing them to rely on forgotten skills. 

Genre Benders

26. Write a fantasy story where magic fills the void left by lost technology. 

27. A post-apocalyptic thriller with a race to find a hidden cache of technology. 

28. A cozy mystery set in a small town that thrives on traditional crafts and skills. 

29. A sci-fi story where a character travels back in time to prevent the loss of technology. 

30. A historical fiction story that explores a real historical period without a specific technology (e.g., communication before the telegraph). 

The Eyes Have It! Simon Bishop

 For a long time, I've been writing a story called The Dream Stealer. The story became so complex that it threw me off, and taking part in NaNoWriMo with a new story each year didn't help. Once I stopped doing NaNo, I could better focus; however, several drafts of very good work constantly competed for my attention. But The Dream Stealer is still something I'm very attached to. Honestly, I think I fell in love with the main character, Simon Bishop. 

Over the years, I had this image of Simon and searched through images online to find someone like him. Toby Stevens resembled him closely. Unfortunately, he's too fair. Simon is dark-haired and his skin tones are less pink. The resemblance to the image in my head is close, but no cigar.

I researched AI and found a site that creates images. So, familiar with his features and given a descriptive box, I assessed the AI's potential. I wasn't completely disappointed. 

Simon Bishop: The Dream Stealer
& Where Dreams Begin

This would be the closest I think I can get to the main character of Simon. The only thing is the eyes are the wrong color. I mean dramatically wrong. Simon has sapphire blue eyes. 

👈🏼 I rather like the image on the left. The image below would be the right color eyes, but the hair is all wrong.  

However, those sapphire eyes are the trait that sets him apart. 

Then there are the other images I've collected. They're equally good. Similar in type, I think, but I don't want the facial hair shown in #4. 

They're also younger or I'm old and they look like kids. That's probably it. 

In the Dream Stealer, Simon is around 40. He has a grown child. So this third handsome gent would be a younger version of Simon. 

And the final version is below. He's older because I ask it to age it a bit, but I don't think AI has quite got the hang of it. Or I really am old. 

Still, these all bear striking resemblance to the Simon in my head. The first and third ones are the closest to what I see.

 But the eyes in the second and 4th are closest to Simon's eyes, with #3 being nearest. 

And then there are the non-contenders AI tossed at me. I've put them below. Not that they're terrible, but they don't strike a chord in my head. The middle guy, that's actually the eyes. But he scares me! LOL

How It Goes

The struggle is real. I managed to work a few hours this week on The Long Summer Run. It just hit me that I wanted ... no needed to write. I have so many ideas that run through my head and have not even felt the urge. I've been sick for months with some sort of respiratory issue and my RA has really not been behaving well. 

I suspect the inflammation has been so high because of the compound issues. I've been on antibiotics and steroids within a single month. It took that long for the sinus infection to clear up, at least the worst of it. I am still having issues with drainage that cause coughing fits. I get embarrassed to go out. Today, I'm revisiting my RA doctor to see if we can get this mess to back off.

However, I had a sudden urge to write. So I did. I worked for several hours. The plan was to come back the next day. Unfortunately, plumbing issues arose and Sarah started her job and school. Sarah is my 17yr old granddaughter who has returned home to live with me after several years away. If you read my other blogs, or are on my Facebook page, you'll have run into references of her growing up. 

Anyway, with all this going on, I didn't get back to the novel. 

(✿◡‿◡)

And as of today, 14 days have passed. Yep. That's how it goes. I didn't get back to the novel. My doctor did nothing but tell me she was retiring. And I'm still struggling with pain, fatigue, and the congestion problems. 

However, last night that urge reappeared, and I worked for a bit on a segment of The Dream Stealer. I don't know why I bother with anything. Something else always interferes. And I know that we're supposed to prioritize our writing. Unfortunately, when you have doctor's appointments, children to get where they need to go, family who also rely on your help, church, running your legs off to find supplies because these days it seems there's not enough of the necessities at any one store. Anyway, by the end of the day, I'm wiped out. Fibromyalgia is a hag.

I enjoyed writing and today I woke with a better mindset and took the time available and do it. And I promptly began working on something for one of my blogs and got distracted searching for information I needed. 

ㄟ( ▔, ▔ )ㄏ

That folks, is the story of my life. When I realized I was caught in a spiral, I shut down the browser for everything but this post. I've got too many irons in the writing inferno. Three blogs, all different. I've considered consolidating a couple, but there are problems with that idea. So I plod along.

For now, I'm going to end here because, let's face it, it is two weeks overdue! I wish you a beautiful day, a wonderful weekend, and many blessings. 

Write any way, anywhere, anytime you are able. 

Starting Over... Again

The July post sounded optimistic, didn't it? I have done a little writing and I was able for a bit to do a lot of things around here that had to be done. The arm is well but I've not been able to go back to the gym but once or twice. 

At first because I was not cleared by the doctor. I actually had to go get a shot in the arm to help with the pain. After several weeks, I was good to go back. I made a trip to the gym on October 12. I remeber I didn't feel well and it was a week before I tried again on the 20th. By then I wasn't feeling well at all and after my 6 mile ride, I came home. I've been down ever since. I think I've had Covid #3.

Today, I'm much improved, but still not great. I'm not coughing as much and there is way less crud in my chest and nose. I've coughed so much my ribs, back, and head hurt. And as for fatigue, I've been so tired I just fall asleep in a chair. 

I'm very annoyed because I was doing really well the first of October. I felt better than I have in a long time. I was getting a lot of stuff done, had started to write again, and planned to go down to Atlanta to visit my aunt and uncle. Two weeks ago I almost left. I was packed but the next morning I was so sick I had to cancel. 

So, here I sit. Planning what to do after I'm completely over this. 

It is very frustrating because time seems to be just slipping away. I've been battling illness for years now and I'm pretty tired of it. Or maybe just tired is a better way to phrase it. 

If my I get better over the next few days, maybe I will be able to get back into it.. writing, sewing, crochet. I feel totally useless at the moment. Always, I'm starting over and honestly, I probably should just give up. 

Whew, what a bummer this is!