Prompt Title: The Things We Don’t Say Prompt Type: Mixed media
Everyone has had those private, innermost thoughts, those things they won’t say out loud, never to be shared with others—or held back for a long, long time.
What is it your characters don’t say? Do they have unexpressed feelings about another character? Do they hide their real ideas about the world they live in, or about themselves, from others around them? Perhaps they wear a mask that disguises their true self. Or maybe, they just have that one major thought, or feeling, or idea, that they feel like they can’t share. Will they ever express these thoughts, or never?
Choose a character or characters, and show us those private things they don’t say…and why.
Prompt Title: 3 Wishes Prompt Type: Mixed media
Have you ever wanted to wish for something and make it true? This prompt lets you do just that! Your character has found a genie lamp and the magical being inside will grant you three wishes (as per usual with genies, you cannot wish for more wishes, bring someone back from the dead, or mess with love). You can decide what to wish for and the outcome. Remember, some genies can be mean and literally (you wish for 1,000 bucks and you get 1,000 deer). Be creative and remember you can make it a comedy or a tragedy. So be careful what you wish for and have fun! If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes
Prompt Title: Mycenian Fables Prompt Type: Mixed Media
No one should undervalue the ability of a simple story to teach a lesson. Nowhere is this more true than in Aesop’s fables, where animal characters are used to portray morals and truths. What kinds of life lessons might your characters have learned in the past? Alternatively, what sorts of lessons do they probably need to learn?
Perhaps this could be a fable reworked a bit to have some Mycenian flavor- or something new entirely! As long as the fable reflects the values of Mycena or its many characters, you’re in the clear! Can be in the form of a written story, or perhaps a comic/series of illustrations similar to those found in some versions of the original fables. If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes!
Prompt Title: Heart-to-Heart Prompt Type: Mixed Media
People are complicated. Sometimes conversations or actions don’t go the way you wanted them to. Sometimes there are misunderstandings. But that’s why it’s always good to sit down and have a heart-to-heart, putting your heads together to smooth things over or work things out. Heart-to-hearts can be scary, too - they’re a chance to open up and be honest, but also vulnerable.
Tell us about a time when your character has been involved in a heart-to-heart. Was it hard for them to open up and be vulnerable? Did the conversation go well? Or was it someone else being honest with them? If so, how did they take it? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Sure!
Prompt Title: The World Still Turns Prompt Type: Mixed Media
Bad things happen. There are accidents, tragedies, battles, crime … but at the end of the day, life keeps going. No matter how hard things seem, the world keeps on turning. The sun will rise tomorrow, just as it did today.
Tell us how your character dealt with a big event after the fact. This event can be good or bad, but try to focus on the aftermath. How did they come to terms with it, if they did at all? How did this event affect their life afterwards? Do they have regrets about it? Or did it make them excited and hopeful for the future? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Sure!
Prompt Title: ‘Tis the Season Prompt Type: Mixed Media
The holiday season is fast approaching. There are many different ways that people celebrate the holiday season, but all celebrations have one thing in common: celebrating surrounded by your loved ones.
Tell us how will your Mycenian be celebrating this holiday season? Perhaps they have certain rituals - putting up a Christmas tree with someone special, making a special dish to share at the family dinner, or watching their favorite holiday movie to get them in the spirit. How will these day (or days) be spent? If chosen, would you like to guest judge?Yes!
Prompt Title: That Awkward Moment… Prompt Type: Mixed Media
More often than not, we say or do something without thinking. More often than not, this gets us in embarrassing or awkward situations, making us wish we could just sink into the ground or go back and change it.
Tell us an embarrassing or awkward situation your character got themselves into. How did it arise? How did your character deal with the aftermath? If chosen, would you like to guest judge?Yes
Prompt Title: The Music in Me Prompt Type: Mixed media
Many people listen to music to get their creative juices flowing, to impact their moods, to bond with others, or simply to relax. We may listen to different music depending on our emotions, and we may find new meaning in a song after a pivotal occurrence in our lives.
Tell us about a time when your character interacted with music. How did they react to what they heard? Were they creating it, or were they somehow connected to the creature or thing playing it? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes
Prompt Title: Colors of the Heart Prompt Type: Mixed media
Some people associate colors with flavors, smells, people, words, etc. Some people associate colors with memories or feelings. Sometimes we are simply drawn to a color for reasons we aren’t sure of! Describe a color that is very significant to your character’s life and why and/or how. If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes
Prompt Title: Tall, Dark, and Handsome Prompt Type: Mixed media
Everyone has encounters with strangers from time to time. Whether it’s the woman at the grocery store who smiles at you and compliments your eyes or the man who literally ran into you while you were crossing the road, each of these strangers has an impact on your life-even if it’s just for that moment. Who was a notable stranger your character met, and why were they so noteworthy? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes!
