Calling all creative writers! This is a column run by Nathaniel Lee to inspire readers to become writers. The column includes writing prompts, pieces by the coordinators, and occasional submissions from readers.
This month: a poem from Riley Barta and a short story from Nathaniel Lee.
Below is a set of prompts for different styles of writing beyond journalism. The idea is that you can create some kind of creative writing piece inspired by one of the prompts, but it doesn't have to be. You can submit any piece of writing you would like to share! All submissions should be school-appropriate. You can also suggest prompts to be featured in the next issue.
Here are some prompts to get you started. They can be used for anything, though some specify poetry or short stories. This month, the prompt theme is New Beginnings.
1. A criminal escapes prison and decides to turn over a new leaf.
2. Write a story in the form of a list of New Year's resolutions.
3. Start your story with two characters reconciling.
4. One day, your character gains a superpower, changing his life forever.
5. Start your story with someone making a vision board for their life.
If you have any prompt ideas in mind that you haven't seen on here yet or would like to see someone else respond to, then drop them in the Google Form below and I'll try to get them in the next issue! I sometimes don't see the response until after the issue is published, so I'm sorry if it takes a couple of months.
I have leached all that I could from this room
No words pour from my fingers
No thoughts spring like frogs at the sight of rain
No emotion inks out
I have no creativity left now
It’s time to close the chromebook
Cash money
This is an outrage, Pluto thought.
“This is an outrage!” she yelled.
The other planets sat around the Solar System—the circular table where they met—and shook their heads with varying levels of annoyance. The only one who looked indifferent was Earth, the pompous, self-appointed leader of the planets. He glanced around at the mostly silent planets and inhaled deeply. His sea blue eyes seemed to stare straight through them as waves crashed within the irises.
“Let’s just vote, shall we?” Earth ran a hand through his green hair and winced, a surprise to everyone. “All in favor of reclassifying Pluto as a dwarf planet? Doing so will revoke all planetary powers, and remove Pluto from this council.”
Earth raised his hand and, quite predictably, Mars followed. The lanky redhead always agreed with Earth, no matter what they were voting on. Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune also raised their hands. Uranus and Neptune—blue-skinned and frosty-haired twins—had never liked Pluto, so their votes were expected. The burly Jupiter never really paid much attention in meetings, choosing to focus on collecting enough moons to make it to one hundred, so his vote was never really counted.
“Any against?” Pluto shot both hands into the air. Mercury raised one of her scrawny arms up, hand shaking. Venus was next to vote, gracefully flicking her hand in the air long enough to be counted.
Saturn had his head propped up on one hand, staring intensely at the wall. Without moving his gaze, he stuck a hand into the air. One of the eight rings that floated over his head like a halo flashed for a second, then returned to normal.
Earth smiled slightly. “Well, it seems we have a majority—”
“Pardon my interruption,” Saturn said, standing and beginning to pace. “If I remember correctly from one of our original laws, if there is never a unanimous vote then the minority can choose to explain why they voted that way. Right?”
“Correct.” Earth’s eyes turned stormy.
“Then we shall explain. Pluto, do you mind if I lead this?”
Pluto shook her head rapidly.
“Wonderful. So, why are we voting to reclassify Pluto in the first place? We’ve never tried to do this before.”
“She’s too small, even smaller than some of the moons.”
“Well, Jupiter has a lot of moons.”
Earth stood, holding onto the side of the table. “Last I checked you had 146 moons, many more than Jupiter has.”
“My moons actually like me, though. That’s beside the point. Just because someone is smaller, doesn’t mean they can’t be a planet. If a large asteroid came by and hit you, we’d still call the small piece that’s left of you a planet.”
“I’d be dead though. My… never mind. Why do you care? You normally abstain from voting on matters.”
Saturn pointed at Pluto. “This is one of our fellow planets. If we tried to reclassify you, you’d have a fit! What’s your reasoning? I know you have some motive other than ‘she’s too small.’”
“I’m only doing it because the humans chose to make the decision!” Earth coughed, sending smog into the air. “They’ve corrupted me with their machines and pollution! No matter how hard I try, no matter how many natural disasters I throw at them, they always come back stronger.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Mars asked, scooting his chair away from Earth. “If they mutate, they could figure out how to infect us, too.”
“I thought I could handle them! They populate like rabbits, and they’re spreading faster than I can handle.” Earth lifted up his shirt and revealed a gray patch that was visibly spreading, contrasting sharply against his light brown skin. “They are killing me. I can hear what they say. They’ve destroyed me, so they’re heading for you next, Mars. They believe that they can populate you while I die.”
“That’s absurd! My atmosphere can’t support humans.”
“They have ways to even survive space. It is possible.”
Saturn raised a hand for silence. “I don’t think we can kill all of the humans, not yet at least. The best option would be to separate. What are they wanting to reclassify Pluto as?”
“A dwarf planet.”
“Perfect. They say it’s a dwarf planet, and it has planet in the name. Pluto, you remain on the council, and we take a leave of absence. In one hundred years, we will meet here again. If Earth does not return then, we will move on. There is no time for sentiment. As much as I hate to say it, it would be better for one of us to die than all of us. Earth is already infested. If it spreads to the rest of us, then the galaxy could die as well. All in favor?”
The vote was unanimous.
“Perfect, no explanation necessary.”
Pluto nodded at the others, finally locking eyes with Earth.
“Good luck.”
