PictoPrompter: Episode I

Good afternoon, Cyberspace, and welcome to Episode I of the Smudged Thoughts PictoPrompter!!

I am so excited to get this project up and running, and I really hope to get all of my writer friends out there involved! I mean, what better way to grow closer to the writing community than by writing together? Right???

Ah??? Ah???????

Now, as I literally have no clue what I’m doing right now, this will probably end up being one epic fail, but I’m hoping that you guys will just play along and pretend that EVERYTHING IS GOING PERFECTLY FINE, because that is obviously what is going on here.

Okay? Okay!

Now, I’m sure that most of you out there are probably all like, “Wait a minute… What’s a PictoPrompter? What’s going on? Why am I strapped to this electric chair??? WHERE IN THE WORLD AM I??????”

And all of those are wonderful questions! So before we dive straight into this month’s picture, I have prepared this wonderful FAQ section that will hopefully explain this whole enchilada a little bit better…

What in the world is a PictoPrompter?

I am so glad you asked! Basically, this is my way of trying to reach out to the writing community in the blogosphere by combining three things all writers love.

1. dissecting strange, rather abstract images while trying to form a plot around the strangeness of it all

2. writing (duh)

3. broadcasting our writing to the world so that others can “ooh!” and “ahh!” over it

The third thing is obviously debatable.

How do I participate?

Participating is super duper easy, I promise. Just follow these four easy steps, and you’re good to go!

1. Examine the picture posted below. Don’t be afraid to go all squinty, here. Get a good, looooong look. Maybe you should even tilt your screen a bit. Dim it, brighten it, turn it upside down. It’s really up to you.

2. Let your imagination explode. Feel free to go with whatever your heart is telling you. Does it look like a bloated pink elephant? A squashed potato? A rotten rutabaga? What story ideas are flaring to life in your beautifully insane mind? Let your imagination run wild and…

3. WRITE! This is the absolute best step. Whip out a pen and some ink and get cracking. Only you can write the story floating around in your head. We all may be staring at the same picture, but the story that came to your mind is uniquely your own, so don’t be afraid to write it. Be real. Be funny. Be sarcastic. Be whatever it is you are.

4. Post it! Don’t forget to post your extraordinary story onto the blogosphere! And while you’re at it, make sure to send me a link of your story, either via the comments section or through my contact info on the Contact Us page, (Although the comments section would enable everyone else participating to read your story… [#blackmail]), because I would LOVE to read what you come up with! If you don’t, a wild pack of werebears might come and eat your face while you are sleeping tonight. (Don’t worry. This hasn’t happened since the July of 1803.)

However, if sharing your work just really isn’t your thing, then just feel free to shove it into the dark recesses of your writing drawer and never speak of it again. I’ve done it before. You’ve done it before. I’m betting Jane Austen and J. R. R. Tolkien both did it before. It’s a perfectly natural response.

Except, you’re still going to have to fight off the werebears, so I would think long and hard before you skip this step.

Note: I was going to make the PictoPrompter a monthly linkup, but what do you know??? The linkup website absolutely hates me. So there you have it. If anyone has any advice as to why the widget won’t work, I’d really appreciate your help…

What’s in it for me?

You mean besides getting the chance to flex your brainy muscle and try your hand at spontaneously creating a world and cast of characters?

Pretty much nothing.

But wouldn’t it be awesome to get to share your take on an image with a bunch of other writers who are writing about the exact same thing? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get to compare and contrast how each writer’s inner mind works? Wouldn’t you love to see how your view on a single picture can totally differentiate from the works of another fellow writer?

#moreblackmail

What’s in it for you?

You mean besides getting to take weird, random pictures, post them on the internet for the entire world to see, flex my brainy muscle, and try my hand at spontaneously creating a world and characters alongside you?

Pretty much nothing.

Except I get to keep saying brainy muscle, and that’s pretty much a reward in itself.

Well, that’s about it for the FAQ that I totally just made up. Hopefully, I explained the PictoPrompter rather effectively. If you’re still confused (which you probably are because I’m terrible at explaining things), I’d be happy to answer any and all questions down in the comments below.

And now–the picture!!!! Duhn duhn DUHNNNN!!!

Now, isn’t that just a sight for sore eyes? Go ahead. Look at it. Absorb it. Question its existence. And then whip out those pens and begin writing!

And that’s about everything I have to say… So I guess it’s time to open up your notebook and…

WRITE!

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So what do you think? Are you going to participate in the PictoPrompter? Will you share your finished short story with me? Are you completely and utterly confused, and you need some cookies to mend your shattered brain? Were my instructions so confusing you think your head just imploded? What do you think of the picture???  Do you know how to make a linkup actually work???? Tell me all the things–and share your stories–down in the comments below!

*throws cookies in the air and starts sobbing because the linkup won’t work*