Here's a great prompt for a short story

[pegkerr]

The Mystery in White: Gown in Lake Ontario spurs theories: Jilted bride? Ad prop? Art project?

Tell me about the best short story prompt you've ever come across.

Best for me was the morning I came downstairs from my apartment and saw that in the tiny lobby entryway (where tenants could check their mailboxes) that the floor was smeared with blood . . . and scattered with white lilac blossoms.

Haven't written that story yet. But I might some day.

And you?

I actually had a short story idea today (unrelated). I will let it sit for awhile, but I might do something with it.

Comments

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Three graves up on a hill in the desert. Nothing else around.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Never mind the story, what was REALLY going on in your building lobby???

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I never found out, and I still wonder, 25 years later.

[madlori.livejournal.com]

I wrote a significant portion of a novel, which I will soon be revisiting and recreating, inspired by the sight of an empty pop can rolling through a deserted intersection.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Used pregnancy test in the wastebasket in a gas station women's rest room.

K.

[diatryma.livejournal.com]

I have stories I can trace back to classes. One story is from clonal colonies of sea anemones-- I really have to get that one cleaned up, because if my Invert professor could make me almost cry with the colonies, a personification is only going to make it better. One is from looking at ctenophore movement (I love ctenophores). One is from Plant Anatomy and Physiology, because after two hours of microscope work, the brain starts to go.
I don't get the lilac ninja sorts of experiences most of the time. I just get distracted and nerdy.

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

A fire hydrant covered with flowers.

In a diner in San Francisco

[bonkabonka.livejournal.com]

Couple of years ago, I was having dinner by myself at a corner diner and in walked the epitome of the "Southern Gentleman". White suit with a dark tie, immaculately groomed Van Dyke (white, of course) and a classy straw hat. He doffs his hat, perches himself on a stool two spots removed from me and orders a sundae. Hot fudge, extra sauce. The waitress takes the order without a blink and returns shortly with his confection. He eats it, seemingly relishing it and finishes up, pays the shot and continues to sit on the stool sipping some ice water. Another gentleman comes in and greets the first - a very beautiful man. Long, honey-blond hair, clean shaven, impressive physique dressed plainly in a loosely-fitting dark shirt (might've been navy or possibly cobalt) and black jeans. Bright silver buckle. They greeted each other and moved to a booth.

I am strongly convinced that Lucifer and Gabriel were getting together to shoot the breeze for a while. "The Devil ordered a Sundae" is what I'd call it if I can ever figure out what they'd talk about. =P