Sometimes when we start writing, we don’t always have a story in mind. At least, that’s how I work. Of course, that has led to countless hours wasted staring at a blank screen or notepad (over my lifetime, mind you–not all at once).

It’s fitting that the first writing assignment at Weekly Writing Assignment is designed to jump start your creative juices using the power of random words.

The Assignment

I’ve chosen 15 random words from the dictionary. Your assignment is to use them to create a very short story. Your story should be 300 words MAXIMUM. Stories longer than this will not be eligible to win.

The words you will be using are:

1. esophagus
2. California
3. propaganda
4. imbue
5. chortle
6. bravado
7. dictate
8. cacophony
9. break
10. margin
11. fetter
12. buzz
13. segue
14. cajole
15. command

You may use these words in any way. Conjugations are permitted (e.g. “commands,” “cajoles,” etc.) but permutations are not (e.g. “dictation,” “broken,” etc.)  If you don’t know the word, look it up in the dictionary. There’s nothing worse than misusing a word in your writing (much less your speech).

Except for typos. Please spell check and make sure your punctuation is correct. If you’re unsure about something, ask someone or consult a resource.

THIS ASSIGNMENT IS NOW CLOSED.

Tags: creative writing, writing contest

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