Charlaine Harris, the author behind “True Blood,” offers an exclusive writing prompt

The July/August issue of Writer’s Digest began shipping to subscribers yesterday, and for some reason, July/August is shaping up to be the issue that WD Ed. Jessica Strawser and I geek out over every year. (Last year we featured Anne Tyler and our money-belted hero, Rick Steves—and without naming names, I can reveal that at least two staffers on this magazine own Rick Steves travel wares, and one may even have a Steves poster up.)

This year, Jessica interviewed Life of Pi scribe Yann Martel, and I profiled the awesome Charlaine Harris (author of the Southern Vampire Mysteries behind “True Blood”). We’ll have some more exclusives in the next few weeks, but for the time being, here’s a prompt direct from Harris.

As a bit of background, Harris and mystery author Toni L.P. Kelner have created three anthologies together, and when they do they provide their contributors with topical prompts (werewolves + Christmas, vampires + birthdays, and so on).

Harris’ prompt for us?

"Write a story involving sorcery and lawyers."

Feel free to take the prompt home or post your response (500 words or fewer, funny, sad or stirring) in the Comments section below. If you’re having trouble with the captcha code sticking, e-mail it to me at writersdigest@fwmedia.com, with “Promptly” in the subject line, and I’ll make sure it gets up. We’ll also draw up to five commenters’ names Monday to snag a copy of the new issue of WD featuring Harris and Martel.

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And for WD’s take on writing in the genre, check out The Writer's Digest Guide to Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card and the Editors of WD.

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