Writer Prompts: Never Go in Against a Sicilian

Welcome writers, readers, and inspiration chasers! Join me as I dip into my prompt resources and select something to explore and share. These prompts are all about inspiration—what they inspire for me and what they inspire for you.

If you’re inspired by the prompt, whether that’s by creating something epic or just warming up for your creative day, I hope you’ll share your creation.

This prompt comes to you from the Writing Prompts Tumblr. This Tumblr is a fantastic resource for prompts of all kinds. Most offer a short paragraph of a situation to grab your imagination, and then it’s up to you to develop a story.

Feel free to go wherever the prompt takes you!

You can see everyone’s Deaths following them, arriving to offer their hands right as they die. Today, you saw something new; someone chasing after their Death, who is fleeing at a dead sprint.

Where I started:

Honestly where I started was the Deadpool and Death Annual from 1998 in which Deadpool keeps trying to die throughout his time at Weapon X. While I’m not adverse to writing fanfiction, I feel like Joe Kelly has this one covered, but it did give me the idea of someone who might want to die but be unable to.

That of course lead me to vampires and other supernatural creatures, and I liked the idea of two immortal beings meeting up to discuss the less-than-ideal deal of being immortal.

Originally posted for the Story Kernels Patreon Oct 27, 2022.

What I wrote:

“Some people might say you have a death wish.”

The tired laugh is expected, a sign of a worn-weary existence.

“Some might, but they’d be way off.” Thomas bites his lip, blue eyes gazing out into the distance, the traffic forty stories below seemingly forgotten for the view of storm clouds rolling in. “I’m carrying a burden, and every time Death approaches, I hope those burdens will be relieved.”

The wind bandies the loose strands of Joanie’s hair, but she has no intention of releasing her grip on the ledge. She doesn’t see a cloaked figure lurking about, but Death can move quickly when needed.

“Every time?” she double checks. Death is normally a one-time thing, even for creations who can see beyond the veil like herself.

“‘The valiant never taste of death but once,'” Thomas quotes, and then sags. “A long time ago I was a coward and I made a deal.” Thomas finally meets Joanie’s steady gaze. “Have you ever heard of a sin-eater?”

Now it’s your turn:

Why is your character chasing death? Why is Death running from them? How did this relationship get so flipped?

If you enjoyed this prompt and would like another, the February prompt on Patreon inspired a story about an artificial intelligence discovering it actually did have preferences for its physical form.