Robot In The Woods
Somebody Write This Book
Hi! Hello! I’m Kirk Reedstrom and this is the Somebody Write This Book newsletter where I send monthly, occasionally (okay, okay—often) absurd creative prompts to your inbox. You probably signed up for this on my website or on Twitter. If you’d like to unsubscribe, just click that link at the bottom of the newsletter. One click, all done, goodbye and sayonara.
A Prompt:
Related (a prequel?):
Robot? Love it. Woods? Yes, please. I’m almost always a fan of “character out of their element” stories, and a robot in the woods certainly fits the bill. It’s hard not to be enthralled by two seemingly opposing things coming together due to unlikely circumstances. Of course, there’s Peter Brown’s Wild Robot, The Iron Giant, and that one Futurama episode, but I think there’s always room for another take on this trope. So let’s make a squiggle and turn it into a robot.
Here’s my squiggle:
And my robot:
This month, I decided to try making the music again for process video. I hope the soundtrack feels like the sonic equivalent a robot sniffing a daffodil. Anyway, back to the drawing. You might be wondering, “Hey, Kirk, you old so-and-so! Why is that robot in a field of flowers instead of the woods?” Well, dear reader, it was easier to draw. Now that you have your robot, try sticking it in a natural environment, too. It could be the woods, a lake, or even a field of flowers in which to frolic. Remember, there are no rules here. If you want to keep beeping and booping along with this story, here are some questions to ask yourself:
What is the robot’s job?
How did it get in it’s new nature-filled environment?
Who or what does it meet there?
What does it leave behind (literally and/or metaphorically)?
Try setting a timer for 23 minutes and free write a little story that’s about 100-200 words from the perspective of the robot in the middle of its journey. You can go over or under that word count. You can write for a longer or shorter amount of time. If a story’s not your cup of tea, try a poem or four panel comic.
Three Neat Things:
So Many Birds:
It’s migration time, so every night just before the sun sets, thousands of robins fly over my neighborhood. It’s an awe-inducing spectacle, and a true delight.
A Poetry Book:
I got my paws on Gabrielle Bates’ new poetry collection, Judas Goat after listening to her interview on the Between The Covers podcast. It’s so good. If you enjoy devastating poetry, give it a read! Bonus: Gabrielle also makes fantastic poetry comics.
Whatever This Is:
Thanks for reading. If you’re hankering for more prompts, you can read the archives here. If you really enjoyed it, forward this email to a friend or arch nemesis.
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-Kirk
www.kirkreedstrom.com
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