Nicole L. Soper Gorden - author

This week's writing prompt is live!

It's snowing here today, but what if it wasn't snow falling from the sky? Where do these pale lavender spores come from? Why do they make him shiver and sneeze? Who is the "he" in this scene? What's the story behind this image? Share your ideas below!

We've reached the end of another November, and with it, the end of another National Novel Writing Month. And we arrived right in time for final exams, the end of the semester, and final grades - so if I'm a little MIA for the next couple of weeks, you'll find me under that giant pile of grading over there in the corner....

The End of Another NaNoWriMo We’ve reached the end of another November, and with it, the end of another National Novel Writing Month. And we arrived right in time for final exams, the end of the semester, and final grade…

Hi friends! I'm super excited to have my short story "The Hundred Names of Atiya Djinn" coming out in the Written in the Wind anthology! This collection of fantasy short stories is focused on the power and importance of names, and has quite a range of stories.

And right now, they're looking for people to sign up to be ARC readers! Want an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of the anthology? Willing to read the book and leave an honest review? Want to be one of the first to read my new short story? Then sign up to be an ARC reader!

https://forms.gle/4n5QBL7DAaNTRecp6

Worldsmyths

We're in the last two days of NaNoWriMo, and I don't know about y'all, but I'm starting to feel like I've used up every word in my word bank - and then some. 😅 So this week's writing prompt feels pretty apropos.

Why is this person so obsessed with glue? How would you use this prompt in a scene or story? I want to hear your ideas for this one because it totally makes me laugh 😆

This week's writing prompt is here! This time, we have a very specific (and apparently very bubbly) kind of ale to contend with.

What is Kraken Ale? Why is it so bubbly? How would you use this prompt in a scene or story? Share your ideas!

For anyone who's been following my NaNoWriMo project this year (and thanks to all the encouragement and inquiries from friends!), I hit the magic 50,000 word mark tonight - meaning I've officially "won" at this years NaNo! As usual, though, I'm not done writing the book yet... 😅 So I'll be continuing to write the rest of the month to see how far I can get.

This has been a very fun writing project. I wanted something fun, and this novel is definitely a self-indulgent romp. I'll post another update at the end of the month, but in the meantime, check out my most recent blog post if you want a work-in-progress snippet of The Atlas Brothers Break the Multiverse!

https://nicolelsopergorden.wordpress.com/2023/11/17/nanowrimo-mid-month-check-in-plus-excerpt/

We're officially (past) halfway through National Novel Writing Month! And I'm also more than halfway through the 50,000 word goal. As sixteen days of writing, I have 35,190 words on the page of The Atlas Brothers Break the Multiverse! Overall, things are going great storywise. The characters are all lively (sometimes too lively - looking at you, Kip!), the internal conflicts are complex and crispy, and the external plot is adventuring along....

NaNoWriMo Mid-month Check In (plus excerpt!) We’re officially (past) halfway through National Novel Writing Month! And I’m also more than halfway through the 50,000 word goal. As sixteen days of writing, I have 35,190 words on the…

Time for your regularly scheduled writing prompt! ;) This week, we have a random unexplained occurrence. Cinnamon? Really? And just before the holiday baking season? What a shame...

How would you use this prompt in a scene or story? Or alternately, what's the most random twist you've added to a story while writing? Share below!

This week's writing prompt is here! Not sure what genre your NaNoWriMo story is yet? Or just looking to nail down the genre of something new? Have this prompt about the struggles of genre to inspire you! ;)

How would you use this prompt in a story or scene? Share your ideas below to help inspire others!

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Happy first day of NaNoWriMo! To inspire those first words of the month, have a few extra words I found laying around under the couch cushions and behind the fridge. That's right - this week's writing prompt is a random word prompt.

See if you can use all of these words in a scene! As a bonus, try to use them all in a single sentence ;) Share your ideas below!
test
Improve
labyrinthine
solo
generic
cloche
return
bloom

New blog post is live! This November, I will once again be participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short). Read all about my new project for this year, The Atlas Brothers Break the Multiverse, in my blog!

Direct link: https://nicolelsopergorden.wordpress.com/2023/10/31/its-nanowrimo-once-again/

Check out this week's writing prompt! A snippet of dialogue between two people.

