Find a random book. Go to page 42. The first complete sentence on that page is the start of your story. Find another book. Go to page 42. The last complete sentence on that page is the end of your story. Write everything in between than makes a story to connect these sentences (and let us know the books you used).  

This was the post that Gardner referred to http://www.gardnercampbell.net/blog1/?p=2151  

Yesterday’s TDC was to “Create a visual that might accompany one of the mashed up headlines from @twoheadlines” — choose one photo (not one you created!) and write an interesting news story to go with the headline. Be sure to provide a link to both the tweet and the image (maybe it will come in handy later this week?)  

Pick a date when this new combo holiday should be celebrated and what its traditions might be.  

For today’s prompt, write an inanimate object poem. Obviously, you could write an objective poem about an inanimate object, or you can write from the perspective of the inanimate object. If you can think of a third option, have at it.  

how did this happen? Sure an article investigates the story behind it, but see if you can write something more interesting for a back story.  

Write a newspaper story from 2035 describing the sociopolitical dynamics of a world now ruled by cats and dogs.  

Use List of Random Words to generate 10 of them and make them into a sensible story that would make the state of Wisconsin proud.  

Describe some of the tradition and holidays for this month.  

Write it in a form approproate to a genre (romance, science fiction, documentary)  

Inspired by The Onion. Write a short satiric article riffing off a typical news story. For example: “Chicago Throws Party for 5,000th Mugged Man,” or “Colleges Battle Student Tea Drinking Problem.” Consider including quotes from your fictional sources.  

Based on exercises in Keri Smith’s “How to be an Explorer of the World”. See http://kerismith.com.  

It can be begin with “It was a bright and sunny day…” Leave a gap in your lines, and make us really wonder what happened in between.  

Based on exercises in Keri Smith’s “How to be an Explorer of the World”. See http://kerismith.com.  

Based on exercises in Keri Smith’s “How to be an Explorer of the World”. See http://kerismith.com.  

Based on exercises in Keri Smith’s “How to be an Explorer of the World”. find more creative ideas at http://kerismith.com.  

Submit your idea via the suggestion box but also include a copy of your idea here (include the link and title for the one you submitted). Find an existing one via our random spinner (opens in new window) and suggest a way to write it to be the opposite of the original. For example, the challenge for TDC 99 is “One minute video: you talking excitedly about any online tool. Use a metaphor.” The re-written opposite might be “One minute video: you talking in a dull monotone about any online tool. Use a confusing metaphor.”  

If they have a short name, you have more characters to use in your message! Send the tweet, and also post a copy here. e.g.   Note that if you are watching the character count, a tweet of 106 characters is reached when there are 34 remaining (wow does that math come in handy).  

Yes, we know many of you are not programmers. It should just be a series of logic instructions, or if/then statements, or… well just be creative, heck make up your own personal programming language! IF (PROGRAMMER != YOU) THEN MAKEUPALANGUAGE=TRUE STORY = YOU + IMAGINATION * CREATIVITY ABETTER PLACE = STORIES->YOURS + STORIES->MINE  

e.g. summarize your life as if it was a compilation of statistics.  

Think of the characters, setting as ingredients, and the instructions as the arc of the narrative. It can be baked to a happy ending or get burned in the oven, your choice.  

It could be serious, or funny, or both. See info for the headless ds106 course for fall 2013.  

Inspired by NPR’s “Taste of Summer“.  

Include the URL linked from the photo below on your story (reload if you want a new photo or pick one from their collection).  

Rochelle “RockyLou” is willing to record a video promo for ds106 if you help her with the lyrics. Hangin’ out waitin’ for the Headless ds106 to begin at the end of August? Care to join me in the fun of creating a parody remix/mashup of the song “Mad World” by Gary Jules, but with new ds106 centered lyrics? You get me new lyrics, I’ll record them and then pull together media to create a video that I’ll post to YouTube. See her post for links to the lyrics to Mad World, and write a ds106 flavored version.  

Another Hat Tip to the Urban Dictionary: “Your life’s work summed up in 140 characters or less. Just the right size for a gravestone perhaps?”  

You’ve never heard of a limerick? Check out the ‘Pedia  

The Urban Dictionary defines a Half-Twit as “A 70-character message, which is half of Twitter’s 140 character maximum.” Compose your story below, optional to actually tweet them (if you do, include the links to the tweets!)  

One of Writing Forward’s Creative Writing Prompts  

Remember that a proper ingredients label lists things in decreasing order of amounts!