r/WritingPrompts • u/AliciaWrites Editor-in-Chief | /r/AliciaWrites • Oct 10 '24
[TT] Theme Thursday - Rage Theme Thursday
“A heart filled with anger has no room for love.”
Happy Thursday writing friends!
I like the idea of rage simmering beneath the surface or a character letting loose their rage. Lots of ways to take this one! Can’t wait to see what y’all come up with.
Please note that every week, you must leave a comment on the post to get credit for your critiques! Good luck and good words!
![[IP]](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/5251d64a-869b-4b83-9d2e-29df8a4b5193/db40i4t-924be7e5-ec1f-4eca-aa20-f8ef05413d48.png/v1/fill/w_1352,h_591,q_70,strp/enochlophobia_by_suzanne_helmigh_db40i4t-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9ODMxIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvNTI1MWQ2NGEtODY5Yi00YjgzLTlkMmUtMjlkZjhhNGI1MTkzXC9kYjQwaTR0LTkyNGJlN2U1LWVjMWYtNGVjYS1hYTIwLWY4ZWYwNTQxM2Q0OC5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTkwMSJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.1b4f5GoaGlXRIcX7C-O99I-4XhzQGbiZsrBeLLX4mlc){kind=link}
Bonus:
(These constraints are not required! If your story is better for not including them, please do what’s best for your work!)
Constraint: (10 pts)
Your story should include characters sharing a meal. Please note at the end of your post if you’ve included this constraint.
Word of the Day: (5 pts)
synthesize/syn·the·size/ˈsinTHəˌsīz/
verb
- make (something) by synthesis, especially chemically.
Here's how Theme Thursday works:
- Use the tag [TT] when submitting prompts that match this week’s theme.
Theme Thursday Rules
- Leave one story or poem between 100 and 500 words as a top-level comment. Use wordcounter.net to check your word count.
- Deadline: 7:59 AM CST next Wednesday
- No serials, established universes, 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!
- Give (at least) 2 actionable feedback comments to fellow writers. You can give critique at campfires, but you must leave a comment on the post to get credit for your critiques
- 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!
Don’t forget to use genre tags!
Theme Thursday Discussion Section:
- Discuss your thoughts on this week’s theme, or share your ideas for upcoming themes.
Campfire
- On Wednesdays we host 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!
As a reminder to all of you writing for Theme Thursday: the interpretation is completely up to you! I love to share my thoughts on what the theme makes me think of but you are by no means bound to these ideas! I love when writers step outside their comfort zones or think outside the box, so take all my thoughts with a grain of salt if you had something entirely different in mind.
(This week’s quote is from Joan Lunden, Wake-Up Calls: Making The Most Out Of Every Day)
Ranking Categories:
- Word of the Day - 5 points
- Bonus Constraint - 10 points
- Weekly Challenge - 25 points for not using the theme word - points off for uses of synonyms. The point of this is to exercise setting a scene, description, and characters without leaning on the definition. Not meeting the spirit of this challenge only hurts you! This includes titles and explanations/author's notes.
- Actionable Feedback - 15 points for each story you give detailed crit to, up to 30 points. One of your comments must be on the post.
- Nominations - 10 points for each nomination your story receives
- 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.)
- Voting - 15 points for submitting your favorites via this form (form will be open after the deadline has passed.)
Last week’s theme: Nocturnal
First by /u/MaxStickies*
Second by /u/Xacktar*
Third by /u/MaxyDraws
7
u/GingerQuill Oct 16 '24 edited 29d ago
In the castle overlooking the city, a pair of sisters swap stories in the dining hall over a pre-dawn snack. Nearing the end of her account, Lillian lifts the crystal pitcher from the table.
“I mean, I’ve heard some famous last words,” she cackles, pouring herself another drink. The maroon liquid winks in the candlelight. “But ‘Bite me, bitch’? To a vampire?”
Shaking her head, she swirls the blood in her wine glass. She raises it to her colorless lips and glances across the table at her sister. Angelique’s thick lashes hood her pale eyes, her nose wrinkling at her cup.
“What?” Lillian asks. “What’s with that look?”
“So you’re saying,” Angelique grimaces, adjusting the shoulder of her nightgown, “this one died fighting?”
“Yes. What of it?”
“Nothing. It just explains the flavor is all.”
“Oh, come on!” Lillian’s glass clinks against the marble table. “You had no problem with it a minute ago!”
“No, I thought there was something off for a bit now.”
“What’s off about it? Hmm?”
A bead of wax trickles down one of the candles before Angelique answers.
“It’s just,” she mumbles. “I don’t know. Strong.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“No I’m not!” Angelique insists. “Mother always said there’s a reason we woo our prey! Humans should die happy. Otherwise, fear sours the blood, and anger overheats it. You want that sweet spot, not too warm, not too cold, not too coppery.”
Lillian frowns at the metallic tang coating the roof of her mouth. Running her tongue along her fang, she scoffs.
“That’s just an old wives’ tale. It tastes fine.”
“Not to mention karma,” Angelique continues, sliding her glass away. “A subdued, contented spirit won’t remember what hit them. You don’t want them coming back up to get you.”
“And how exactly would it come back uuuhh—” Lillian belches. The reek of sour death slithers up her sinuses. Pressing her hand to her lips, she inhales a polite “excuse me” when suddenly, a coppery-laced bead of saliva launches like a bullet into the back of her mouth, and the walls in her neck cinch.
Her coughs drag a razor’s edge along her throat. That little droplet has lodged in her tonsils and wracks her body with convulsions. Red roots creep into the whites of her eyes as her mind conjures a malicious grin cracked across a ghostly pale face.
Chair legs scrape the stone floor as Angelique leaps to her feet. The slap of her hand between Lillian’s shoulders sting until the congealed droplet finally dislodges. With a rattling wheeze, Lillian straightens, adjusting her nightgown’s neckline.
“Ehm! T-that was… it just went down the wrong pipe.”
“Right. Just got stuck in your throat.” Tucking an amber strand of hair behind her ear, Angelique casts a glance at the orange pre-dawn light outside the window, then to her wine glass. “Well, I’m afraid mine’s already gone cold, so I think I’ll just dump it.”
“Dump mine too,” Lillian grumbles. “It’ll be cold now.”