AUTHOR TOOLS | MASH-UP
Monday Mash-Up #24
Story writing prompts to spark your creativity with a challenge

Welcome Kraken Crew! Let me get the door for you and let you in. Speaking of doors, did you know if you walk around with a locksmith case while wearing a reflective vest you can go almost anywhere you want? Jonathon Sawyer’s neighbors would know because I changed the locks on his house while he was out and now he can’t get in!
Ahahahaha!
So while he fumbles to climb in through the window I’ve taken control of the Monday Mashup yet again. Worry not because when one door closes another one opens, and that’s why I installed extra doors in every single room of Jonathon Sawyer’s home!
Let’s see what’s behind door #23:
FJCMontenegro came hopping in with his response that’s also a Seedling Challenge for 24 points! I wonder if he consulted a snake witch for help?
Does Jay C Wells have achievemephobia with his 24 points?
Roar, roar ROOAR. ROOOAAR *Ahem* Sorry. 24 points for JF Danskin
Jonathon Sawyer turned tail and walked away with 19 points.
Ba-BAM! Bradan Writes Stories came swooping in with a self-proclaimed 300 points and takes the trophy for himself. The crowd goes wild and- Ah who am I kidding? 24 points.
*Upload complete* Sweet Chaos hacked 24 points from the Mashup mainframe!
Jacinta Palmer sit. Jacinta Palmer stay. Staaaaay. Okay good, here’s your 14 points- No don’t eat them!
Main Theme (Worth 2 points; pick one or flip a coin!)
Prompt #1 (Heads):
Your MC finds a door somewhere it shouldn’t be.
Does it lead somewhere magical or perhaps it’s keeping something out?
Prompt #2 (Tails):
Someone is “knocking at Death’s door.”
Is antagonist defeated in an epic battle? Did our hero fail and these are their final moments? Did you forget to put the chicken out to thaw and mom is going to be home in five minutes?
Constraints: Worth 1 point each (Choose 4 or roll 4 8-sided dice):
- A key
- The moon
- A locked door
- The color of a door having some sort of significance
- Mirror
- Baseball bat
- Balloon
- Martini glass (or other type of drink holding device)
Hardcore Constraint: Worth 2 points (Flip a coin or choose one):
- Someone speaks only in colloquialism. (Example: “How you doin’?” asked Friends character Joey Tribbiani.)
- Include an example of symbolism. (Example: In Lord of the Rings it’s said the ring of Sauron symbolizes evil, corruption, and greed.)
Literary Device: Worth 5 points (Flip a coin or choose one):
- An example of a sliding doors moment.
- An example of amplification.
Rules:
- Write a story based on one of the two main prompts.
- Include as many of the constraints in your story as possible.
- Keep your story between 100–1000 words. Dribble length (50 words) will be excepted for this challenge.
- Use the tag “Mashups” so we can easily find your story.
- Tag Bradan Writes Stories and Jonathon Sawyer so that we may read it and credit you for points in the next Mash-Up!
- Challenge your fellow writers! I challenge J.C. Lovero and John Fanidis to answer this challenge. I hope you’ll also consider the Seedling Challenge too!
- Publish wherever you want but consider The Kraken Lore.
- Add a section that tallies up your points at the end of your story. You can look here for an example. (Worth 1 BONUS point)
See you in a couple of weeks. Jonathon Sawyer should be back in his house to take the Monday Mashup back!
