1-MINUTE PROMPT:
It’s New Year’s Eve in Times Square. A couple who have just had an argument stand in silence waiting for the ball to drop. What do they do when midnight arrives? Write about it from a third-person perspective.
5-MINUTE PROMPT:
In a darkened movie theater, the film reel counts down, 3 . . . 2 . . . 1. The movie begins and there’s a collective gasp from the audience. What’s on the screen? Write about it from the point of view of an omniscient narrator.
10-MINUTE PROMPT:
The underdogs have the ball, but they’re down by one point with only 3 seconds left on the clock. The player with the basketball needs to make one last shot to secure victory for the team. Write about what happens during the last few seconds of the game as the clock counts down.
20-MINUTE PROMPT:
Inside the rocket, the crew is strapped in and ready to go. The atmosphere in Mission Control is focused as flight controllers prepare the launch sequence. The countdown is on. Start with the numbers 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 and write a story that toggles between a crew member’s perspective inside the rocket and that of one of the controllers on the ground.