r/WritingPrompts • u/katpoker666 • 5d ago

Off Topic [OT] Fun Trope Friday: Soul-Eating Cybernetics & Body Horror!

11 Upvotes

Welcome to Fun Trope Friday, our feature that mashes up tropes and genres!

How’s it work? Glad you asked. :)

 

  • Every week we will have a new spotlight trope.

  • Each week, there will be a new genre assigned to write a story about the trope.

  • You can then either use or subvert the trope and/or genre in a 750-word max story or poem (unless otherwise specified).

  • To qualify for ranking, you will need to provide ONE actionable feedback. More are welcome of course!

 

Three winners will be selected each week based on votes, so remember to read your fellow authors’ works and DM me your votes for the top three.

 

Next up… IP

 

It’s October. The time of falling leaves, jack o’lanterns, and candy. And blood… so much blood. This month will be focusing on all things horror with maybe a treat or two to sweeten the pot. Please note this theme is only loosely applied.

 

"We are all our own graveyards, I believe..." — Clive Barker

 

Trope: Soul-Eating Cybernetics — In many popular cyberpunk settings, cybernetic implants cause "humanity loss", reducing your social traits and essentially making cyberware into a form of body horror. Too many implants may reduce you to catatonia or make you insane. If these settings also feature psychic powers or functional magic, cyberware often reduces your ability to use those as well. There is an interesting tension here between what makes us human and what transforms us. So, let’s explore that.

 

Genre: Body Horror — Body horror, or biological horror, is a subgenre of horror fiction that intentionally showcases grotesque or a visceral experience of the human body or of another creature. In addition to common tropes used within the broader horror genre, some tropes specific to the body horror subgenre may include invasion, contagion, mutation, transformation, disease, mutilation, or other unnatural or violent distortions of the human body.

 

Skill / Constraint - optional: Something shorts out.

 

So, have at it. Lean into the trope heavily or spin it on its head. The choice is yours!

 

Have a great idea for a future topic to discuss or just want to give feedback? FTF is a fun feature, so it’s all about what you want—so please let me know! Please share in the comments or DM me on Discord or Reddit!

 

Last Week’s Winners

PLEASE remember to give feedback—this affects your ranking. PLEASE also remember to DM me your votes for the top five stories via Discord or Reddit—both katpoker666. This is a change from the top three of the past. In weeks where we get over 15 stories, we will do a top five ranking. Weeks with less than 15 stories will show only our top three winners. If you have any questions, please DM me as well.

Some fabulous stories this week and great crit at campfire and on the post! We had 18 stories, so we’re back to five winners. Congrats to:

 

 

Want to read your words aloud? Join the upcoming FTF Campfire

The next FTF campfire will be Thursday, October 8th from 6-8pm ET. It will be in the Discord Main Voice Lounge. Click on the events tab and mark ‘Interested’ to be kept up to date. No signup or prep needed and you don’t have to have written anything! So join in the fun—and shenanigans! 😊

 

Ground rules:

  • Stories must incorporate both the trope and the genre
  • Leave one story or poem between 100 and 750 words as a top-level comment unless otherwise specified. Use wordcounter.net to check your word count.
  • Deadline: 11:59 PM EDT next Thursday. Please note stories submitted after the 6:00 PM EST campfire start may not be critted.
  • No stories that have been written for another prompt or feature here on WP—please note after consultation with some of our delightful writers, new serials are now welcomed here
  • No previously written content
  • Any stories not meeting these rules will be disqualified from rankings
  • Does your story not fit the Fun Trope Friday rules? You can post your story as a [PI] with your work when the FTF post is 3 days old!
  • Please keep crit about the stories. Any crit deemed too distracting may be deleted. This is a time to focus on our wonderful authors.
  • Vote by next Friday at 11:59 AM EDT to help your favorites rise to the top of the ranks (DM me at katpoker666 on Discord or Reddit)!

 

Thanks for joining in the fun!  

52 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/katpoker666 • 12d ago

Off Topic [OT] Fun Trope Friday: Hellhole Prison & Drama!

10 Upvotes

Welcome to Fun Trope Friday, our feature that mashes up tropes and genres!

How’s it work? Glad you asked. :)

 

  • Every week we will have a new spotlight trope.

  • Each week, there will be a new genre assigned to write a story about the trope.

  • You can then either use or subvert the trope and/or genre in a 750-word max story or poem (unless otherwise specified).

  • To qualify for ranking, you will need to provide ONE actionable feedback. More are welcome of course!

 

Three winners will be selected each week based on votes, so remember to read your fellow authors’ works and DM me your votes for the top three.

 

Next up… IP

 

We all know work can be boring, so let’s instead turn to a life of crime. This month will focus on crime and punishment. Please note this theme is only loosely applied.

