Writing Prompt Example: The Tree of the Universe

The vengeance of a goddess.

Thea kneeled before the Ethereal tree, its roots the blanket of space, its branches the spiral of stars. It had formed over millennia, its growth coaxed by her gentle hands. Yet it had been a gift, a present now stained like a dark spot in the cellar.

“Thea,” he called. Her hands caressed a fallen branch dusted with stars. “It had to be done.”

She glanced back, her eyes a galaxy. Midnight hair fell over her shoulder and onto the snowy grass. Thea thought of the stain in a forgotten cellar on a small planet studded with life. A place of simple times, of life and death, passing memories from one wizened hand to mini fingers. Small but beautiful. A microcosm. Life.

“Had to be done?” She rolled the words over her tongue. They tasted metallic.

“Humans’ lives are so short, so insignificant in the scheme of things.”

“Small? Insignificant?”

“He would have died sooner or later.”

Thea stared at the tree and then glanced back at her husband. His white hair and sharp features had once been beautiful to her.

“So it doesn’t matter,” she said. One day she had become curious about life clinging to the planets circling her stars. She had walked among them for a time. She grew fond of the simplicity, the beauty of monotony. Found a woman so beautiful she couldn’t fathom how her design had created her. Her husband was a jealous man, this she never knew. If only she hadn’t…well he was right.

Everything dies.

“You were growing too attached, it was for-”

“I must have, it seems.” She clenched her fist around the branch and stars ignited into supernovas. She stood up and placed her hand on the tree and felt it thrumming with life and promise.

“I’ve grown

too attached?” She stared at all of creation, her mind on the stain. Her fingers coated with the end of life.

“Yes, dear,” he said, almost relieved because he thought she had understood.

She understood.

Her hands pushed into the tree and strangled the core. The whole tree pulsed, shivered and ignited in a magnificent death. The nova of stars collapsing into black holes.

“Thea!”

She glanced backward, a smile on her face, her eyes black.

“It seems I’ve grown too attached.”

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The Prompt Example:

Hello everyone, I wrote this story by using a writing prompt, and I hope you all will join in for the next one (If you feel like writing a story using this prompt, you can post it in the comment section)!

I will be prompting you by giving you:

1. Themes

2. Subject/Character

3. Elements offered by commenters:

For Example:

Theme:

In this piece I had three themes: Universe, Tree, Relationships

Subject/Character:

In this piece I had the subject of ruler.

Random Elements:

For this piece, I didn’t have any random elements, as I did it on my own. I’d like to give some examples, like random words that must be used, genre, character or plot ideas. Really whatever you think might be fun to offer to the prompt, and I will choose which elements to include from the comment section.

How it will work:

Every week I will post a short story using the prompt of the previous week. Everyone can post their short stories for that prompt in the comment section or in the thread in my subscriber chat (this is also where you can post your ideas for random things to include in future prompts). At the bottom of the post I will have the prompt for the next week. I will also post the prompt in my subscriber chat as well as in notes.

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Without Further Ado, The Prompt:

Themes: Rage, Wind, Isolated

Subject: Supernatural Person/Creature

Random Elements: Words required: destiny, wicked, dreams

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So this is all a work in progress. Please let me know what you think of this style of writing prompt and give me feedback. I’m making this up as I go. This is just the style of prompt I enjoy! I hope you all can have fun doing this with me. Let's have a good time writing together!

If you enjoyed my short story, consider reading my novella, short stories, poems, or blogs. Thank you for your support!