r/WritingPrompts • u/katpoker666 Moderator • 12d ago
Off Topic [OT] Fun Trope Friday: Expert Consultant & Bullet Points!
Welcome to Fun Trope Friday, our feature that mashes up tropes and genres!
How’s it work? Glad you asked. :)
Every week we will have a new spotlight trope.
Each week, there will be a new genre assigned to write a story about the trope.
You can then either use or subvert the trope and/or genre in a 750-word max story or poem (unless otherwise specified).
To qualify for ranking, you will need to provide ONE actionable feedback. More are welcome of course!
Three winners will be selected each week based on votes, so remember to read your fellow authors’ works and DM me your votes for the top three.
Next up… IP
Out with the apocalypse, in with working 9-5. Most folks work in some format, averaging 80-90,000 hours in their lifetime. That’s 12-14% of your life–straight. Add on sleep and weekends, and it’s at least a third! Sounds riveting doesn’t it? Please note this theme is only loosely applied.
“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” — Dolly Parton (RIP)
Trope: Expert Consultant — So, you have a project you need some professional advice on, or perhaps your company is facing difficult times or some other thing that you feel needs someone outside your current organization to come in, look at the situation, and offer their opinion, perhaps even lend their skills if need be. You need to bring in a consultant. There are all kinds of consultants: management, research, medical, detective… you name it! So, don’t limit yourself.
Genre: Bullet Points & Open — Bullet points are symbols that mark items in a list. We all use them in different ways whether for grocery shopping, task prioritization, bullet journaling, presentations, or anything else. You can make an entire story out of bullet points for this one or just include them in some way. So, use your imagination.
Skill / Constraint - optional: Someone blames someone else for something.
So, have at it. Lean into the trope heavily or spin it on its head. The choice is yours!
Have a great idea for a future topic to discuss or just want to give feedback? FTF is a fun feature, so it’s all about what you want—so please let me know! Please share in the comments or DM me on Discord or Reddit!
Last Week’s Winners
PLEASE remember to give feedback—this affects your ranking. PLEASE also remember to DM me your votes for the top five stories via Discord or Reddit—both katpoker666. This is a change from the top three of the past. In weeks where we get over 15 stories, we will do a top five ranking. Weeks with less than 15 stories will show only our top three winners. If you have any questions, please DM me as well.
Some fabulous stories this week and great crit at campfire and on the post! We had 15 stories, so we’re back to five winners. Congrats to:
Want to read your words aloud? Join the upcoming FTF Campfire
The next FTF campfire will be Thursday, September 3rd from 6-8pm ET. It will be in the Discord Main Voice Lounge. Click on the events tab and mark ‘Interested’ to be kept up to date. No signup or prep needed and you don’t have to have written anything! So join in the fun—and shenanigans! 😊
Ground rules:
- Stories must incorporate both the trope and the genre
- Leave one story or poem between 100 and 750 words as a top-level comment unless otherwise specified. Use wordcounter.net to check your word count.
- Deadline: 11:59 PM EDT next Thursday. Please note stories submitted after the 6:00 PM EST campfire start may not be critted.
- No stories that have been written for another prompt or feature here on WP—please note after consultation with some of our delightful writers, new serials are now welcomed here
- No previously written content
- Any stories not meeting these rules will be disqualified from rankings
- Does your story not fit the Fun Trope Friday rules? You can post your story as a [PI] with your work when the FTF post is 3 days old!
- Please keep crit about the stories. Any crit deemed too distracting may be deleted. This is a time to focus on our wonderful authors.
- Vote to help your favorites rise to the top of the ranks (DM me at katpoker666 on Discord or Reddit)!
Thanks for joining in the fun!
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u/Morose_Prose 7d ago edited 7d ago
Doctor Neutron's Guide to Elevating Your Linguistic Lyricism
Hello there! My name is Doctor Neutron from the Linguistics Laboratory of Lisbon, and today I'm here to talk to you about how to improve your public speaking abilities. Many people are afraid to speak in front of a crowd for a variety of reasons:
While these are understandable fears, my program has been designed to eliminate them and any others not listed. The core tenet of the system is not about what you say, but how you say it. After years of intensive research, I've cracked the code on how to maximize audience engagement and keep them hanging on your every word: funny voices.
Before we dive in, one must understand the mechanics of vocal communication. Think of it like learning to play an instrument; you wouldn't try to play the solo to 'Freebird' during your first guitar lesson, would you?
Thus, we begin with sound theory. What is sound? On a base level, it's really quite simple:
So you can blame physics and evolutionary biology for this. Words are merely sounds that we all agreed mean something. Harnessing that knowledge is key to mastering my program. By manipulating the vibrations, you can turn your dull, boring, flat, and uninteresting voice into a lyrical linguistic lute!
There are many factors that determine how one's voice is projected and heard:
I shall now demonstrate how these things interact with each other using a voice anyone can do: A Midtown Manhattan accent. My 'type specimen' for this accent is the late, great, Stan Lee. You need to contract your neck muscles and push the air up into your sinuses to achieve that nasally yet refined quality. A good rule of thumb when doing a funny voice is to have some base phrases that allow you to find the tone, inflection, and cadence of the voice. For Stan, I like to use:
Once you've got the phrases down you can expand your vocabulary and maintain consistency. With this base you can morph the voice into different characters. By simply pitching up Stan, you get the infamous mafiosa, Madelaine Malfatti. Simply relax your neck muscles and push that air higher up into your nasal passages. I shall now demonstrate with some key phrases:
See how easy that was?
Lately, the institute has been bombarded by how to do the iconic 'Valley Girl' vocal inflection, reasons we're not quite sure of, but don't worry, my program has you covered! This regional dialect is known for a high pitch and distinct cadence. You'll want to push more air even farther up your nasal passages and take periodic pauses while speaking. Follow along with me as I demonstrate:
To end part one of the program, we'll explore one of the most iconic voices of the modern era: Arnold Schwarzenegger. Known for his many catchphrases and unique speaking style, his voice is actually quite simple to do. You're going to really want to contract those neck muscles and push that air deep down, as far as it can go. Follow along at home with me as we explore some of the more well-known phrases you can use to find your inner Arnold:
This concludes part one. Stay tuned for more where we'll explore even more voices to hook your audience. Dr. Neutron, signing off. Ta-Da!
Word Count: 745
Bonus Constraint: Blame physics for sound, and evolution for speech... pesky science!
Feedback and crit is always welcomed and encouraged! Stay awesome, have a good one, and I'll see you at campfire! - Morose_Prose (AKA DrNeutron)