IS: Creative Writing - Short Story (Fiction) #1-

I have met some writers who feel that prompts are an exercise in teaching a herd mentality, but my personal philosophy is that the creative process sometimes needs a kick in the arse to get going - and prompts can also be challenging if they take you out of your comfort zone. They can even lead to spin off ideas that take you into your own creative Narnia.

So with that in mind, provided there's a positive reception to this swap, this will be the first of a series that will run quarterly for creative short-story writing!

The Prompt

Keep your ears open throughout a given week, and write down an intriguing phrase that you overhear. This might be a snippet of a sentence exchanged between two people talking, a few words spoken by someone on the phone next to you, or even part of a loudspeaker announcement. Spend some time imagining what led up to that remark. Then write the rest of the story making the overheard phrase your last sentence.

The Swap Requirements

• You will have 2 partners

• Stories must be typed. Handwritten pieces are wonderful for letters and personal mail but for creative writing pieces that will be swapped and read by others, please do NOT hand write your story.

• The story itself must be a minimum of 2 full pages long. More is always better, but ensure that you explore this prompt fully and flesh it out.

Participation and Rating

• Have no unexplained or recent (within the last 6-months) 1s or 3s on your dash.

• Have no overdue swaps or 1s due to currently active members.

• Have a well filled-in profile.

• Understand that you may receive writing that does not appeal to you or contains language or scenarios that may be considered very adult in nature. Be prepared to accept that and not be offended by the language or scenarios put before you.

• Rate when you receive. Rate a 5 if you receive an story that is typed, at least 2 full pages long, and follows the prompt. Hearts are entirely up to you.

• Understand that this is an international swap and English may not be the first language of your sending partner. You may not rate down for grammatical or typographical errors or what you may personally view as "poor writing skills". This swap is open to writers of all levels.

• I will angel this swap after you have rated your partner a 1 and notified me that you never received it. Please do message your partner beforehand and don't just rate a 1 the day you're able. Things do get lost, and international mail can take more than 2 weeks to arrive.

In Closing...

Feel free to PM me with questions or leave a comment here.

There is a long lead time for this swap to allow you to write, edit, and send your best work. So enjoy, get creative, and write!

Edited - I have made this a type 3 swap due to the creative writing component. Additionally, I have reduced the number of partners to send to from 2 to 1 due to low interest in participation and the watch list.