Eyeshadow Palette Writing Prompts

During the months leading to the Vocal Fiction Series deadline, I am dedicating some time towards writing flash-fiction. This is for the purpose of exhausting my creative capacity; I don't want any stone unturned before I submit my best pieces to the challenge. Of course - I'll also be dedicating a set number of hours to reading the fabulous pieces submitted by other writers, because if the Summer Fiction Series has taught me anything, it's that the Vocal community is housing a lot of talent.

After writing my last flash-fiction piece, 'Paint Sample Writing Prompts', I found that I didn't want to stop. Sure, I still have a collection of paint samples I can go to for inspiration, but I'll save them for when my fuel tank's nearing empty. In the meantime, I want to explore alternate avenues for prompts. Hence, I present to you the 'Eyeshadow Palette Writing Prompt Challenge.'

Once again the rules are simple; choose an eyeshadow palette that stands out to you. Many of them will have names for every shade, so pick out the ones that sing to your creativity. Then, create a short piece of fiction (between 50-100 words) based on the shades name. For those without eyeshadow palettes for reference, the prompt might seem a tad random, but just wait till you hear some of these names. They're gorgeous.

This is not gold eyeshadow you see on my lids, it's 'fluent in diamonds,' thank you very much.

(Disclaimer: No cats were bedazzled in the making of this article)

After much deliberation, and too much time spend ah... *researching* on the Sephora website, I have decided to take inspiration from two palettes; one that I own, and one that I don't. The eyeshadow palette pictured above is the 'Pretty Rich' palette by Two Faced. From this palette I will be writing a short story based on the shade 'Diamonds for Breakfast.' The story will be separated into four parts, based on the following sub-headings; princess cut, silver spoon (obscured by Simba's obnoxious head), highly selective, and clutch your pearls.

Diamonds for Breakfast

Part 1, Princess Cut

The gaggle of laughter fell to the crystal vase in the centre of the table - ricocheted from the glittering contours, rattled through the gilded cake-stand, and landed in the silver breakfast set laid out at Caroline's chest.

She had been sitting there for what felt a life-time, staring at a string of princess cut diamonds on a silver-chain that were sprawled in her bowl. She assumed it were a joke - a prank played by the filthy rich, but she didn't know weather to laugh or to leave before any of the guests acknowledged her existence.

The Williamsons had invited her in for breakfast when they'd found her eyeing the estate through the wrought iron fence. She'd been in aw as they walked her down the halls, and hadn't been able to utter a word - afraid her voice would fall flat amongst such shimmering company.

Part 2, Silver Spoon

When they'd first sat her in the sun-lit dining room, she hadn't noticed the bowls. But as the remaining guests took their sets, she saw that their bowls, too, where filled with lustrous jewels. She felt a prickling at the back of her neck, and the blaring sun was beginning to make her skin feel uncomfortably warm.

Mrs. Williamson - who sat at the far end of the table - lifted a silver spoon to her lips. Dangling from it - as if it were merely a string of spaghetti - was a line of diamonds the size of pennies, similar to the one's in front of Caroline. Extending a bird like hand over her head, Mrs Williamson dripped the diamonds down her throat, one by one,

and swallowed.

Caroline ogled Mrs Williamson. Her gaze darted to the other guests, expecting to find them mirroring her horror, but they remained unperturbed, exchanging pleasantries, and accepting napkins from the serving staff.

Part 3, Highly Selective

Mr. Williamson - sitting to Mrs Williamson's right - straightened the napkin on his lap. He picked at the jewels, examining each - as if he were picking from a bowl of raspberries. He held one to the light, and - satisfied with it's appearance - popped it into his mouth... and began to chew.

Caroline couldn't hear a crunching of molars, or spy any twinge of discomfort in Mr Williamson's expression; only placid amusement at the idle chatter from a gaunt looking man to his left. Their conversation buzzed in Caroline's skull, like a mosquito trapped in a jar.

Caroline willed herself to step out of her chair, to let her napkin fall to the floor and to run - but she found herself unable to stand, the cold hands of her stupor running like ice through her veins and rooting her feet in place. She scanned the room, trying desperately to catch the eyes of the servants who watched from the shaded corners of the room, but there was not a single glance shared between them, nor a diluted pupil to suggest their discomfort.

Part 4, Clutch Your Pearls

"Caroline, you haven't even touched your breakfast."

Caroline felt the icy stupor spread to her throat. The girl to her right drew her attention away from the servers. She wore a cashmere dress, and smelled a pleasant mixture of jasmine and plum. She looked at Caroline's bowl with a hint of concern, and gestured to her own. "We can swap, if you like?"

Caroline felt bile rise to her throat. She clutched at her neck - the same place were the other girl wore a lush string of pearls - and choked on her panic.

"Caroline?"

Her vision grew blurry-

"Caroline!"

Okay, I went a little over board with the word count, but I'm going to give myself some leeway with the rules... since I instated them.

The next palette that I chose allowed me to write stand-alone pieces of flash-fiction, instead of one short-story.

The name of the palette is Sunset to Sunrise palette by ICONIC. Since the names of the shades are shorter than the ones from the previous palette, I decided to combine multiple complimentary shades to form a single prompt. From the Sunset to Sunrise palette I will be combining the following shades to make two prompts in total; Mimosa Tan Lines, and Moonlit Seashells.

Mimosa Tan Lines

Drip...Drip... Drip...

I don't stop him when he holds his fingertips over my bare legs, dripping mimosa on my tans lines. The champagne looks like tears of joy trickling down my thigh, and I've waited long enough to have him here with me.

I wrap my fingers round his chin; it's rough, and solid. Nothing like the delicate frames I'm used to holding. It actually takes effort to make him dip, but when I press harder he gives in, and suddenly his lips meet mine and it is

so. hot. under the sun.

Moonlit Seashells

Scattered across the sand-dunes - tossed like spare-change - is a line of glowing sea-shells.

Periwinkle blue, lilac, and lemon; they were once the homes of creatures unknown. They'd have you believe they belonged to a hermit-crab, but you'd be wrong to think so. Because when the moon reaches it's zenith and sprinkles lights on the sea, it is not the same shimmer that hits the curve of shells. They seem lit from within, glowing from where the moonlight can't reach.

They cast their colours to the grains of sand, lighting them like disjointed auroras.

...

From this set of prompts I set out to achieve three things:

1. Gain more ideas to use for the Vocal Fiction Series
2. Have fun by writing in a way that is unfamiliar to me, and
3. Develop skills in genres that I don't usually explore

I'm not sure if it's clear, but my Diamonds for Breakfast story was supposed to explore elements from the horror genre. I've never written a horror story before, so I'm not too put-off by the fact that I found it to be incredibly difficult. The remaining stories; mimosa tan-lines and moonlit seashells, were intended to be 1. sensual, and 2. magical, respectively (unless of course you find sea-shells to be particularly erotic...)

And on that note, I leave you with a disapproving stare from my cat, Simba, and a formal invitation to write your own Eyeshadow Palette Writing Prompt Piece, inspired by this one!

This article was featured in the Vocal Creators Chronicle Volume 7. Return to the Chronicle for more stories here