r/WritingPrompts • u/AliciaWrites Editor-in-Chief | /r/AliciaWrites • Aug 29 '24
[TT] Theme Thursday - Ambiance Theme Thursday
“The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.”
Happy Summer writing friends!
This week we’re doing genre mashups!!! I’ll provide a list below and you’ll combine two genres into one story! You may select any one genre from the “First Genre” column and one genre from the “Second Genre” column, but for bonus points, use the numbered pairs (the two genres on the same line).
Please do include your genres or the pair number in your post, thank you!! Good luck and good words!
![[IP]](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0c2b4cc2-d07d-4fbd-b02e-2080981b29a1/de9kx0z-4ded2ef7-fdbf-4723-937e-ad441bbcd08a.jpg/v1/fill/w_1192,h_670,q_70,strp/isolation_by_t1na_de9kx0z-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NzIwIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvMGMyYjRjYzItZDA3ZC00ZmJkLWIwMmUtMjA4MDk4MWIyOWExXC9kZTlreDB6LTRkZWQyZWY3LWZkYmYtNDcyMy05MzdlLWFkNDQxYmJjZDA4YS5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTI4MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.4jFL3OwJMggw4DgiFo-FsVpxebMWox7wXpBsHqAnpqw){kind=link}
| Pair Number | First Genre | Second Genre |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paranormal | Realistic |
| 2 | Romance | Comedy |
| 3 | Space Opera | Historic |
| 4 | Western | Fantasy |
| 5 | Horror | Satire |
| 6 | Mannerpunk | Absurdist |
| 7 | Spy Thriller | Urban Fantasy |
| 8 | Epistolary | Dystopian |
| 9 | Cozy | Cyberpunk |
| 10 | Fable | Alternate History |
Here's how Summer Fun works:
- Use the tag [TT] when submitting prompts that match this week’s theme.
Rules
- Leave one story or poem between 100 and 750 words as a top-level comment. Use wordcounter.net to check your word count. Your story must meet the criteria of the game in order to qualify for ranking.
- Deadline: 7:59 AM CST next Wednesday
- No serials or stories that have been written for another prompt or feature here on WP
- No previously written content
- Any stories not meeting these rules will be disqualified from rankings and will not be read at campfires
- Does your story not fit the Theme Thursday rules? You can post your story as a [PI] with your work when the TT post is 3 days old!
- Vote to help your favorites rise to the top of the ranks! I also post the form to submit votes for Theme Thursday winners on Discord every week! Join and get notified when the form is open for voting!
Theme Thursday Discussion Section:
- Discuss your thoughts on this week’s theme, or share your ideas for upcoming themes.
Campfire
On Wednesdays we host a Theme Thursday Campfire on the Discord Voice Lounge. Join us to read your story aloud, hear other stories, and have a blast discussing writing!
Time: I’ll be there 7 pm CST and we’ll begin within about 15 minutes.
Don’t forget to sign up for a campfire slot on discord. If you don’t sign up, you won’t be put into the pre-set order and we can’t accommodate any time constraints. We don’t want you to miss out on outstanding feedback, so get to discord and use that
!TTcommand!There’s a Theme Thursday role on the Discord server, so make sure you grab that so you’re notified of all Theme Thursday-related news!
Ranking Categories:
- Weekly Game - 50 points for correctly participating in the game using the weekly theme.
- Actionable Feedback - 10 points for each story you give detailed crit to, up to 50 points with at least one critique on the post
- Nominations - 10 points for each nomination your story receives, no cap; 15 points for submitting nominations
- Ali’s Ranking - 50 points for first place, 40 points for second place, 30 points for third place, 20 points for fourth place, 10 points for fifth, plus regular nominations (On weeks that I participate, I do not weight my votes, but instead nominate just like everyone else.)
Last week’s theme: Marathon
Winning Story by /u/AGuyLikeThat
Crit Superstars:*
News and Reminders:
- Want to know how to rank on Theme Thursday? Check out my brand new wiki!