So what do you think? ARE dragons overrated? IS a fight about to break out? How would YOU use this prompt in a scene or story, or to develop characters? I'd love to hear all about it below!

New blog post! This time, you can read all about my new short story, "The Hundred Names of Atiya Djinn." This story will be published in Worldsmyths's next anthology, Written in the Wind, a collection of speculative fiction stories about the power of names.

You'll also be able to read a brief excerpt from my story AND a bonus deleted scene!

Direct link: https://nicolelsopergorden.wordpress.com/2023/10/20/the-hundred-names-of-atiya-djinn-publication-deets-plus-excerpt/

Worldsmyths

This week's writing prompt gives me major creepy vibes... 😬 I can't decide if this would be a science fiction story, a horror story, a mystery story, or some combination.

What do you think? How would you use this prompt in a scene or story? I'm dying to hear more! 💀

A new Wednesday, a new Wednesday writing prompt! Check out this week's pie-themed inspiration. 🥧

So...what does happen if you plant a fruit pie in the back garden? What kind of scene, character, or story does this inspire for you? Share your ideas! :)

This week's writing prompt is here to inspire! This prompt is just vague enough it can apply to almost any genre or story type. What fun!

How would you use this prompt in a scene or story? What ideas does it spark for you? Share your ideas below and let's inspire each other! ;)

New blog post is live! Check it out to read about the beautiful, frugal wisdom of autumn leaves, get a bonus micro lesson on why leaves change color, and see how this all relates to my writing. ;)

Direct link: https://nicolelsopergorden.wordpress.com/2023/10/02/the-frugal-wisdom-of-autumn-leaves/

My short story The Hundred Names of Atiya Djinn has been accepted into this anthology! Preorders are open now, and the money raised early (aka now!) will go towards a professional cover and paying authors.

Only $7 for a copy of the ebook. You can even sponsor a story in the anthology (perhaps mine?), and will be credited as a patron in the book. :)

If you'd like to support my writing or Worldsmyths in general, consider contributing to the Indiegogo campaign linked below!

We have a goal of $500 to pay for a professional cover for our fantasy short story anthology, Written on the Wind. This will also help us pay for the extra stories we accepted!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/written-in-the-wind-professional-cover-campaign/x/26237864 #/

Link will also be in Instagram stories!

New writing prompt posted for the week!

Someone had hacked her calendar and kept adding things like "3:00 pm - trip in bathroom" and "6:00 pm - choke to death on dinner" to her agenda.

Is this someone's idea of a prank, or is something more sinister going on? You tell me! I want to hear your ideas for using this prompt! Share below :)

New weekly writing prompt! This week, we have a prompt that could be taken literally or metaphorically, and would lead to an interesting story either way.

The river was made of sorrows, and the only way to traverse it was on a watertight raft made of hope.

How would you use this prompt to write a scene or story? Share your ideas below, or better yet, write it!

New blog post is up! This month's worldbuilding post focuses on the antipodal magic system in the world of my Snakeboi x Dryad Romance (tentatively named Hearts of Bark and Scale). Come read more about the paired and opposite magics in this system, and how they fit into the larger Antipodal World.

Direct link: https://nicolelsopergorden.wordpress.com/2023/09/17/antipodal-world-antipodal-magics/

I'll admit it - I'm extra curious what folks will do with this week's writing prompt! 😆🍞👻

You've never been truly scared before until you've had to deal with a possessed toaster.

Please tell me how you would use this prompt in a scene or story. Or better yet, write the story and tell me all about it. I'm dying here!

New writing prompt! This week, someone's worst day ever. See what you can make of this prompt:

The worst day of his life was not, in fact, the day he was struck by lightning, but the Tuesday of the following week.

Shocking! ⚡️ What happened on that following Tuesday that was so terrible? Why was he struck by lightning in the first place, and who is he? How would you use this prompt in a scene or story? Share your ideas or write the story yourself!

