Power up Prompt #5: 7.12.25

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

Welcome to the fifth Power up Prompt! The votes from last week are in, and this week we’re doing romance!

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 romance. While romance isn’t usually a genre that I write, it was one that I focused heavily on during my time as a ghostwriter. One of my most popular pieces on Substack here is also something I would consider to be a bittersweet romance story.

That one is called Ashes to Ashes, and it actually inspired this week’s Power up Prompt!

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. Also, remember to check out the poll at the end to vote on which genre we should do for next week’s Power Up Prompt!

Element 1: Setting

This week’s setting is The Oasis. Should you choose to incorporate this element into your story, your setting should be a place that is incredibly unique and rare in your world. A place that many see as paradise.

Does it have breathtaking sights? Is the society here a true utopia? Or, is it all an illusion? That of course, is up to you.

Element 2: Character(s)

This week I’m giving you two characters called The Star-Crossed Lovers. These are two characters who were destined to meet. Their love was written in the stars, but like any good love story, they will have to overcome something that is keeping them apart.

It could be a conflict of your choosing, or you can incorporate the element below.

Element 3: Conflict

The conflict for this week is The End of the World. As I mentioned earlier in the post, this week’s prompt is inspired by my microfiction story “Ashes to Ashes,” which was about two people meeting just as their planet’s star goes supernova.

If you choose to use this element, your story should be set within a lifetime of the world’s end. That means that it could happen right away, or it could be something that will occur within your character’s lifetimes.

In either case, it should be a looming threat that directly affects the lovers in your romance story.

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.

As always, I will do my best to read every single piece, and of course, level 3 submissions will be mentioned in next week’s episode of the Saved as Draft podcast.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Check the poll below to vote on which genre next week’s prompt will fall into!

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Thanks for Reading! Here’s Your Musical Pairing

Listen to this while you brainstorm your story for this week’s prompt!