Update 4/6/11: In need of a prompt

[spacemutineer]

I've been craving pretty desperately to dive into a new short story, but so far have come up dry for good ideas. What I do have rolling around in my head is either too complex to make into something relatively short (sub 2000 words, I would hope) or just simply not kicking me into gear at the moment.

I've been trolling shkinkmeme for days for ideas, but that's been bone dry as well. Is there anywhere else to look for quality prompts? I have found little. I've been reading, hoping that would spark something for me, but so far nothing.

In the meantime while I search for something that really strikes me, I'm trying to fiddle with some partially written bits I came up with previously. Maybe one of them will catch for me. The first is actually (somewhat ludicrously) a western of all things. There have been a couple of prompts for westerns on the meme and since I love to try new genres, I've been tooling around with it. I like it to a degree, but currently it is long on atmosphere and short on plot. The other fragment I'm playing with is about Holmes as a scientist, which is an idea I am extremely attracted to. I think I have a good understanding of where I want to go with this one and I do like it quite a bit, but it's just not flowing for me at the moment. I'll try some stream-of-consciousness brainstorming today; see if I can't jostle myself out of this writer's block.

Comments

[jcrowquill.livejournal.com]

Are you looking for canon or BBC prompt?

[jcrowquill.livejournal.com]

Or not Sherlock at all?

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

I do need it to be Victorian of some variety if it's going to be SH. That time period appeals to me. I haven't been able to get myself into the modern interpretation. I'll warm up to it eventually, I'm sure.

For subject, I'm open to anything, really. I'll see if I can find some generic fiction prompts. Maybe something will strike me, SH or not. I just feel like I should be writing.

[jcrowquill.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... my brain is slightly fuzzed myself. I should be working on the original stuff, or anything that is NOT fanfiction. But it's so much easier. I can sit down and churn out 4,000 words of a stupid fic, but I am lucky to get out 400 of my original piece in the same time. >_<

With Holmes-fic, I haven't seen much surrounding asylums. Perhaps Sherlock has finally pushed his eccentricity a tad too far (or had it publicly misrepresented by a malicious entity of some sort) and is confined to an asylum. His task at present is to irrefutably prove his own sanity.

If you're looking for original stuff, there are a lot of interesting potential setups in the Peterloo massacre and its social implications. It's not victorian, but it's got a lot of interesting historical potential.

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

I've been using fanfic as a way to get myself into fiction writing in general. I've never written much fiction prior to this, so I thought I'd borrow some characters to practice with before I worked on some of my own. I've quite liked it! But yes, I'm sure when I make the transition to my own original stuff, it will be slow going.

I'm so curious now about your original piece that you're working on...!

Asylums and the Peterloo massacre. Interesting points, both. Will require a bit of research, but that's right up my alley too. Thank you so much for the ideas!

[slashykink.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness, I hate writer's block! I'm suffering from a dry spell myself.

I personally am a fan of Lovecraftian takes on Sherlock Holmes, or reworking a Lovecraft story to use Holmes, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head for gen fic...

If you can't find a good prompt on the recent sections of the meme, you could go back several months. From reading some of the really old posts (back from the old meme), it seems that the tone and general type of prompts shifts a bit over time.

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

I do need to read some more Lovecraft. Maybe that will kick me into gear. The older sections of the meme are a great idea too! I will definitely try that. Not sure about how it works with posting to an old prompt, but I'm sure the rules are somewhere.

Thank you very much for the help!

[slashykink.livejournal.com]

No problem! And as for old prompts, you can always reprompt it anonymously on the new meme, then fill it when logged in. It's a totally fine thing to do, and has happened before. After all, the goal of the meme is more fic! :)

[methylviolet10b]

Holmes' hands give him away. ;-)

It's just a thought. Good luck with the writers' block!

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I like the ambiguity of this one! What do they give away and to whom? I'll have to let this one simmer for a while... I love it.

And I love you and all my LJ friends for being so wonderful with the ideas and the general welcome and friendliness! I can't thank you all enough!

[methylviolet10b]

Ambiguity is very useful sometimes. ;-) Lots of room to play. And I too have been overwhelmed with how friendly the community is - it's rather amazing! :-D

Ideas

[rat-chan.livejournal.com]

Holmes' first/early experience with cocaine, describing how it makes him feel, comparing the sensations to the euphoric feelings he gets pursuing a case...
(Why is a Pink Floyd song running through my head?)

Or...
After The Final Problem, Watson goes to Baker Street and looks at Holmes' violin (perhaps cradling it if you want to go angsty). Perhaps certain scars on the violin surface remind him of the man who played it or the time they spent together. Perhaps the curves of its shape recall images of the thin frame that cradled it, the hands that called music from it...

Holmes or Watson watching the other do something mundane and finding it strangely beautiful/erotic.

(I don't know where to go for prompts, other than the kinkmeme.)

Re: Ideas

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Oh, these are ALL excellent. But the second one... with the violin and Watson alone in their rooms after coming back from the continent... Oh, boy, this could possibly be the one. And yes, I would be going angsty with it. :)

Oooh, gotta go let this one cook in my brain a while! Thank you!

Re: Ideas

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Thanks to your excellent prompt about the aftermath of The Final Problem, I have a new story up. It's called Returning. It turned out a bit different than your prompt, more subtext slash than substance, but I had a great base to start with from your idea. Thank you again very much for the prompts!

Re: Ideas

[rat-chan.livejournal.com]

Any time! When people ask for prompts I do try to fit the prompt to the writer and the type of story they want to write.

I also do pornstorming (porn brainstorming) if you need any assistance in the smut department. Basically, you give me a scenario and I bombard you with tons of possible sexy imagery you might adapt to your writing needs.

Re: Ideas

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

You did such a marvelous job with the prompt and since I'm thinking about dipping my toes more into the smut pool, I'm curious to take you up on the pornstorming concept.

I'm considering taking a prompt on the meme about Granada Watson having a thing for Holmes' leather gloves. I have kind of an idea for where I want to go with it, so if you're interested... bombard away! (Thanks!)