11 November 2015

Writing Prompts

I've started writing some flash fiction lately which satisfies the writing urge while leaving me enough time left-over in which i can work on maps and worldbuilding (i should have some flash fiction posted soon), and was thinking of writing prompts.

I don't know how many of you are familiar with Magic: the Gathering. It's a collectible card game where the player takes the role of a 'Planeswalker', who duels another player, casting spells (in the form of cards), with the goal of killing him. I love the art and lore and the mechanics. I don't love the cost and addictive nature, but enough about that.

Ajani Goldmane - one of my favourite characters and gorgeous  art by Chris Rahn

It's the largest such game on the market, with thousands of cards in its database, covering a variety of settings and subjects (biomechanical horrors, greek-style fantasy, gothic fantasy, calssical fantasy, etc.). There is a function on the MTG site where you can randomly generate cards from their online database (known as gatherer). It's on the bottom right of the linked page.

Wrath of God - by the inimitable Kev Walker

I decided to click on the random generator three times to see what comes up. Here's the results:


Wrath of God - a sorcery that clears the board of all cards. A very powerful and evocative effect, as depicted in the art.
Island - one of the five staple land cards in the game (the others being Plains, Swamps, Mountains and Forests)
Frightcrawler - a horror creature.


Frightcrawler - Matt Cavotta

Just generating those 3 cards has sparked a few ideas that i can put together to form the basis of a short story. Of course, I'll be careful not to include anything that infringes on MTG's IP, though I have enough original creations in my world that I can substitute at leisure.

I suggest you all give it a try and see what you come up with You don't have to know the game to try it out,though knowing the lore and rules does help. Let me know what you come up with!

Island from the Innistrad expansion (a gothic horror themed set)


#MTG #magicthegathering #writing #writingprompts,

4 comments:

  1. Wow, this is an interesting idea! I always look forward to finding new ways to get ideas, and since I've hit a writer's block, things like this will help me a lot.
    I tried this, and my first batch is: Berserkers' Onslaught, Reincarnation and
    Staunch Defenders

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    1. Almost any combination gives you the basis for good ideas!

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    2. True! Most everything ends up giving me ideas, although I have to discard the ones that are basically related to rules and mechanics, cuz I don't know much about that.
      I even got a batch that's completely water-themed! (Emperor Crocodile - Hydra - Island: Rise of the Eldrazi)
      Thanks for introducing me to this!

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