Hansel and Gretel's revenge

As you recall, it was a time of great famine in the time of Hansel and Gretel and the step mother persuaded the father to abandon the children in the woods so the wife and husband wouldn't starve.

So, the kids get lured in by the witch and eventually kill her. Then what? What do the kids do? Do they return home where the step mother is still living? Do they get Dad out from her influence? Do they move on? Do they open a witch extermination service? Do they get arrested for murder?

That takes the cake

Two months ago, the bakery hired a very cute cake master who is definitely not from around here. He or she crafts incredible cakes. Your character has finally worked up the nerve to ask him or her out. But the cake master has disappeared. The bakers are worried. They've known your character since she or he was a child and let her or him into the cake master's room above the bakery.

Take it from there.

"Dreaming and hoping ..."

Deficient conscience

A recent discussion on another list was about the "i before e except after c" rule and the words that break it. There are a whole series of "cien" words that break that rule. The challenge today is to use as many as you can in a writing piece. Feel free to use other forms.

conscience
conscientious
ancient
deficient
(in)efficient
(in)sufficient
maleficient, maleficience -- doing evil, harm or mischief
prescient; prescience - foresight
proficient
omniscient, omniscience -- all knowing
pseudoscience
unscientific

and as an extra bonus:

tumefacient - producing a swelling, like a tumefacient insect bite.

(BTW, there are plenty more. If you go to OneLook dictionary which allows wildcard searches and type in *cien* you can see loads more.)

Hello wedding day!

Who has more products imprinted with their image: Kiss or Hello Kitty?

I don't think there's a Hello Kitty coffin but there is a Hello Kitty wedding dress. And your character has found it and it's perfect! Write about her. Who is she? Is she seriously in love with all things Hello Kitty or is it for kicks? What's her groom like? Does he think it's just as wonderful? What will the bridesmaids wear? Are they as enthusiastic?

"Whether you think you can ..."

Name that yogurt

Colombo Yogurt (owned by General Mills but I'm guessing the brand is local to New England) is running a contest to rename their flavors to reflect their New England heritage. Each state (Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York) will get their own flavor names.

The prize is a New England getaway to Cape Cod for two.

All the particulars are at the website.

Here's the flavors to rename. For some reason not blueberry. Maybe they're keeping that one for themselves!

Cherry
Peach
Raspberry
Strawberry
Vanilla
Boston Cream Pie
Cherry Vanilla
Creamy Vanilla
Juicy Peach
Key Lime Pie
Lemon Meringue
Mixed Berry (raspberries, blueberries and strawberries I believe)
Orange Creme
Red Raspberry
Strawberry Banana
Lowfat Plain
Nonfat Plain
Lowfat French
Nonfat Vanilla
Lowfat Strawberry

(Though there are thousands of writing contests out there, I don't post about them much since it's just too hard to make sure they're legit. Company contests are at least pretty safe!)

The smell of saffron fills the air

Here's the set up:

Two Chinese lovers are traveling to Europe
in a damp meadow.
The smell of saffron fills the air;
someone with horns approaches

Take it from there.

---

The idea was generated by "Writer's Idea Bank", which is a widget for a Google Homepage. I don't see anything at the website that allows you to generate more. You just need to install the widget on a Google homepage and refresh.

"I was raised by two lesbians in drag."

One of the following was overheard at a coffee shop. Use it to inspire the real story behind the statement or what the effect was on the one who overheard.

"I was raised by two lesbians in drag."
"Come on, come on, listen to the mommy dogs."
"Silence like a casserole."
"I was Barney Rubble."
"I will be your creature feature, anything you have in mind."

From He's Got the Whole World in His Pants and More Misheard Lyrics by Gavin Edwards. Click on the comments for the actual lyrics.

"Writing is a cop-out."

Hidden in plain sight

Though you can see it from everywhere in the city, people won't speak of it and it's airbrushed from official photos. Set a story there.

(When you're done, if you want to see the tale of the real building, click the picture.)

---

(Edit: The month before this prompt was published, construction resumed -- after 16 years. The current (2012) picture at Wikipedia looks much different. Soon, perhaps 2013 -- though don't hold your breath! -- it will be just another big hotel hardly worth airbrushing out of photos.)

Two's company

Two childhood best friends: KaiKai is outgoing, Eilian reserved. They decide to form a group and bring in two others to round out their talents: Gan and Rio. (It can be any group you want: fighters for hire, monster slayers, fortune tellers, musicians, dancers, samurai, exterminators, party hosts ...) KaiKai and Eilian have eyes for talent and the two new members' talents overshadow the two founding members'.

Gan and KaiKai discover their talents mesh exceptionally well and form a tight partnership when they work together. Eilian prefers to hang back and work in the background, but is there jealousy rumbling beneath? After the group has been together for a while, it gets out that the other new member, Rio, is of a reviled faction (religion, race, planet, philosophy, culture, heritage ...) but he or she has such charisma those who hire them don't mind. (But will it last?)

They haven't had a job for a bit and are getting hungry for work (and for a substantial meal.) Tempers are short.

Write from the point of view of one of the members. Or from each in turn.

"If you're not failing ..."

Top 10 Tabloid Headlines for May 2008

Though the Weekly World News is no more, here's the headlines from the archives of City Newstand in Chicago, for writing prompts or just for fun :-)

Top 10 Tabloid Headlines from MAY 1998

1. DOG SWALLOWS SHEEP -- SUN
   
2. Porcupine falls head over heels in love -- with a broom! -- WWN
   
3. One-armed man fights off monkey with fake limb! -- WWN
   
4. WERERABBITS ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN WEREWOLVES! -- WWN
   
5. IRAQI TEENS GETTING HIGH ON ANTHRAX GERMS! -- WWN
   
6. Elvis fan has the King's JOCK STRAP! -- WWN
   
7. Used-car salesman is buried in fireproof suit -- so he won't burn in HELL! -- WWN
   
8. Police find dead woman in giant ball of string! -- WWN
   
9. BIZARRE DISEASE TURNS PEOPLE INTO HUMAN SNAKES! -- WWN
   
10. Wonder drug makes people bulletproof! -- WWN

Time and a place

Probably not the quote he wanted remembered for, but it has obviously been speaking to people for over a millennium and a half. ;-)

Use the quote as the first line, last line, somewhere in the middle or just for inspiration. (Did I cover all the possibilities? ;-)

O Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet.
-- Saint Augustine (354 AD - 430 AD)