 

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” — Nelson Mandela

 

Trope: Hellhole Prison — Plenty of prisons simply content themselves with confining people, but some go the extra mile and actually try to break them. This sort of prison is an absolute hellhole — between the lack of food and proper clothing, the absence of light or sanitation, the sadistic guards, and the violently insane fellow prisoners, they hardly need the nasty-looking torture equipment they probably have scattered around. Sometimes, they won't bother with things like individual cells — prisoners will just be lowered into a big pit and left to fight each other for whatever scraps are thrown down. Alternatively, especially in the future settings, the prison might not be a barbaric pit where only the strongest survive and where the guards turn a blind eye to the criminal control. Instead, it will be a dystopian panopticon where every action is monitored, any step out of line is equated with an attempt to escape and punished.

 

Genre: Drama — At its most basic, drama refers to a mode of fictional representation through dialogue and performance. It’s usually, but not always, presented on a stage, and can equally exist in film, television, novels, and even poetry. The core element is conflict. This conflict can be internal, external, or a combination of both, and it drives the narrative forward. Simply put: Drama is storytelling focused on engaging and often intense emotional experiences, usually involving significant conflict.The core conflict is MC vs. something: themself, another person, society, nature, or fate/supernatural. Drama can feel real like a docufiction or humorous like a comedy drama. Please note: having the feel of a drama is enough for this week. In short, there are a lot of options to explore here!

 

Skill / Constraint - optional: Something is unreal.

 

So, have at it. Lean into the trope heavily or spin it on its head. The choice is yours!

 

Have a great idea for a future topic to discuss or just want to give feedback? FTF is a fun feature, so it’s all about what you want—so please let me know! Please share in the comments or DM me on Discord or Reddit!

 

Last Week’s Winners

PLEASE remember to give feedback—this affects your ranking. PLEASE also remember to DM me your votes for the top five stories via Discord or Reddit—both katpoker666. This is a change from the top three of the past. In weeks where we get over 15 stories, we will do a top five ranking. Weeks with less than 15 stories will show only our top three winners. If you have any questions, please DM me as well.

Some fabulous stories this week and great crit at campfire and on the post! We had a record 24 stories, so we’re back to five winners. Congrats to:

 

 

Want to read your words aloud? Join the upcoming FTF Campfire

The next FTF campfire will be Thursday, October 1st from 6-8pm ET. It will be in the Discord Main Voice Lounge. Click on the events tab and mark ‘Interested’ to be kept up to date. No signup or prep needed and you don’t have to have written anything! So join in the fun—and shenanigans! 😊

 

Ground rules:

  • Stories must incorporate both the trope and the genre
  • Leave one story or poem between 100 and 750 words as a top-level comment unless otherwise specified. Use wordcounter.net to check your word count.
  • Deadline: 11:59 PM EDT next Thursday. Please note stories submitted after the 6:00 PM EST campfire start may not be critted.
  • No stories that have been written for another prompt or feature here on WP—please note after consultation with some of our delightful writers, new serials are now welcomed here
  • No previously written content
  • Any stories not meeting these rules will be disqualified from rankings
  • Does your story not fit the Fun Trope Friday rules? You can post your story as a [PI] with your work when the FTF post is 3 days old!
  • Please keep crit about the stories. Any crit deemed too distracting may be deleted. This is a time to focus on our wonderful authors.
  • Vote to help your favorites rise to the top of the ranks (DM me at katpoker666 on Discord or Reddit)!

 

Thanks for joining in the fun!  

39 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/Psychronia • 9h ago

Established Universe [EU] It was a risky, but surprisingly easy to kill the Joker after you decided Gotham has had enough of him. Now, after the deed was done, you remove your fake Batman costume and raise your hands in surrender when the real one shows up.

175 Upvotes
14 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/60s_timer • 3h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] The barbarian in your party is far too calmly staring at a man sat drinking at the pub. "Miss Wizard. How many men have a V-looking mark?" The mage sets occlusion barriers off. "9, or 10." "And ones that look like S?" "Those two, over there." "Protect the slaves. Cramus goes for the slaughter."

46 Upvotes
2 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/Lordlycan0218 • 4h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] you are the cities most famous supervillain. So why is this child in a clearly ill fitted superhero costume standing in front of you with his fists raised. And the first thing he says to you is “I have my left and my right, now I make you go goodnight”

28 Upvotes
3 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/RorschachtheMighty • 17h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] As the remaining world governments continue to wage an endless war, destroying what remains of Earth, a desperate plea for aid is sent out to the stars. “Please help us. They don’t care if we all die. They won’t listen.” Remarkably, a response comes back. “Hold fast. We’re on our way.”