Prompt Title: Just One Day Prompt Type: Mixed media
We’ve always had those dreams where one day, we can take a role as any person as we desire: the leader of nations, a professional race car driver, an olympic athlete. Perhaps one of your beloved Mycena characters has a secret dream. Perhaps there was another potential role you were considering for a character. Wouldn’t it be so fantastic to take one with long-established, complicated lore and give them a completely different role? How would they react? What would they do? Would they be relieved to see this one day end, or watch with great reluctance as the clock ticked over to the new day? If chosen, would you like to guest judge?No
Prompt Title: Your Will Prompt Type: Mixed media
There comes a time in every person’s life when they are forced to consider the question, “What do I want to leave behind, when I’m gone?” Maybe it’s their dreams for the next generation, maybe it’s a history that future scholars will study. What does your character want to leave as their legacy? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yessss
Prompt Title: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes Prompt Type: Mixed media
Every single one of us has our own dreams and desires. Some of us have fanciful dreams, whimsical ideas. Others have desires which are moreso nightmares than dreams. What is the something that your character desires? How far will they go to get it? What will they do when they finally have it? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? no, thank you
Prompt Title: Memories Prompt Type: Writing-only
Every character has a story, a life that is unique to themselves. Whether bad or good, it is these memories and experiences that help to shape who they are. What is a memory that impacted your character, for better or for worse? How did this experience affect their personality, appearance or behavior? What does your character think about this event, and given the choice, would they reverse the changes made? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yesss
Prompt Title: True Self Prompt Type: Mixed Media
People rarely show their true selves openly. Everyone has their secrets, and some have more than others. What is something your character is hiding from others? What part of them is a mask they use to cover something up? Do they find it hard to keep up a facade, or does it come naturally to them? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? yes
Prompt Title: A Glance in the Mirror Prompt Type: Mixed media
It is said that every character has a bit of their creator in them. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing. How would your character react to meeting you? Would it be a fun experience as you bond over opinions? Heartfelt as you shared similar troubles? Or would you only see the thing you hate the most about yourself? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? No Thank you ^-^
Prompt Title: Childhood Games Prompt Type: Mixed media
We all had those games when we were young, imaginary worlds we disappeared into at the slightest provocation, with friends or on our own. Some of us were knights, or cowboys, or superheroes or any combination of things our imaginations could conjure.
What were your character’s childhood worlds? Did they carry over into adult life as favorite types of books or other media? Or did they fade away until something reminded them? Were they heroes? Villains? Solo players or part of a crowd in the same games? What hi-jinks came of these games? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes
Prompt Title: So this one time… Prompt Type: Mixed media
Everyone’s got stories to tell, some more spectacular then others, but everyone has that one crazy story. A prank that got wildly out of hand, an event that went a little overboard, or even just someone looking at someone else and saying “Hey but what if…?” that starts a spiral everyone involved is sharing for years after.
What’s one of your character’s spectacular tales or ill-advised schemes? Did it work out in the end or go completely sideways? Do they hide when someone else tells the story or join in enthusiastically? And what started it all? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes
Prompt Title: Brings me Comfort Prompt Type: Mixed media
Be they vices, places, music or media, or even just a memory, there’s that something that takes the weight when things are bad, even if it’s just for a moment. What’s your character’s piece of comfort when things are looking bleak? Is it a bad habit or just a way to take a deep breath? A way to escape or something that makes their world look a little brighter? Or if they don’t already have this little bit of peace, where might they find it or what have they done chasing it? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes
Prompt Title: The Timing’s Never Right Prompt Type: Mixed Media
Everybody struggles with timing sometimes. Whether it’s underestimating how long it will take to run an errand and having to rush through other tasks to compensate or just missing the last bus home by an instant and ending up stranded in a strange place for the night. Sometimes the result is just a minor inconvenience and sometimes it’s an utter catastrophe. Using whichever media you prefer, please portray a time your character has had to race against the clock; did they defeat the deadline or did they run out of time? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? No, but thank you kindly for the opportunity!
