Faithful Nest

or chicken. Did you just call me chicken? Chicken? I’ll show you chicken. The comedy shtick has held up throughout time. When someone is challenged, they rise to it, egged on to rush into a situation they don’t prepare for.

Let’s analyze that. Someone gets baited by the infernal chicken line. In their anxiety to prove the challenger wrong, they leap into an impossible situation. After failing spectacularly, they reluctantly admit they were wrong or over reacted or are simply human.

I am happy to say I rose to the challenge and was happy with the result. Maybe there is something to the whole challenge idea. Okay, the details. A monthly writing prompt was thrown down. It turns out I am very much like many other artists, writers, and report creators. Nothing is as motivational as a deadline.

The broad theme was yellow. I’ll wait a minute while you generate a list of topics related to yellow. Now add a few more ideas. How many did you come up with? Double it, I’ll wait. This is one of my favorite times. Facing a spectrum of opportunity, what calls to me? Which of your topics called to you?

A prompt from a recent (Chicago) Write City Blog starts with that format. Write five ideas related to a prompt. Then (Oh, no!) throw them out. Find more related ideas. This has the writer digging deeper for connection. This will keep me from being the sort of hackneyed writer who just picks the easy first connection. It will also perk up your reader, taking them into new or unusual connections.

That will keep your reader’s interest. Maybe it will have them coming back for more.