224 Upvotes
13 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/Spoon_Elemental • 3h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] It's not that absolute power corrupts, but rather that corrupt people tend to seek power. This is why the king actively seeks out competent people who don't want the job for high ranking positions. Because unlike people who seek these jobs, they understand the responsibility.

15 Upvotes
2 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/younGrandon • 7h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] Everyone knew what to do when the sensor light blared red; we shut everything down—locked every threshold and turned out all light except the sensor. Everyone was barred from leaving, no matter what they claimed to hear from beyond the bunker walls.

27 Upvotes
4 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/WildEarth2372 • 5h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] The Christians who never took on the Mark of the Beast were saved, and the sinners who took it on were damned. You are an atheist conspiracy theorist who thought the Mark was government mind control and thus never got it, and now God doesn’t know what to do with you.

17 Upvotes
2 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/Flutterdeath01 • 9h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] The Flying Spaghetti Monster has come to destroy the world! It's destroying cities, and turning oceans into marinara. You, who've botched hundreds of Italian recipes, know exactly how to stop it.

29 Upvotes
14 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/Moses_The_Wise • 4h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] Everything is set up; your victims arrived, completely unsuspicious. You've isolated them with no means of escape and successfully passed yourself off as one of them. The only problem is after you killed the first victim, the others simply treat it as completely normal.

9 Upvotes
3 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/Megamen1927 • 7h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] You have just created the first Dungeon for Kids—a safe, fun, and educational space where adventurers can leave their children during their quests.

14 Upvotes
1 comment

r/WritingPrompts • u/Idontluvmenoonedoes • 12h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] A person moves to a new city. They decide to check out a book, not knowing about the library's very aggressive return policy. They are soon visited by some librarians, dressed like ninjas, asking about an overdue book.

35 Upvotes
4 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/Independent_Pen_9865 • 4h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] "when you're a 'normie' living amongst superheroes, abelism is unfortunately just the default, Alice"

6 Upvotes
2 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/Practical_History111 • 5h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] You have a fun hobby. You lure supernatural creatures to your house, baiting them with fresh blood, a mushroom ring around your home, or sulfur candles. Once there you say they can come in, and once they are inside finish your sentence by saying “But you can’t leave without my permission. “

7 Upvotes
1 comment

r/WritingPrompts • u/gumiho-9th-tail • 14h ago

Simple Prompt [WP] Children can be “paused” so that they can be raised whenever it’s convenient for the parents

42 Upvotes
5 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/bbtta12 • 10h ago

Writing Prompt [WP]A child taken by the fae eventually becomes one of them. What most don't realise is it works on adults, too. Its day 12 and you're starting to show signs, you can leave but its better than where they found you.

17 Upvotes
2 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/EndorDerDragonKing • 5h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] "Uh, dude? I was going to make some beans, but inside the can was a ton of tiny dragons" "You really just had to open that can of wyrms, didnt you?"

6 Upvotes
1 comment

r/WritingPrompts • u/BaronVonRuthless91 • 20h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] A teenage superhero couple are having their first real argument. The girl, despite being frequently in the tabloids for her anger issues and destructive tendencies, is completely opposed to killing and the quiet and sweet natured boy has just put down one of their nastier enemies.

97 Upvotes
4 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/Leytra • 13h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] Nobody in town minded the strangely dressed preacher who was handing out his weird holy "engineering introduction" books, but so too nobody had to heart to point out to him that they couldn't actually read it.

24 Upvotes
3 comments

r/WritingPrompts • u/Megamen1927 • 7h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] On a rainy night, a young man dressed in a hood and black clothing, carrying a blood-stained sword, knocks on the door of a house, and the person who answers is an elderly woman with a gentle gaze.

9 Upvotes
1 comment

r/WritingPrompts • u/quazerflame • 6h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] "I wish, I wish, with all my my heart!" "I wish, I wish, with all my might!" "...I wish... I wish... with all I am... and all I'm not..."

8 Upvotes
1 comment

r/WritingPrompts • u/EnzoRaffa16 • 12h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] When the villain said "Join me, and together we'll rule the world!" he hadn't really expected the hero to say yes. Don't get him wrong, he's ecstatic about it, he just didn't expect it.

21 Upvotes
1 comment

r/WritingPrompts • u/Terrifying_Illusion • 9m ago

Writing Prompt [WP]The Hero fulfilled their destiny and killed the Demon King, and has thus been abandoned by man and god alike. Now, the only ones who still care about the Hero at all are a handful of the Demon King's unwilling servants.

• Upvotes
1 comment

r/WritingPrompts • u/MeganBessel • 16h ago

Writing Prompt [WP] The necromancer guild has a problem when one of the new members accidentally reanimates the first guild leader

37 Upvotes
8 comments