You're hosting a 4th of July party at your house. Your closest friend is in charge of the firework show and it's a spectacular display of colors in the sky—that is, until one rogue firework misfires into your neighbor's home and catches her roof on fire. Write this scene. You can post your response (500 words or fewer) here

Where is your favorite place to read and why? You can post your response (500 words or fewer) here

Recount the day you took the driver's test (whether you successfully got your license or not). If you've never taken the test, write how you imagine it'll go. You can post your response (500 words or fewer) here

You're trying to lose weight and decide to keep a weekly diet journal. Write four short journal entries that show your progress (or lack thereof) over the span of your first month. You can post your response (500 words or fewer) here

At an Internet café, you've accidentally stumbled across an unlikely family member's MySpace page. What do you find? How do you deal with it? You can post your response (500 words or fewer) here

Forrest Gump once said, "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get." What is writing like? Write a simile that starts with the phrase, "Writing is like ... ." You can post your response (500 words or fewer) here

You and a friend have just finished a lovely meal at your favorite restaurant. But things take a turn when you notice that the waiter has scribbled an unexpected—and startling—message on your bill. Write this scene. You can post your response (500 words or fewer) here

The government has issued a warning that a particular (and common) household item is having an unusual side effect on children. Worse yet, you own this item. You rush home to check on your kids. When you get there, you're shocked to find that your kids have ... . Write this scene. You can post your response (500 words or fewer) here

You've just had one of the most grueling days of your life when you stumble upon a wishing well. While you don't typically believe in such things, you need a pick-me-up. So you toss a penny down the well and make a wish. Lo and behold, it comes true. You can post your response (500 words or fewer) here

Start your story with, "In retrospect, I wouldn't say it was my best idea." And end it with, "And that's how I attempted to make this world a better place." You can post your response (500 words or fewer) here