New Vocal Challenges

⚡ Hello! 👋😁

It's me: __Lightning Bolt⚡.

Without a lengthy introduction, let's get right to my...

Fifteen Concepts for Cool Vocal Challenges
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First up...
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Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
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Write about a distress call that is sent, even though no one is likely listening.

In dire situations, people often hope against hope. Some put on brave faces, refusing to surrender to Fate, while others collapse under the weight of their fears. A pending disaster reveals what would otherwise remain buried in our psyches. Hopeless times call for hopeless measures.

In this story, the setting could be an ocean vessel that's sinking, a starship that's off-course, or a desert island. You pick the situation and the genre, but the tone should be dictated by a desperate broadcast into the unknown.

Superpowered Code of Conduct
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Write a story about what motivates someone who obtained superpowers.

Heros use their talents for good. Villains use their skills for evil. It isn't superpowers that defines a person so much as what they do with their extraordinary gifts.

Tell the origin story of your protagonist if it also explains what sets them on their destined path. Write a more developed character who's had time to examine their choices. Whether they threaten others or save them, this examination is about how someone with abilities beyond those of mortal men determines their life's mission.

{Geeks, maybe? I'd put this in Fiction. But it could easily work in Futurism, with a high-tech requirement for all powers, ala Iron Man. Or what about making this a Humor challenge??}

《《HEY VOCAL-- a question I've had for ages: WHY IS THERE NO SUPERHERO TAG IN FICTION?!?! You do realize that is a form of discrimination against retired superheros like me, don't you? 👎😒⚡》》

[[That ALL CAPS comment by me 👆 is an example of my next suggestion...]]

Bad Manners
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Write a story about a serious situation where some fool can't stop making inappropriate comments.

People can be ignorant. People can be insensitive. Others have no ill intent; they just deal with uncomfortable situations by using dark humor.

Write about someone whose jokes leave others aghast. It could be at funeral, a wedding, or some other somber event. Some people cause confusion by just innocently finding the ridiculous in the mundane. Others intentionally use their wit to stir things up. Whatever the situation, this is a story where wisecracks are unwelcomed.

{I'd say put this in Fiction rather than the Humor Community because it could prompt some serious takes.}

Foreordained
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Write a poem about something inevitable.

Often, we eagerly anticipate something we've always known would eventually happen. Other times we dread what we see before us. Fate can be kind or cruel.

This poem can be personal or universal. Show the build-up to the moment. Go beyond it if you choose, dealing with the aftermath. Capture the feeling that something is/was predestined.

In Case You Missed It
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Write a poem in the form of a newscast.

The media can alert us about some pending event. It can recap what we already know. It can enlighten us with new facts or different points of view.

Your poetry can be about a real or a fictional event. Choose the voice of an anchorman, a reporter, or perhaps an eyewitness. It could be a light-hearted human-interest story. Or it could be a segment about something more dire. Write as if you're both a poet and a journalist.

Instructions for the Insane
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Write a story about someone who explains how to go batshit crazy.

A delusional person acting as a mentor. Someone who always talks with a stream of strange consciousness. Lunatics in an asylum have 'wisdom' to share.

There will be no further instructions beyond the minimum requirements. You figure this one out if you're mad enough to do so.

Roommate Agreement
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Dictate the agreed-upon rules when disparate people decide to live together.

Some people are okay with a handshake and a promise. Others need something in writing. We can be quite diplomatic when the goal is to share expenses.

Write an informal contract that sets boundaries and details expectations. It can be two or more people-- family, friends, coworkers, or anyone else looking to cohabitate. There could be compromises, or one person with all the power might dictate the terms. Outline the consensus.

Searching for Inspiration
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Write a poem about the quest for inspiration.

It's hard conceptualizing characters. Hammering out possibilities for a plot takes time. We waver about what themes we want to explore. Our muse isn't always on call.

This story is about brainstorming. Gathering half-baked ideas can eventually lay the foundation for structure. Playing with abstractions can lead to clarity. Show how imagination is stoked before it sparks mental fire.

Andromorphic Adventures
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Write a fantasy about a hybrid of human and animal.

Werewolves. Cat-people. Fauns. The Minotaur. Even ancient deities like Bast, Horus, and Ganesha. From mythology to Monsters INC, they've always fascinated us.

With this story, all species are fair game as long as they are mixed with homo sapiens. It could be monster in a horror story, a wise guide in a myth, a happy companion in a fairy tale, or the inhabitants of a distant planet. Whatever tone you select, your blend of man and beast should look at the world differently than their separate selves would.

Top Ten List Of...
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Write a funny Top Ten List.

Short jokes tailored to a specific category. Stories with surprise punchlines. Find humor from any source as long it adds up to themed grouping of 10.

{This would be a fun Humor Community challenge, but it could also be tagged For Fun in Poetry, or published as micro-Fiction. Here's a twist: don't just limit it to 600 words; limit it to 100. Maybe even 50??}

Prescription for Evil
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Horrible tendencies aren't always innate. Wickedness can be injected. Sometimes what is given as medicine is actually toxic. Adverse reactions are dangerous.

Write a horror story about a person shooting something bad into their system. A preventative against vice could backfire. A side-effect might be worse than the cure. Whether it's under a mad doctor's "care" or self-administered, the outcome should be vile.

Don't Call Me an Egomaniac
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Write about why you have a right to brag about something.

You're the absolute best and you know it. Whether it's a learned skill or an innate ability, no one else can compete.

Sing your own praises! Humility doesn't suit you! Narcissism is fun!

Scroll No More
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Write a story about what would happen if everyone's cellphones disappeared.

Cellphones are the standard 21st Century means of communication. Imagine they all suddenly vanished.

Take digital detox to a global extreme. It could lead to chaos. It might bring about unpreceded human cooperation. Paint a picture of how people would react if collective humanity had our phones taken away from us.

A Day in the Life Of...
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Write a story about a single day set in the distant past.

A slave in ancient Rome. An artist during Renaissance. A trader on the high seas. An American prospector headed west on a wagon train. People have played many roles throughout time.

This story can be as simple as the routines of a stay-at-home housewife in the 1950s, or the struggles of a 15th century blacksmith. Alternately, it can focus on a pivotal historic event, like the assassination of Abraham Lincoln or destruction of the Hindenburg. Let the past live again, but only for a span of no more than 24 hours.

Not Ready For It To End
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Write about an experience that ends too soon.

A relationship you don't want to give up on. Someone beloved leaving you. A fun time that you want to go on forever. It's hard to say goodbye.

Write about something you hate to finish.....

..... like reading these concepts of mine for new challenges. 😁⚡️

Those are my suggestions.

Which appeal most to you?

~҉-҉↯҉-҉~

_________________Bolt⚡