Magic Realism and the Supernatural

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Snakes in a Jar

For Tuesday, August 5

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Write a poem or flash fiction piece that revolves an unusual object, one that is particularly odd, chilling, or mildly gruesome.

Suggestions:

1. Make your opening line a clear, simple description of the object: Snakes in a jar. A rusty pile of nails. A broken marionette.

2. Are you afraid to touch it? Is your character shocked to see?

3. Does it raise concerns? Bring back memories?

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sur-real-ly

Monday, July 28, 2014  •  Prompt #85

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Today’s Prompt

Write a poem or short fiction piece in a surreal or magic realism style. This genre introduces supernatural or unbelievable events or abilities into in an otherwise everyday realistic environment. (However you define that!)

Option #1: Write a new piece.

Option #2: Take an existing piece and add a supernatural element to it.

 

Need more inspiration?  Try one of these options.

  1. A child comes home from school to discover his twin brother in his bedroom. When he left for school that day, he didn’t have a twin brother.
  2. An urban community garden produces vegetables no one planted and no one recognizes. What happens when an 80-year-old woman takes some home and makes vegetable soup?
  3. A janitor spills a new cleaning solution on her hands and discovers she can read people’s thoughts. Or heal people’s illnesses. Or …?
  4. A character wakes up to find he’s turned into a cockroach. (Oh wait, that’s been done.)

Looking for surreal realism inspiration?  Read work by these two authors: Aimee Bender and Frankie Elizabeth Rollins.