Prompt Title: Not so bad after all. Prompt Type: Mixed Media
Every story needs a villain, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the bad guy by default. It could just be that they’re misguided in their efforts or are misunderstood in their intentions. Using the media of your choice, reveal one of your own villains showing off their nicer side. If chosen, would you like to guest judge? No
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Prompt Title: Forgotten. Prompt Type: Writing-Only
Occasionally, things get lost in the sands of time as we make new connections and explore new caverns in life. But what happens when you forget something that doesn’t want to be forgotten? Show us what experience keeps coming back for more, regardless of how often your characters try to forget it. Or perhaps it’s an object or person that keeps appearing in their lives despite being unwanted. If chosen, would you like to guest judge? No
Prompt Title: Wishful Thinking Prompt Type: Mixed media
Everyone at some point in their lives has made a predication. Predictions happen every day, as do wishes and desires. There are endless small wishes that pass a person by every day and go unfulfilled, but what about those wishes that do chance fufillment? Tell about a prediction, wish, or dream your character had that came true, and how that prediction (large or small!) changed their life. If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes
Prompt Title: Dearly Beloved Prompt Type: Mixed Media
Everyone has something precious to them. Whether it’s a fond keepsake, a hard-earned artifact or a beloved companion, the things that people care about are many and varied. Sometimes, one may not even realise what they care about until they lose it.
Describe something (or someone) that your character treasures. How did they come across or acquire their treasure, and what have they done to hold on to it? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes, please!
Prompt Title: Paved with Good Intentions Prompt Type: Mixed Media
Sometimes, plans just go wrong.
Someone can start out with big dreams of baking a cake and end up destroying the oven.
Attempts to mend a failing marriage somehow result in accelerating the trip to the divorce lawyer.
A benevolent mage summons a dragon to take down the local evil villain, but the dragon levels the continent instead. Oops.
Everyone has those times. Even the best intentions can’t guarantee success, and good ideas can go wrong in many, many ways. Recount a time when one of your character’s plans ended up backfiring, and what happened as a result. If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes, please!
Prompt Title: Sick Day Prompt Type: Mixed Media
It happens to everyone. It could be a passing ailment or something that a character’s struggled with for as long as they can remember, but for most people, illness is an unfortunate fact of life. Detail a time when your character ended up succumbing to sickness—did they have someone to take care of them? Did it upset any plans? What lasting effects or impressions, if any, did it leave on them? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yes, please!
Prompt Title: Perfect Storm Prompt Type: Mixed Media
“I can’t keep you above water, I can’t drag your soul to shore , don’t know how to fix a sinking ship, or win a losing war. It’s a heavy load to carry and i can’t hold on much more; On the surface it looks perfect, underneath it’s just a perfect storm.” - War by Icon for Hire
Tell of a time one of your characters felt all the weight of the world on their shoulders. How do they soldier through? Does it consume them? Or do they make the best of their situation and try to keep going? Is it an emotional battle? Or a physical one? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? No thanks!
aw dang I got home from work with 4 minutes to spare and had to poop something came up while I was proofreading :(
Prompt Title: HMV Prompt Type: Mixed Media
This months’ challenge asks, “What makes your character tick – or thump, dance, squawk, etc”
What does you character sound like? What are the noises they make? Do they have a tune that makes them dance in their chair, or a favourite song that makes them jump up and boogie? Maybe they have a sound that makes them feel safe or homesick or scared? (Like the click-click-click of a teacher’s shoes in a school hallway!) Tell us about it
Links to audio are encouraged! (but please make sure you give all appropriate credit) If chosen, would you like to guest judge? Yeah!
Prompt Title: The Sandwich Prompt Type: Mixed Media
Your character finds a mysterious sandwich. Where do they find it? Do they eat it? Who made it? What happens? If chosen, would you like to guest judge? HMMMM ok
Prompt Title: Branching Paths Prompt Type: Mixed Media
Every day, we make choices. Some are tiny, like getting out of bed vs hitting the snooze button. Some are momentous, like moving to a new country or saying “yes” to a marriage proposal. But every choice we make opens up a new set of infinite possibilities, while closing the door on infinite others.
The purpose of this month’s Mycenaissance is to give a glimpse of what might have been. Tell us what might have happened in your character’s life if they chose differently. If chosen, would you like to guest judge? No way!! (I wanna participate!)
We really appreciate everyone who submitted prompts to us! There were a lot of really fantastic submissions, which made it very hard to narrow our choices down to only six. All in all, we had 30 players submit 48 different prompts. Awesome job, guys!
In the end, though, we had to narrow our choices down to only six. The ones we selected are as follows:
Arintol‘s “A Little Rebellion Never Hurt (or did it…)”
Each player whose prompt was chosen will receive a random Cave Capsule, and we will be in touch with those of you who showed an interest in guest judging! Everyone who participated in this month’s contest will receive their participation prize of 1 gem.
We had the hardest time narrowing it down to just 6!!! But folks will begin seeing the player submitted prompts in January. :) December will be a ‘standard’ month with staff guest judge and prompt!
