Hello, Creatures, Beasts, and Demons!

Hey, it’s okay. I’m sure you have nothing to be nervous about. Sure, I don’t see them the way you do, and I don’t have the same relationship, and… you know what? I’m gonna help you face this. It’s time for you to show me what you see, because…

This week’s Writing Group prompt is:

We’re All Someone’s Monster

RULES AND GUIDELINES BELOW!
Make sure you scroll down and read them if you haven’t! You may not be eligible if you don’t!

We’ve all encountered those people that just feel off, sure. But this goes a bit deeper than that, doesn’t it? This isn’t just the person on the bus that felt shifty or just looked off.

This is a chance to explore connections that we wish hadn’t been made. Perhaps you choose the young child who doesn’t like going to Auntie’s house because she’s just so strict that nothing is fun. Maybe this is about the employee who is always working so hard, but that one guy just keeps slacking off and then still takes credit. What about the misfit kid at school who just can’t catch a break with those guys who never tire of bothering them? The mother that’s fretting over her child’s choice in a significant other who seems to be a bad influence? You can look at each of these scenarios, but who the monster is in each one may not always be clear. What if Auntie is strict because the child likes to wreck things? What if that lazy employee is taking credit for the constant mistakes the other made without letting them know it? Perhaps those guys are just trying to ease the misfit into being more social despite their awkwardness, and maybe that bad influence partner isn’t as bad as they seem, just more free spirited.

It all comes down to the perspective of each individual. No one sees the world the same as anyone else. Sure, some share similarities, but not everything will be viewed as the same. One child can be absolutely terrified of that big, hairy, bug-eyed, white and red monster who’s laughter booms throughout the room, while another child will be more than thrilled to get a photo with Santa Clause. One person might see shapes in the darkness that make them hide under the blanket, shivering in fear, while their roommate gets up to move the hanging coat to somewhere it can’t be seen. Maybe, just maybe, our monster is ourselves, who we want to be, or even who we’re afraid we might already be.

It’s all about perspective. So venture forth and explore under the bed, in the closet, down the hall… but do be sure to proceed with caution.

The nastiest of monsters can hide even in the nicest of places.

—Shawna

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Remember, this is part of our weekly Writing Group stream! Submit a little piece following the rules and guidelines below, and there’s a chance your entry will be read live on stream! In addition, we’ll discuss it for a minute and give you some feedback.

Tune into the stream this Saturday at 7:00pm CST to see if you made the cut!

The whole purpose of this is to show off the creativity of the community, while also helping each other to become better writers. Lean into that spirit, and get ready to help each other improve their confidence in their writing, as well as their skill with their craft!

Rules and Guidelines

We read at least four stories during each stream, two of which come from the public post, and two of which come from the much smaller private post. Submissions are randomly selected by a bot, but likes on your post will improve your chances of selection, so be sure to share your submission on social media!

1. Text and Formatting

   1. English only.
   2. Prose only, no poetry or lyrics.
   3. Use proper spelling, grammar, and syntax.
   4. Your piece must be between 250-350 words (you can use this website to see your wordcount).
   5. Use two paragraph breaks between each paragraph so that they have a proper space between them (press “enter” or “return” twice).
   6. Include a submission title and an author name (doesn’t have to be your real name). Do not include any additional symbols or flourishes in this part of your submission. Format them exactly as you see in this example, or your submission may not be eligible: Example Submission.
   7. No additional text styling (such as italics or bold text). Do not use asterisks, hyphens, or any other symbol to indicate whether text should be bold, italic, or styled in any other way. CAPS are okay, though.

2. What to Submit

   1. Keep submissions “safe-for-work”; be sparing with sexuality, violence, and profanity.
   2. Try to focus on making your submission a single meaningful moment rather than an entire story.
   3. Write something brand new; no re-submitting past entries or pieces written for other purposes
   4. No fan fiction whatsoever. Take inspiration from whatever you’d like, but be transformative and creative with it. By submitting, you also agree that your piece does not infringe on any existing copyrights or trademarks, and you have full license to use it.
   5. Submissions must be self-contained (everything essential to understanding the piece is contained within the context of the piece itself—no mandatory reading outside the piece required. e.g., if you want to write two different pieces in the same setting or larger narrative, you cannot rely on information from one piece to fill in for the other—they must both give that context independently).

3. Submission Rules

   1. One submission per participant.
   2. Submit your entry in a comment on this post.
   3. Submissions close at 12:00pm CST each Friday.
   4. You must like and leave a review on two other submissions to be eligible. Your reviews must be at least 50 words long, and must be left directly on the submission you are reviewing, not on another comment. If you’re submitting to the private post, feel free to leave these reviews on either the private or the public post. The two submissions you like need not be the same as the submissions you review.
   5. Be constructive and uplifting. These submissions are not for a professional market, and shouldn’t be treated as such. We do this, first and foremost, for the joy of the craft. Help other writers to feel like their work is valuable, and be considerate and gentle with critique when you offer it. Authors who leave particularly abrasive or disheartening remarks on this post will be disqualified from selection for readings.
   6. Use the same e-mail for your posts, reviews, and likes, or you may be rendered ineligible (you may change your username or author name between posts without problem, however).
   7. You may submit to either or both the public/private groups if you have access, but if you decide to submit to both, only the private group submission will be eligible.
   8. Understand that by submitting here, you are giving us permission to read your submission aloud live on stream and upload public, archived recordings of said stream to our social media platforms. You will always be credited, but only by the author name you supply as per these rules. No other links or attributions are guaranteed.

Comments on this post that aren’t submissions will be deleted, except for replies/reviews left on existing submissions.