From Random Elements A Story Make, bi-weekly challenge Options

[McGonagall's Cat]

Rob Balder over at Live Journal posted this recently in his LJ :

I created a writing exercise for short stories using that random button.

The simplest way to write a short story is to create a main character, put them in a setting, give them a problem, and introduce a complication, usually in the form of an antagonist.

It's a great Idea and I am stealing it to challenge Ferrets with!

On the Full Moon and New Moon each month a new "Randomly Generated" Challenge will be proffered.



Sir Nicholas *cough* will also award a small prize to the best submission in each bi-weekly challenge. ("best" being a relative term, may come from polling, or just the capricious whims of the Staff.)

[chad13]

The Tale of the Erised Mirror and the Bed Time Story

"Once upon a time in a castle far far away ..."

"How far away?"

"What?"

"What castle was it?"

"It ... I don't ... Do you want to hear the story or not Myrtle?" Moaning Myrtle and Sir Nicholas de Mimsey-Porpington sat in the Ghost lounge, where Nick was attempting to tell Myrtle a story.

"Fine," Myrtle said, eyes blurring with tears. "Go on, tell your stupid story, my questions don't matter."

"Very well then," Nick continued, not at all worried about Myrtle beginning to sob. "Once upon a time in a castle far far away there was a horse ..."

"A regular horse or a ghost horse?"

"Well which would you like it to be?" Nick spat. "I shall make it whichever sort of horse you choose as long as you stop asking questions!"

"Well, I don't like real horses," Myrtle sniffled, "I scare them, and they always run away."

"A ghost horse then," Nick rolled his eyes, rather annoyed. "So there was a ghost horse and he grazed in the pasture behind the castle, interrupted only occasionally by a tinkling noise."

"A tinkling noise?"

"Yes," Nick frowned.

"Why a tinkling noise?"

"Do you want me to tell you the ending already?" he glared. "Every time a bell rings ..."

"A bell makes a tinkling noise?"

"Yes Myrtle, it does. And every time a bell rings an ..."

At that moment a house elf rushed into the room and straight through Myrtle's propped up legs.

"He ..." Myrtle stared. "He just ran right through me!"

"Yes, yes he did," Nick said, very relieved. It was late and he had not been able to find any available, awake, and living being in the entire castle until that moment. "Now can you stop worrying about that silly mirror and what you saw in it, and get some sleep? I'm completely positive you are still one hundred percent dead."

"I'm not ... alive again? Because that's what I saw, and ..."

"No Myrtle, you are still a ghost," Nick replied. Moaning Myrtle broke down in tears.