Vocal+Assist's December Prompt

The Vocal+Assist group has a new prompt for you! This prompt will go from today (12/1) until the 14th of December.

It's that time of year again! Everyone's settling down and getting ready to spend time with their families all over the world! Every family has different traditions surrounding this time of year, one of my mothers favorite traditions is watching Hallmark movies. All. Of. Them.

I walk in to a different Hallmark Christmas movie for almost two months straight, I'm not a fan. So I thought what would make these fairly repetitive stories more interesting?

If you're not familiar with the formula typically a pretty woman (or man) who moved away to the big city and forgot the meaning of Christmas has to go home for the holidays. When they go home for they run into an old flame from high school or college or what have you (they may or may not already be dating someone terrible in the city). Then there's something urgent like a bake sale or a small business about to go under and the old flame helps the jaded city slicker see the true meaning of Christmas. They usually end up ditching the boyfriend or girlfriend from the city and decide that living in their home town with their old flame is the answer. There now you never have to watch one.

What's the challenge you might be asking? We want you to write a story in this style but with a twist! See what you can do with this extremely formulaic system and turn it on its head. The stories are a bit cheesey and the stakes are not that high, but that gives you, the writer lots of room to play around.

This is not exclusive to Christmas stories, as long as it follows the formula, happens in the winter, and has a twist it qualifies! Everyone has different experiences surrounding this time of year so draw from your own traditions.

The rules!

1. Please make the piece 600-900 words

2. The subtitle should include "Vocal+Assist December Prompt", mention at the beginning of the story that it is for the Vocal+Assist Facebook group (also if you're not there come join us!)

3. The story can be entered in the fiction, horror, or poetry communities

4. Comment back on this post with your link!

5. Have fun with this one! We decided to stick with a prompt for the December! It's a stressful time of year.

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