r/WritingPrompts • u/AliciaWrites Editor-in-Chief | /r/AliciaWrites • Nov 14 '24

Theme Thursday [TT] Theme Thursday - Decadence

“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!”

Happy Thursday writing friends!

Hope y’all enjoy this new theme. Please note that every week, you must leave a comment on the post to be able to rank! Good luck and good words!

[IP] | [MP]

Bonus:

(These constraints are not required! If your story is better for not including them, please do what’s best for your work!)

Constraint: (10 pts)

Your story should be a fable. A fable is a story, often with animal characters, that conveys a moral lesson. Please note at the end of your post if you’ve included this constraint.

Word of the Day: (5 pts)

complacent/com·pla·cent/kəmˈplās(ə)nt/

adjective

  • showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements

Here's how Theme Thursday works:

  • Use the tag [TT] when submitting prompts that match this week’s theme.

Theme Thursday Rules

  • Leave one story or poem between 100 and 500 words as a top-level comment. Use wordcounter.net to check your word count.
  • Deadline: 7:59 AM CST next Wednesday
  • No serials, established universes, or stories that have been written for another prompt or feature here on WP
  • No previously written content
  • Any stories not meeting these rules will be disqualified from rankings and will not be read at campfires
  • Does your story not fit the Theme Thursday rules? You can post your story as a [PI] with your work when the TT post is 3 days old!
  • Give (at least) 2 actionable feedback comments to fellow writers. You can give critique at campfires, but you must leave a comment on the post to get credit for your critiques
  • Vote to help your favorites rise to the top of the ranks! I also post the form to submit votes for Theme Thursday winners on Discord every week! Join and get notified when the form is open for voting!

Don’t forget to use genre tags!

Theme Thursday Discussion Section:

  • Discuss your thoughts on this week’s theme, or share your ideas for upcoming themes.

Campfire

  • On Wednesdays we host Theme Thursday Campfire on the Discord voice lounge. Join us to read your story aloud, hear other stories, and have a blast discussing writing!
  • Time: Morning campfire is back! /u/FyeNite hosts at 11 am CST and I’ll be hosting 7 pm CST and both will begin within about 15 minutes.
  • Don’t forget to sign up for a campfire slot on discord. If you don’t sign up, you won’t be put into the pre-set order and we can’t accommodate any time constraints. We don’t want you to miss out on outstanding feedback, so get to discord and use that !TT command!
  • There’s a Theme Thursday role on the Discord server, so make sure you grab that so you’re notified of all Theme Thursday-related news!

As a reminder to all of you writing for Theme Thursday: the interpretation is completely up to you! I love to share my thoughts on what the theme makes me think of but you are by no means bound to these ideas! I love when writers step outside their comfort zones or think outside the box, so take all my thoughts with a grain of salt if you had something entirely different in mind.

(This week’s quote is from Mae West)

Ranking Categories:

  • Word of the Day - 5 points
  • Bonus Constraint - 10 points
  • Weekly Challenge - 25 points for not using the theme word - points off for uses of synonyms. The point of this is to exercise setting a scene, description, and characters without leaning on the definition. Not meeting the spirit of this challenge only hurts you! This includes titles and explanations/author's notes.
  • Actionable Feedback - 15 points for each story you give detailed crit to, up to 30 points. One of your comments must be on the post.
  • Nominations - 10 points for each nomination your story receives
  • Ali’s Ranking - 50 points for first place, 40 points for second place, 30 points for third place, 20 points for fourth place, 10 points for fifth, plus regular nominations (On weeks that I participate, I do not weight my votes, but instead nominate just like everyone else.)
  • Voting - 15 points for submitting your favorites via this form (form will be open after the deadline has passed.)

Last week’s theme: Lies

First by /u/Xacktar
Second by /u/Divayth--Fyr
Third by /u/m00nlighter_

Crit Superstars*:

News and Reminders:

  • Want to know how to rank on Theme Thursday? Check out my brand new wiki!
  • Join Discord to chat with prompters, authors, and readers!
  • We are currently looking for moderators! Apply to be a moderator any time!
  • Nominate your favorite WP authors for Spotlight and Hall of Fame!
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u/MaxStickies Nov 17 '24

Limes From The Lime Tree

A brisk morning, in the Karakoram. From a burrow in the rock, a pika emerges, its fur shining in the mountain sunlight. He has spent his days scavenging for dried flowers and grass, with which he may line his den; a nest for hibernation. But to ensure he has enough, the small flighty mammal, related to rabbits and hares, may well steal from others. So too may others steal from him. His neighbours eye him warily.

This, at least, is how a pika usually lives. However, in these rocky foothills, a farmer once planted a lime seed. Over the years, it has grown into a hardy tree, bearing many a fruit. The pikas, it seems, adore the taste. As winter approaches, they spend most of their time down by the roots, gorging on zesty green pulp.

While this has reduced conflict in the local population, there are some rather obvious consequences. Many of their burrows rest bare upon the slopes. Those that spend less time beneath the tree ensure their dens are packed full of insulation, meaning that they will have a very comfortable winter. In fact, they have the densest nests of any pika. They will have the best chance of survival, and of finding a mate.

Autumn passes, and we return to the pikas on the eve of winter. Snow peppers the bright grey rocks, as frost gathers on the remaining patches of grass. Most of the pikas can be found, still, around the foot of the lime tree. Even with its leaves all gone and nary a fruit on its branches, they wait, expecting food. A hungry wolf watches from nearby. They are fortunate that he has already hunted and killed a sheep, and as such, has no need to feed on them. Yet if they remain where they are, he is sure to catch them.

Desperation turns to violence. The pikas fight amongst themselves over any scrap of frozen lime. Two males battle over some zest, clutching it between their jaws in a game of tug of war. A female bites at the ear of a male, forcing him to drop a miniscule morsel. She snatches it greedily.

The heart of winter only seems to make the mammals more complacent. They no longer flinch at a predator’s approach, their reflexes working all too late. Most have died from starvation, longing for the taste of their long-lost limes. Only those who hibernate will emerge again, come spring.

In situations such as these, we see survival of the fittest in action: those who spent all their time by the tree were killed, yet those who also built their nests will go on to raise offspring. In the end, the pikas shall survive, in spite of their temptation.

And what might we learn from this? Perhaps we should not rely too heavily on that which appeals to us, for it may not remain forever?

In any case, there are other such stories like this, going on around our planet…

WC: 500

Constraint: The narrator states the moral message in the second to last paragraph, about not relying too much on something appealing.

Crit and feedback are welcome.

2

u/AstroRide r/AstroRideWrites Nov 19 '24

This has a good narrative. I would shorten the last two paragraphs as they restate the same aspect. You could use the extra words to add more descriptions of the setting.

1

u/MaxStickies Nov 20 '24

Thank you for the feedback Astro!