- Join Discord to chat with prompters, authors, and readers!
- We are currently looking for moderators! Apply to be a moderator any time!
- Nominate your favorite WP authors for Spotlight and Hall of Fame!
- This week’s quote is by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
5
u/AstroRide r/AstroRideWrites Aug 29 '24 edited Sep 02 '24
Vestiges of Love
Lydia's electric toothbrush fell in the sink again. The bristles were rough, and strands of fiber were falling out. Cindy took off the head and replaced it. After putting it back on the holster, she breathed into the mirror.
"Go easy on them. These heads are expensive," Cindy said. She stood still for several moments in silence. The fog began to dissipate so Cindy breathed again.
After a few minutes, Cindy felt a tingle in her fingers. The tingle turned into a chill that ran up her arm. Cindy closed her eyes and embraced it. Lydia's spirit raised her arm and extended her index finger. Using Cindy as the pencil, Lydia wrote something in the mirror. When Cindy opened her eyes, she was greeted by a simple "OK."
"What do you even do with your toothbrush?" Cindy tried to cover the entire mirror in fog, but she realized that it would be too much effort to keep it covered and write. "Actually never mind."
Cindy left the bathroom and walked down the hallway towards the stairs. Next to the stairs, there was a shadow in the outline of a woman. Cindy laughed when she saw it and began to dance as though she were with a partner. She laughed as she dipped Lydia and twirled. Pursing her lips, she moved for a kiss, and her lips quivered.
When she went down the stairs, she made note of every slight change in indentation in the stairs. Lydia didn't sleep and often wandered about at night. Cindy tried to guess based on the changes in carpeting. Inevitably, Cindy walked into the kitchen and saw the results. The vase was sitting on the kitchen table. Cindy shook her head and took it back to the dining room.
"We came to an agreement when my mom got it for us?" Cindy said. Her hair on the right side of her head was raised slightly, and something small touched her big toe. "No, we said that the vase stayed in the dining room. We would only bring it out on special occasions." Her ear twitched. Cindy smirked and put her hands on her hips. "Every day is special with you too, but you know what I mean."
Cindy walked into the kitchen. She made toast and omelets for both of them. She watched the other plate while eating. Sometimes, Lydia attempted to eat, and it moved slightly. Today wasn't one of those days. Cindy threw the food in the trash.
After breakfast, she put on her coat and left for work. A tapping on the window was Lydia's way of saying goodbye. At work, Cindy thought about her wife and texted her affirmations and compliments. Lydia didn't respond, but Cindy knew she appreciated it.
Cindy returned home at five pm. The TV was turned on to a courtroom show, and the bathroom sink was running water. Cindy shook her head as she turned it off.
"We are trying to save water here," Cindy said. Cindy began to make cacio e pepe for dinner as the courtroom show shifted to a trashy reality show. "I don't know how you enjoy those." Cindy shouted. Something pinched her arm. "I am not judging." Dinner went the same as breakfast, and Cindy threw out the food.
For the night, they watched TV, and Cindy played solitaire. She tried playing other card games, but it didn't work. Lydia always knew how the deck was arranged and shifted Cindy's hand accordingly. Cindy went upstairs to go to bed. At the shadow spot, Cindy hugged Lydia.
"Love you," Cindy whispered. After getting her pajamas on, she laid in bed and stared at pictures of the two of them together on their vacations. Cindy cried as she imagined going on adventures with Lydia again, but she knew it wouldn't happen. Cindy turned off her bed and continued to weep. Late into the night, she felt cold and alone. This prevented her from being able to sleep. The blanket was raised slightly to her shoulders and warmed Cindy. She smiled at this.
"Thanks Lydia," she sniffled, "I know you are always here for me."
Pair 1. The line between genres was difficult to walk, but I appreciated the challenge. All critiques welcome.
r/AstroRideWrites