My new blog post is live! This month, read my ruminations on the similarities in approach to making homemade salsa and writing a good story - and maybe suggest your own similarity as well. Maybe it will make you think more about your craft, or maybe it will just make you hungry. Honestly, I'm happy either way! 😆

Direct link: https://nicolelsopergorden.wordpress.com/2023/09/04/the-salsa-of-a-good-story/

This week's writing prompt is here! This week, we have murky swamps, hard choices, and bananas 🍌

He had seconds to make his choice: jump into the bubbly green swamp of questionable safety or sprint for the bananas.

How would you use this prompt in a scene or story? Share your ideas - I love to hear about them!

A new week, a new writing prompt! This week, a mysterious envelope.

The envelope had no return address and held only one thing: a perfumed scrap of sheet music for Ride of the Valkyries.

How does this prompt inspire you? What kind of scene or story would you write? Share your ideas!

New blog post! This month, we take a break from the Unworld Ecology world to check out one of my other worlds: the Antipodal Magics world. In this month's post, you can read all about the dryads in my antipodal world, and how they are more eldritch plant abomination than shy woodland nymph. Come check it out! 😉

Direct link: https://nicolelsopergorden.wordpress.com/2023/08/18/antipodal-world-dryads/

As a botanist who writes fantasy fiction, it's probably no surprise that I love coming up with fictional (often magic) plants. So for this week's writing prompt, use this list of four made-up plants in a scene or story!

What do these plants look like? What do they do? Where do they grow? I want to hear all of your ideas! ;)

This week's writing prompt has arrived! See what you can do with this little gem:

The little red cat watched patrons go by from its perch atop the temple wall, shamelessly fishing for compliments.

Have an idea how to use this prompt in a scene or story? Share your ideas below! I love hearing how creative you all are!

New blog post is up! This month, come read about where I'm from, the places I've called home, and how those places have affected my writing. Plus, get updates from my writing in July (including Camp NaNoWriMo)!

Direct link: https://nicolelsopergorden.wordpress.com/2023/08/04/where-im-from/

Who's ready for this week's writing prompt? This week, we have two characters, a setting, and an inciting incident. Sounds fun to work with, doesn't it!

How would you use this prompt in a scene or story? What do you think happens next? Share your ideas below - I love to hear them!

This week's writing prompt is here! Have a fun and intriguing sci fi prompt. 👽

How would you use this prompt in a story or scene? Share your ideas below - I always love hearing them! 😘

This week's writing prompt is here! Make what you will of this beauty:

It looked like a perfectly ordinary ceramic teacup. AND YET.

How would you use this in a story? I want to know!

This week's writing prompt is somehow both vague and very specific: But at the end of the day, all that remained was a bitter tang of betrayal on her tongue and the vague scent of stale dreams in the air.

Tell us below what kind of story you would write using this prompt!

This week's writing prompt is a little enigmatic. "Turtles? No. Definitely not. It's clearly crabs all the way down."

Who's saying this, and what's their obsession with crabs? What story ideas does this spark for you?

Newest blog post is up! Come read about my experience with finding huge energy in tiny packages (and how that's related to storytelling), as well as my writing updates from June and goals for July.

Direct link: https://nicolelsopergorden.wordpress.com/2023/07/03/big-energy-in-little-packages/

This week's writing prompt involves the stars: When the stars started moving, it took an embarrassingly long time for astronomers to recognize the new Morse code messages in the night skies.

What are the Morse code messages saying? Why are they there? What kind of story does this make you want to tell? Share your ideas!

This week's writing prompt is this bit of dialogue: "That's not a ghost - it's a poltergeist," Ez said. "This is a problem. Quick - I need three raw eggs, a broken glass, and 12 ounces of hot sauce."

Who is Ez, and why do they know about ghosts and poltergeists? What's the plot here? What the heck is the hot sauce for? Share your ideas here!

Wishing all my fans and fellow writers a happy fathers day, with good, wholesome father figures.

New blog post! This month's worldbuilding blog post focuses on one specific example of the ecology in the Unworld Ecology series. Come read about how much geeky pleasure I get out of designing magic-driven ecology, as well as how oasis trees, podaphids, and kindlings interact in Unworld savannahs. 😉

Direct link: https://nicolelsopergorden.wordpress.com/2023/06/16/unworld-ecology-worldbuilding-oasis-tree-ecology/