Cole Matthews

And here is my contribution to Prompt #122. https://gayauthors.org/story/cole-matthews/this-and-that-prompt/3 It's called The Antropologist.

Daniel was led by the school principal through the hallways lined with metal lockers equipped with dial locks. The facility was rather quiet at this time of the day with students all ensconced in their rooms behind closed doors with teachers directing lessons. There were a few distant murmurs and even an occasional muffled roar, but overall the place was rather sedate. “You’ll find this all a bit boring,” the principal, a pleasant enough fellow with a shock of white hair who went by the

Thank you! It was fun. Lots more Valkyrie and Cole prompts coming. 😇

That is our quandary. Of course we think Boo would love a companion as long as said companion didn’t darken the food dish. Or wake him needlessly. Or take away too much attention…thus it’s a fun idea. Thanks for the comment!

He did! Thanks so much.

Thanks!

I appreciate it. 🥰

Thank you s9 much!

I’m glad you liked it. Loved writing this!

https://gayauthors.org/story/cole-matthews/this-and-that-prompt/2 Prompt #121 We had so much fun with this prompt. Well, with all the prompts. Compare our two approaches and think of how we'd both just came from antique shopping. Hope you enjoy my take.

At Any Price Pushing open the door, Braden saw the white mist of his breath disappear into the warmth of the shop. It was a large antique mall with several locked glass cases, rows of stalls with items hanging on walls, objects placed carefully in corners, and arrayed decoratively on tables. The place smelled old, not of rot or decay, but of dust and wood polish, musty cloth and aged paper. He breathed in and out appreciatively. “Good morning,” a cheery voice called out from behind

Certainly a great beginning. I liked ‘speeding the transition’ idea. Very interesting take. Yeah!

Vacations are always a special treat. You get time away from your humdrum life, time to recreate yourself and time to expand your horizons. What a better vacation than to visit a friend in a new place to reconnect and explore. Let's write some character sketches about the people we see and why. I'm choosing some challenging scenarios to get writing something uncomfortable. Good luck! 117 - You are at a resort on a tropical island when suddenly you hear your name. Looking up, you see a person you went to school with, had a falling out with, and haven't seen in many years. They approach and greet you like an old friend. Who is this person and what did they do to you? 118 - A friend needs some moral support so you travel to their home. Upon your arrival, they open up the door and burst into tears. What is their dilemma and how can you help?

Thank you so much! This is one of my favorite stories and I had a great time writing it. I'm humbled and thrilled for it to be featured!!!!

When I lived in Minnesota, I always called February the longest month. It was in the depth of winter after the holidays and before the first spring melts were even possible. It could get depressing, so we began planning a winter getaway to the beach, and Mexico was usually our choice. However, not everyone had that option, especially going back in history. Some enterprising people decided to predict just how long the dark and cold of winter would entrap people in their homes and hearths. It was a bit of fun breaking up the doldrums of the season. They decided the humble groundhog, making his way to the surface of the earth, would wisely know just how much winter was left. Let's try writing about breaking up the season of frigid gloom. #111 - Use these words - Sand, margarita, lifeguard, coatis, casino, wig, and a man named Jesus. #112 - You are on a bus, and reading a story about the groundhog's shadow. Someone leans over and says to you, "Looks like we are in for six more weeks." What happens next?

Whether it's a warm, crackling fire while a blizzard blows snow against windows, or the cold clink of ice in a drink on a sunny, hot, sandy beach, the opposite sensations of fire and ice, hot and cold, are paired like no others. The toasty heat of a radiator or the supple coziness under a comforter are more delicious with the bite of cold and vice versa. So, for the prompts this week, we are going to explore opposites that complement each other. #105 - Two college freshman are assigned a dorm room, but one is a morning person and the other is a night owl. They have to do a group project together. How does that work? #106 - A cat person and a dog person meet at the vet's office and their animals can't stop hissing and growling at the other. What happens next?

There is a rich tradition in the West of creating Christmas and Yuletide tales. Both sacred and secular versions of stories populate the airwaves and Internet with versions of light in the darkness, good defeating evil, epiphanies about faith, and even simple tales of happily ever after. While we love to challenge conventions in these prompts. Sometimes it is fun to go with the flow. For these prompts, I'd like to challenge writers to create some wonderful stories of love winning, light conquering darkness, and the beautiful idea of good overcoming evil. Prompt #99 - You drink a glass of sparkling cider. At first you feel a bit silly, but then things become a little crazy, because it's not just cider. Tell us an extraordinary Christmas tale. Prompt#100 - On a cold, wintery night, there is a woman panhandling on the corner of a department store. Feeling generous, you give her some money. What happens next?

