Do It for the Anthropologists of the Future

Describe something simple like how to microwave popcorn, how to get into a car or how to floss your teeth. Describe an every day activity in detail, as if you were writing directions for people in the future when no one knows what a microwave was or a car or tooth floss. Imagine you are writing it like a scientific report or technical support directions. Keep it simple and yet don't forget anything important.

Homeless for a Weekend

You're homeless for a weekend. No hotel, no credit or debit, no hot shower, no clean clothes, no take out food for the next 48 hours. No money to just find a warm spot and sit with a book. Plus, no one wants a homeless person hanging around their shop or restaurant. What would you really do for a weekend of being adrift and cut off from your usual life?

Yes, It's Your Turtle!

You've inherited a massive, very old turtle (or is it a tortoise?) from Great Uncle Irwin. He was always a little... off. So, do you start looking at recipes for turtle soup? What else can you do with a huge lettuce eating machine?

A To Do About Something

You are the ultimate mad scientist and you're just about to strike the switch that will activate your finest creation! The world will never be the same and you will go down in history as the greatest scientist (mad or not) the world has ever known... For you have invented... new life! A human being which was not made of spare (or otherwise) body parts, not a clone and not born of any human womb. Now, what do you do with it?

Just Wake Up

You're in a dream where someone else is controlling you, telling you what to do and somehow... you do just as they say. Whether you really want to or not. What do they make you do? How far does it go and do you ever break the spell or do you just... wake up!

25 Words to Complain About

Write a complaint about something that's really bugging you (mosquitos, taxes, cold weather...?) but write it in 25 words exactly, not one word more or one word less than 25.

Educating the Modern Android

Your new best friend is a robot. You crazy mad scientist you! Your android works, it will change the world and make you rich and famous, eventually.... First you have to educated it. You need to do it fast too. This android is eager to get out into the world and as strong as it is it isn't a mental giant and it easily becomes a danger to itself. Like the time it decided to dive off into the pool, not understanding that a pool needs water. Ouch! So, what do you do to speed educate your metallic (thick headed in a real way) creation? It can speed read, that will help. But you need to choose the books it will read, in an order that will help it understand more as it goes along. No point in starting with online dating before it even knows there is an opposite sex, right? Not that you even want to get into anything about dating with it this soon. But, where to start?...

You're Pretty Wet Behind the Ears

You're on a big ship which (unfortunately) sinks to the bottom of the ocean, in one of those really deep parts. No chance you will ever be seen again by anyone above sea level. On the good side, it's not the end for you, merely the beginning of life as an ocean dweller. You, fall (literally) upon the lost city of Atlantis. They pull you in, saving your life in assorted ways, one big one being drowning and being crushed under the weight of all that water as you sink so deep under it. You grow gills, swim around like a humanoid fish creature and get to start your life over again, in a fishy way. What would you do in this new world? How does your life go on from here?

The Grand Standing House

You inherit Great Aunt Maude's mansion. The lawyer calls you to her office and gives you the value of the estate which includes a huge house and lands with landscaped gardens and a maze which has been a tourist attraction in the area. Locals are concerned that you will close it down to have privacy.

But, the lawyer informs you that the house and lands are not quite the dream you were hoping for. The house is full (literally an organizer's nightmare) with clutter, garbage and newspapers which Great Aunt Maude could not bring herself to throw away. The lands are beautiful, somehow she managed to keep the gardening staff paid.

You have an offer from a land developer to buy the whole thing and take away that "headache" from you. But, the house was once an elegant, beautiful place. It is still well known for it's architecture, the stone, iron and wood work were all done by craftsmen ages ago.

Do you try to keep the house, getting rid of the garbage inside an digging up those old antique treasures which are buried under all the debris? Do you sell to the developer to make it easy on yourself? Or do you come up with a third option that attempts to make everyone come out happy?

The Bees Knees

You're taking a vase full of flowers to a friend who has just come home with a new baby. The flowers are gorgeous, pinks, whites, reds and all that greenery. It's no surprise that a few of the local bees think your flowers are great too. You warn them off with a swat but they just keep on coming. Soon it seems like they called a few friends and you feel swarmed. What happens next?

Every Gnome Has Their Garden

You've been turned into a garden gnome. Must have been something you did... Anyway, what kind of garden do you move to. Wildflowers, rock garden, cottage garden, cacti, herbs, there are a lot of garden styles and locations to choose from. Every gnome has to have their garden.

The New Latte

You've had caramel lattes, french vanilla lattes, cinnamon lattes and just about every latte ever poured and steamed into a paper or china cup. But, there's a $1000 prize to anyone who can come up with a new best selling latte, all season. What are your ideas? One more thing, the contest closes in one hour so you have to hustle!

A Face in the Crowd

You're at a crowded event. Maybe a football game, a rock concert or a mega shopping mall at Christmas time, pick one of those and describe the noise, the faces lost in a crowd, how it feels to be one small face in such a huge crowd, describe the smells, too. How many of the five senses can you work into a one paragraph description? Now, the real challenge, how much can you pack into just one sentence, not a run on sentence.

