Hello October — Daily Prompts

Brought to you by the writers of “the Challenged.”

In the last 30 days, we had 24,096 views and 24,751 reads. 5,310 more views and 5,705 more reads than last month. (I’m still confused about how we can have more reads than views.) We’ve gone from 115 followers to 185! The number of writers keeps growing, but I cannot find out where that number is, and I’m not counting them. 😂

On September 5th we had 478 unique visitors to our little publication. Our daily average over the last month was 278. According to Medium, each visitor is counted once per day regardless of how often, or how many pages are visited. (Still impressive for a publication in its infancy!)

Clap away!

Ashllyn T. leads the group in claps with over 3.9k, followed by HAPPINESS + WEALTH ⭐and Nathan Chen. Each of whom had over 2.2k claps. Bruce Coulter touched people with his article about September 11th, with 2.1k claps.

Responses Galore!

Ashllyn had the most responses to her poem, Dreams, oh dreams, at 66. Nathan’s Five Dollars and Infinite Choices: The Flavors That Shaped My Life received 53 responses, and John Hansen’s poem, Blue ~The Poem, garnered 50 responses.

To Our New Writers

Your editors are busy peeps who just want to help you share your stories. We’ve had a few image credit issues, so if you could read over Medium’s rules, especially those pertaining to image credit, it would help us out.

Also, get the free version of Grammarly.

Thanks!

The Prompts!

Interpret these as freely or as strictly as you like. They are meant to inspire rather than act as a writing assignment.

1. A man leading a simple life is curious to find out what makes the month of October special, or how would you characterize the month of October.
2. Karen Schwartz: The door says, Do Not Enter! What do you do?
3. October 3rd is Mean Girls Day.
4. Emma Vincent: “I thought it couldn’t possibly happen, but then…”
5. Luke Warburton: You discover a mysterious, old journal hidden in the attic. As you read through its pages, you realize it belongs to a time traveler.
6. Delaney Patterson: It’s Saturday morning, you’re a kid. What are you doing?
7. Jenny Gargarello: Your life as a dog or cat.
8. Rachella Angel Page: “It was a dark and stormy night …” 🌩️
9. Trudy Van Buskirk: Other than a human, what has been your best teacher?
10. HAPPINESS + WEALTH: It’s Walktober! Take us for a walk in your favorite real-life or imaginary place. 🍂🍁🌿🍂🍁🌿
11. Lynn L. Alexander: If you had to give up books, TV, or wifi for a month, which would you choose?
12. Today is National Savings Day. What financial advice would you give to your younger self?
13. Henry India Holden💖: Describe a person's day in a society where all forms of discrimination, injustice, and poverty have been resolved and people are free to express their true soulful selves.
14. Daniel Marie: You are asked to design a one-of-a-kind masterclass. What is your topic and general outline?
15. Michael Rhodes: What signature dish are you known for? Something you cook, make, or prepare?
16. 👻👹🎃👻👹🎃Several people suggested Halloween costume themes. In order to give you time to steal your costume ideas, tell us about your best/worst/silliest/favorite/homemade Halloween costume(s). Thanks to: Susie Winfield, Denise Kendig, Vera-Marie Landi, and Julia A. Keirns.
17. Rachella Angel Page: Tell us about your family’s fall/Halloween traditions.
18. Pamela Oglesby: 💤How much sleep do you require? What helps you sleep better?
19. I love a good image prompt, and Brandon Ellrich didn’t disappoint this month! What do you see? (The image is at the bottom of the page.)
20. Nancy Oglesby: Today is my birthday and coincidentally, the National - ' Day on Writing (who knew?). Start a story with: “I climbed out the window, up onto the roof …”
21. chel writes: You're trapped in a never-ending time loop, reliving a particular day repeatedly ...
22. Nicole Peery: What is the backstory of the most unusual item you own?
23. Smriddhi: What book changed your life? 📕
24. Brandon Ellrich, in thinking about Columbus’ exploration, invites us to be explorers. You went out on a small ship for a 3-hour tour (🎶 3-hour tour🎵) and during a storm, got off-course and crashed on undiscovered land. What do you find there? Feel free to bring along the professor and MaryAnn. (Ady … behave yourself.)
25. I mistakenly attributed this to Leigh-Ann Dennison, but told me it wasnt hers. If its yours, let me know: Do you have a problem child, parent, or friend that ties you up in knots? What do you love about them?
26. Julia A. Keirns: It’s both Breast Cancer and Depression Awareness Month. What stories do you have to tell?
27. Frances A. Chiu: Which villain or hero from a horror movie/novel do you most identify with?"
28. Anisha Shah: How do you picture yourself in the future?
29. Karen Schwartz: You’re riding on a cloud ... (She decided she didn’t like this one, and didn’t want to add it, but I like it, and I’m a brat, so … )😊
30. Tanya Jain: What made you kinder toward others?
31. 👻👹🎃👻👹🎃I’m combining two prompts here. Denise Kendig wants to know which house in your neighborhood scared you the most on Halloween. A man leading a simple life wants you to share your scariest or creepiest, real or imagined, Halloween story.

