Today, brainstorm/free-write for a page (or 10-20 minutes) about the most ridiculous idea you can come up with for a holiday discount, sale, or special. Come up with something that, if you saw it, would leave you with your mouth hanging open in surprise, shock, or just plain “huh?!”

If you happen to come up with something truly bizarre that leads to the question of “why?” or “how?”, then take this a step further and turn it into a story!

Earlier this morning, power went out all over the globe. Anything electronic? Dead in the water. No computers, no alarm clocks, no factory machines. No refrigerators or furnaces, air conditioning or security systems. Electronic door locks are dead. Electric fences lie quiescent. There’s no television or radio to tell you what’s wrong, and even if there was, no one knows enough to say.

What happens next? Where does society go from here? Were electronics knocked out a single time such that infrastructure might be rebuilt, or is something keeping them from working again? How do people cope? Where do you find food and clean water, heat or cooling as needed?

What alternative forms of power or manufacturing might people come up with? How far does civilization devolve, and what new forms spring up in place of the old?

This is a type of scenario that’s been explored in literature and movies before, but now it’s your turn to imagine how things might go.

Book Nerd

Imagine that a storm, flood, or other natural disaster were to strand you in your house this very day. First, make a list of things you have on hand that might be useful to you once the power goes out, the phone service goes out, and you can’t go anywhere for help. You might also note things you’re used to counting on that you won’t be able to—such as the fridge and stove, and if you have a well, the water.

Write a story about what happens next.

What if… you suddenly stopped sleeping? What would you do after one day? Two days? Three days? Four? Five? Six?

What caused this situation? What effects does it have on you? You can try to imagine what would really happen in such an instance, or get a bit wild & woolly with your imaginings. The cause of your insomnia could be psychological, biochemical, supernatural, drug-induced, self-induced, magical… you name it.

How different would the world look through insomniac eyes? How would your interactions with others change? How would your priorities change?

Free-write or fictionalize as you please!

You’re out for a spin on a friend’s live-in sailboat. It’s a pretty little thing, with maroon-edged sail, a tiny galley, and room enough for several people to sit and enjoy the view in the harbor. You’ve been out all morning in breezy weather; despite liberal application of sunscreen you’re getting a tad crispy, and you know you’ll hurt a bit tomorrow, but it’s worth it.

The wind changes directions and dark clouds scud overhead. Your friend rushes about lashing things down and you do your best to help. The first high waves hit and a loose line catches your foot, knocking you off of your feet. You hit your head and black out for a split second; the next thing you know you’re choking on water as you struggle to stay afloat.

You can’t see what has become of your friend’s boat–all you can see are waves. You think you hear voices for a moment and you struggle to call out, but your head submerges beneath the water and you black out again.

When you come to you find yourself lying on the deck of a large boat, retching up water. You manage to roll yourself over and you see a man peering down at you, a concerned expression on his face. He asks you a question–that much is obvious by the inflection of his voice–but you don’t recognize the language being spoken.

What happens next? Who are these people? What will become of you? What happened to your friend? Write it up journal-style with yourself as the main character, or write it up as a story.

“Word Nerd”
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