December offers such a wealth of subject matter on which we can write. There are the parties with friends. Gatherings with relatives. The symbols and holidays are liberally sprinkled throughout the month. I wanted to explore some different paths this year beyond Christmas. Prompt #93 - Winter Solstice - You are invited to a bonfire on December 20th in the middle of a clearing in the woods. The snow blankets in a thick layer on the grass and coats the tree limbs. There are tents with festive colors, flagons of mead, urns of hot apple cider and barrels of cold beer. What happens next? Prompt #94 - Saturnalia - Use the following words in a story: pork sausage, green and gold, moon, sun, fertility rod, sickle, and "king for a day". Have fun preparing for the other holidays coming up later in the month!

November is a month for remembering things. Whether it's the Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November, with Guy Fawkes day, or November 11th, the Armistice Day commemorating The Great War, World War I, this is a month for looking back over past events. Therefore, I'm suggesting prompts that have to do with remembering events of the past. #87 List of items: rosemary, a diary, a chest, RAM, elephant, and a red poppy #88 Your main character lost his memory. What brings it back?

In October in the United States, we celebrate National Coming Out Day. But that really doesn't do it justice. Coming out isn't a day or a week or a month. Coming out is a process for most of us. It's intensely personal, incredibly liberating, and extremely terrifying for most people. Let's practice our writing skills with some characters who are coming out of the closet, are remembering their emergence, or even contemplating doing it. #81 - First Line - "How could you have outed me like that?" #82 - Use the following words in a story about coming out of the closet, any closet. Rainbow flag, bear, twunk, femme, butch, glitter, monster, and poppers. Come out, come out, wherever you are!

The Bellini Anthology theme: Anniversary “And you two,” the tall, blond, muscular man said as he placed napkins in front of the man and woman seated at the bar, “must be celebrating your wedding anniversary.” The elderly couple were taken aback at his words. They looked at one another and then at the ruggedly handsome bartender whose smile was both wide and generous. He had a small gap between his brilliantly white two front teeth, and sandy, wavy golden hair, cut conserv

Howard and Betsy have a problem. They can't find a stash of money, and need help finding it. Who can help them?

When writing a story, we need lots of different tools and techniques. Sometimes these may include using different styles of writing or even bringing to life challenging or even repugnant characters. To practice these different techniques, I've given a couple of exercises. #75 - Use the Passive Voice in a vignette. For example, "Jenny was a great writer who once won an award. She had written a story that garnered lots of attention and cause quite an uproar. That excitement passed and she has since given up the craft." As another example, obituaries or objective reports on findings use the passive voice. While it's not terribly compelling, passive voice has many uses and it can make the rhythm of your story more varied and interesting. #76 - Your character is a compulsive liar, unable to stop themselves from spinning tales that make them the envy of everyone around them. Then they wake up one day to discover that their lies have all come true… Happy Writing!

Vacation!! Nothing stimulates the recreative juices like a getaway. Here we are in the middle of July with a lake beckoning, the hammock swaying gently between two trees, and a grill smoking away with barbequed delights searing and sizzling. A cold, condensed mist trickles down the side of a glass of lemonade, or an adult beverage, and a dog-eared open book splays on your lap as the birds chirp and the squirrels wrestle. Maybe it’s time to relax and try a new prompt! Pull out the computer or writing pad, wipe your brow, and try these on for size. #67 – Ice Cream Truck – From around the corner, there is the jingle-jangle song of an ice cream truck. The white vehicle is festooned with pictures of various, colorful chilly delectables. It comes to a stop in front of your house. You approach, excited to get a delicious treat. You order, hand over your money, and the ice cream man hands you something. It’s cold, but it’s not edible. What is it and what does it do to you? #68 – The Lifeguard – You go to the beach and see a figure sitting atop a tall chair watching swimmers. The person looks vaguely familiar, and then they look down at you. Who is it and what happens next?

Maybe summer has just begun, according to the summer solstice. But, we get to treat the month of July as the middle point of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Midsummer is a fantastic time of picnics, parades, hanging out at the lake or the ocean or the pool, and letting the sun and fun wash over you. Let's play with our characters at a bright and cheery midsummer setting or even in a dark and spooky midsummer's night. #61 - You're at a cookout and there is an attractive young man standing by himself. You venture over and introduce yourself. He says, "Nice to meet you, my name is Robin Goodfellow." What is your story? #62 - Use the following words in a story. Strawberry pie, eyeball, changeling, hot dogs, tennis bracelet, and beach towel.