Image for Day 19

Okay, that’s it! Feel free to add a private note to this if you think of prompts for the next few months. I keep a spreadsheet of ideas. :)

©2023 the Challenged

Emma Vincent, Erie Astin, JennyOhh, Pamela Oglesby, Ray Day, Teja Bangiev, Aaron Paulson, Amy Frances, Ana Michelle, Adrienne Beaumont, Anish Bhattacharyya, Anisha Shah, Ashllyn T., Autistic Widower (“AJ”), Amanda Weir-Gertzog, Andie Adams, Bernadette E Wallace, Becca CO 🌵, Belle du Journey, Bernie Pullen, Lauren Alida, Bob Mildenhall, Bonnie L. Boucek, Bruce Coulter, Mariana Busarova, Busy Mama, C.A. Jaymes, Carmen Ballesteros, Carole Olsen, Adrian CDTPPW, Chantell, Cheree’ Means, The Uplifting Essayist: I Seek to Uplift Your Life, Daniel Marie, Delaney Patterson, Denise Kendig, Dixie Dodd, Ellen Baker, Brandon Ellrich, Emily Porter, Frances A. Chiu, Luis Rosa, Paul Gardner, Harry Hogg, Henry India Holden💖, Inu Etc, Janice Harayda, Jason Moore, Jen Mullane | Build & Thrive in Public, Jennifer Dunne, Jennifer Marla Pike, Jenny Gargarello, Jerry Dwyer, Jessica Montes, John Welford, Jo Knows, John Hansen, Julia A. Keirns, Julie KingGood, Karen Hoffman, Karen Schwartz, Kathy J Anderson, Katie Michaelson, Katy Lin, Kelley Murphy, Kerin, Kiara (pronounced key-air-uh), Leigh-Anne Dennison, Cara LovesAnimals, Anik Thakur, Luke Warburton, Lynn L. Alexander, Mario Duff, Marlene Samuels, Michael Zwierzanski, Misty Rae, Michelle Jimerson Morris, Mystical Aries, Expedition Nomadic Adventures, Sharon Jessen, Nevena Pascaleva, Niki Tisza, David Watson, Nicole Peery 🌄, Pat Romito LaPointe, Patricia Pixie❤, HAPPINESS + WEALTH ⭐, Patricia Timmermans, Books Planet, Pluto Wolnosci 🟣, Paula Shablo, Premmody, Rachella Angel Page, Rachel Thomas, Raghav prasanna, Rampath, Michael Rhodes, Rikki Doppler, Joan Didak, Sarah D, Shahzeb Khan, Nikolaos Skordilis, S.K. Shandlin, Smriddhi, Sophia Tell- Stories 2 inspire, inform & entertain, Susie Winfield, A man leading a simple life, Tina, Tori Hall Sudduth, Trisha Faye, Brett Jenae Tomlin, Nathan Chen, Lisa Guard, Dr. Tracy Davis, Trudy Van Buskirk, Vibrant Jellyfilsh, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Vincent Pisano, Worrickjk, Tanya Jain, Amir Bibi, Bruno T., Ritu, Teja Bangiev, Vera-Marie Landi, Lemillion, Jody Wright, Block Wife, June Christina Thomas, Michele Bardsley, Jenny Alexander, Preethi R, Tara Zoë Roshe, Her Thoughts, Asian Scribe