Sock Stories

Your clothes dryer finally wears out. As you prepare it for burial (recycling?) you discover the hoard of socks it has claimed from you over the years. It's funny how so many of those single socks you remember. Like that red one your Grandmother bought you the year you stayed with her for Christmas. The checkered pattern sock which used to be a pair you loved and last remember wearing at a family picnic. All the socks.... so many stories... Let's hear them!

Rich or Famous?

Someone grants you one wish... you can choose to be famous or you can choose to be wealthy... you only get one or the other. If you choose fame there are no chances you can become rich, no matter what schemes you may try. If you choose to be wealthy you will remain an everyday unknown type of person for the rest of your life. Which do you pick, fame or riches, and why?

The Great Happy Valentine to You Day!

Write a Valentine to yourself. Share some love with yourself, for yourself. You are more than just a handy contraption to walk your brain around.

The Great Wall of China is Just the Beginning

You won a contest for a month long trip to China! As they present you with the airline tickets they also give you a map of China so you can pick out famous sites, cities and historical places you would like to see. What places, in China, can you name before you even look at the map? The Great Wall of China is only a beginning. What other places would you really like to see, get the map if you are really stuck.

A Mushroom from Alice in Wonderland

You've eaten the wrong mushroom. But, there's another one on the table along with a sign that says "eat me". Do you eat it? You really have no idea if it will kill you, cure you or do something totally in between. How does it end up?

Just Say No

Your favourite old Aunt has knitted you a matching scarf and hat. She's really happy about having something special and hand made to give you. Her face is all lit up. But, it's just not... quite... your shade of puke greeny brown. How do you find a nice way to let her know?

You Win... Neon Carrot Orange

You win a contest, the prize is a lifetime supply of hair colouring products. Unfortunately, the only colour they give you is a very carroty red which does not look good on you. Well, that shade of carrot wouldn't look good on anyone you can think of. You try to return it, or get another colour, but the company went bust soon after running the contest. But, they did deliver over 1,000 boxes of what is called Neon Orange hair colour to your door. What do you do with it all?

The Squishy Thing and The Time Machine

You are one of the first people being sent backwards in time in the latest technology, the time machine. You get all kinds of warnings before you leave, all about not changing the past as it will reflect in the future. You decide to go back in time, far back, so you can see what the dinosaurs really looked like. But, as you step out of the machine, ready to spot your first dinosaur... you step on something. Scraping it off your shoe you aren't even sure what it was...

So, what was it and how does the lack of that one creature-like thing change time in the current time when you are back to 2008?

The Boom and Crash of Fireworks

You write a letter to a deaf friend. You begin talking about the fireworks that were set off the other night for a local Winter Festival. How do you describe the fireworks, explaining how they sound as well as how they looked.

A Body in the Way

There are landscapers working outside and around your place, your car is in the shop and you've got to get rid of the body! No time to waste, what brilliant plan can you come up with? So annoying to have all that clean up to do after you killed him off so well in the first place.

Your Circus Adventure

Yyour long lost Uncle Bailey, the one who ran away and joined the circus, says he is retiring and needs someone to carry on his act. He picked you. He sends you an airplane ticket to France, a pre-paid week long stay at a fancy hotel in Paris, and a hand written invitation to run away and join the circus. Apparently Uncle Bailey did well in the circus and reached his goal of traveling the world.

What happens between you hopping on the plane, discovering what circus act your Uncle Bailey has in store for you and your choice of choosing he circus adventure or coming back to your old life again?

Make it a Chain Letter Day

For some reason you've been dared to write a viral email, one of those chain letters. What do you write? How serious do you make it or do you make it fun and upbeat, or sarcastic rather than truly evil?

Today... You're the Iron Chef!

You're on the Iron Chef and today's secret ingredient is.... CARROTS! What can you cook up with carrots? Think up five delicious and dazzling dishes to impress the judges.

Take this Job and ....

How do you make yourself go into work on a day you really don't want to? What do you do to trick yourself into not missing a day? If you work from home, writing or another business, how do you discipline yourself to sticking to a work routine?

I'm trying to just not think about it and follow along the routine of getting dressed, groomed and out the door for the bus. If I act like a brain dead zombie until I actually get there, well, at least I will have gotten there.

Customer Service Nightmares: A New Show on TV

A customer is yelling at you on the phone. You have never dealt with this person before, yet they are yelling on and on about what "you" have done to their TV, dishwasher, etc. After a few minutes of listening to how everything is your fault you get tired of it. You push that secret button on your phone which "disconnects" the call.

What does the secret button really do? Send the customer to some remote place in the wilderness? Drop the customer into a vat mushy worms? Or, does it only disconnect the call, do you let the customer off so lightly, really?

Something Snowy This Way Comes

Yesterday there was a fresh batch of snow, it's left a huge pile up on the front lawn. From the window you see how pretty it is coating each and every twig and branch on the trees. There are still a few big sloppy looking snowflakes slowly floating down. The day is getting warmer out, it's actually a little sunny and not at all gloomy as it was yesterday when all the snow fell. The sun is sparkling, like a white lawn of fresh diamonds.

What kind of snow person will you make? You could do a whole village, a town of snow people and pets too if you get really ambitious. Draw your snow people or describe them in writing.