Power up Prompt #10: 8.16.25

A Setting, a Character, and a Conflict to use However You’d like!

Welcome to the tenth Power up Prompt! The votes from last week are in, and it’s a tie! You voted to focus on dialogue and worldbuilding equally in last week’s poll. So, you know what that means: we’re doing both!

While you wait for the next 30-day challenge, Power Up Prompts will be here every Saturday going forward. Read on for a reminder on how they work, and to see this week’s new options!

A Prompt with Three Levels

My vision for Power Up Prompts is to put the power in the hands of my fellow writers. Most prompts give you a single idea to run with, and those are great, but I’m always looking for ways to keep you on your toes.

So, these weekly prompts are going to have three separate parts that can fit together, but they can also work on their own. This will allow you to mix and match to your heart’s content and set the challenge accordingly!

Should you decide to participate, here’s how you can figure out which power level your story or poem falls into:

• Level 1 = A story or poem that uses one of the three elements

• Level 2 = A story or poem that uses two of the three elements

• Level 3 = A story or poem that uses all three elements

For the time being, going for level 3 will also get you a shout-out from me on my weekly writing podcast, Saved as Draft. I’ll feature a quick look at Level 3 stories each week in the show during their own segment.

This week’s prompt is focused on Dialogue and Worldbuilding. You can write any genre of story or poem that you would like, but this prompt’s factors will be focused on the elements above, and your finished piece should be as well.

The Word Count Limit for Power Up Prompts is 2.5K words.

You can also do a story or poem depending on what you think works best for your idea. I am going on an actual vacation this coming week, so this prompt will be going on until Friday, August 28th. The next Power up Prompt will arrive on August 30th.

Element 1: Setting

This week’s setting is The New World. Since one of our primary focuses this week is worldbuilding, I want you to set you story in a stange and mysterious place where at least some of the characters are visiting for the first time.

They must explore, gather knowledge, and (hopefully) learn what to avoid if they wish to survive their journey. Use this as an opportunity to organically integrate worldbuilding into the events of the story. Have the reader learn about the world alongside your cast!

Element 2: Character(s)

This week’s character is The Chatterbox. Given that our other focus this week is dialogue, your main character should be very, very talkative. Do they just talk a lot when they’re nervous, or are they an actor or public speaker who just loves hearing the sound of their own voice?

Whatever the reason, dialogue should be a major component of your story, and a lot of it should come from this character.

Element 3: Conflict

The conflict for this week is A Way Home. Your characters must themselves stuck in their present location without a clear way back from whence they came. Did their ship sink? Have they awoken somewhere strange without their things? Are their phone’s dead?!

Should you choose to use this element, the way home must be unclear at the start of the story, and your characters should be actively seeking a way to get back (but of course, they don’t have to succeed).

Let Inspiration Strike

You may use all three elements for a level 3 story or poem, or you can take just one or two and run in a different direction entirely. When your story or poem is ready this week, be sure to tag me and share which level it falls into.

No poll this time, by the way. I’m taking a week off, so you’ll have until August 28th to complete this prompt! All level-3 stories will appear on the Saved as Draft Podcast when the show’s next main episode airs August 29th, and we’ll do a fresh Power up Prompt August 30th.

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Power up Prompts Return August 30th

In the meantime, here’s your musical pairing!