Pick a word, any word - brainstorm - whether it's just words that spring to mind, or ideas, or memories, whatever - just brainstorm for a while. No restrictions. Below is a link for a random word, if it helps.
Random Word Generator
- Verily, Exsanguination, Paradisiacal. These words came to mind mostly because I've connected them to form a phrase that goes "In truth, only by enough loss to induce the end can one reach the ladder". Which, to me, means that our greatest struggles forge us into the people we need to be, whether we like it or not. Sometimes those struggles defeat us, and force us to examine ourselves; And sometimes they succeed in pushing us in a way nothing else could.
Write a short story - feel free to freestyle, or use the picture you chose as inspiration, or the results from your brainstorm, or all of the above, doesn't matter. Just write a short story. Below is a link for writing prompt ideas.
Page not found | The Story Shack
- Frankly, I didn't just write this, it's actually an excerpt from a longer song I wrote, but:
"The world as we know it lies entombed beneath the ashes of time, as the fires of the end incinerate everything in vain. The wasteland that we’ve created is all that’s left to be, and in this betrayal of ourselves and this world is the result of a broken unity. The dissension of the skies and the bloodstained soil are the remnants of pain defined, and of reason to sympathize at the evidence we‘ve allowed our morals to die. After all, it was only a matter of choices, a matter of life or death, and we’ve run out of time to decide. But how foolish we were to believe that these matters could be handled by men with corrosive ideals and a vainglorious desire for power that couldn’t be rivaled by the most vile of creatures. This apocalyptic ruination is not a disaster of nature, nor a catastrophe of the universe, but rather the symbolization that mankind has annihilated all chances of hope for the environment that granted it life, and that there is no business to be done on a dead planet, and no justice without suffrage for those responsible. As the livelihood of a prosperous world perishes, maybe humanity could benefit from witnessing the very peril that plagued itself, that was never cured."
How did you approach writing your story? Provide as much detail as possible with regards to your writing process.
- The way I approached writing the story was by taking a look at the history of humankind, then pursing a story in which humankind meets its demise due to war (Which happens to be what I predict will become of humanity in due time). I suppose if there's any detail to explain about my writing process it's that I wrote as if I was predicting what would unfold. There's not really much structure to the way I write; It's chaotic, and sometimes takes weeks in order to perfect, seeing as how I only write in moments where the greatest inspiration strikes me.
Describe your verbal communication skills, your written communication skills, and your body language.
Feel free to go in-depth. If possible, detail your natural communication and body language preferences in various circumstances - with friends, with strangers, at work, in one-on-one situations, in group situations, personal, impersonal, that kind of thing. If anything irritates you about how others communicate, talk about that too. The more information, the better.
- My verbal communication skills are not refined, per say. I can communicate effectively more often than not, but I have a tendency to speak nonsensically, so in my interactions with others, (if I can help it) I try to keep the conversation straightforward and concrete. I can express myself much better through writing than in speaking, because I feel less pressure. My natural communication preferences are essentially the same; Straightforward, concrete, and careful not to speak too abstractly that someone misunderstands what I'm trying to say. It's something I've had to work on, because it doesn't come naturally to me, but it's what allows other people to understand what I'm trying to say. I can't say that I have any body language preferences, other than I tend to mirror other people and predict how to react to their body language to ensure the best outcome. Nothing really irritates me about the way others communicate, because I can understand even the most vague forms of communication for the most part.
How do you prefer to make decisions, solve problems and/or puzzles?
Run us through your entire process - use specific examples, if possible - some ideas for your answer -
what questions do you ask yourself, if any? What goes through your mind? What do you take into account? What could alter your decisions? Are you comfortable with making a decision and settling on it? Do you like being able to change your decisions, after you've made them?
- I prefer to make decisions by gathering information, and simply attempting a solution. Sometimes impulsively in an effort to see how doing A leads to B, mostly for fun. However, when I'm not rashly pursuing a possibility, I like to put a great deal of planning into my decisions. When it comes to problems and puzzles, I like to formulate as many solutions as possible, which is why I loathe when someone insists there's only one right solution. I ask myself what kind of information I should have before taking action; Where I should begin for what path. I take into account anything, really. I'm of the opinion that no information from a situation is useless. What could alter my decisions is new information. I take my time making decisions because I enjoy having information to work with, and don't like to think that I'm missing anything before acting. I can't say that I'm often comfortable making a decision and settling on it, because it always feels restrictive if the decision does not allow for the input of new information. I love being able to alter my decisions after I've made them.
Detail some things that piss you off - stress triggers - feel free to explain the reasons why these things irritate you - I don't want to hear about mild irritations - I want to hear about things that simply make your blood boil, or make you want to take action to alter the situation - things that make you want to leave an environment, things that make you dislike someone, things that truly get to you as a person and grate on every fiber of your being.
- Nothing really makes my blood boil, but:
Stubbornness/Dogmatism. The reasoning behind this being that I always strive for open-mindedness, so when someone refuses to change their opinion or consider another perspective, I can't help but feel angry, because they're wasting my time. Especially if someone attempts to force their idea on me by saying it's the 'right' one, because then they're forcing their narrow view onto me, and I won't be held back by that kind of foolishness.
Detail a time (or times) in your life when you felt at your absolute best - when you didn't feel any kind of anxiety, when you didn't feel judged, when you felt appreciated for who you are, when you felt at your most creative, when you felt like "you".. you get the gist. You at your best, tell us about it.
- A time in my life when I felt at my absolute best was when I was able to work with my fellow band members on song ideas. There was no anxiety, no judgment; Just music, the idea of knowing that whatever you threw onto the table would be respected, and the fact that I had a place where my creativity was respected instead of criticized.
What are the strongest parts of your personality? The best traits about yourself.
- By far, in my opinion, the strongest part of my personality is my adaptability.
What is one specific trait that you value in others, yet simply do not possess yourself - though, if you were to work on it, it would really balance out your personality?
- I honestly could not say one trait that I value in others, yet don't possess myself. I tend to work on traits in myself as I need them, then discard traits as I don't need them. Adapting to other people is the way I balance my personality.
What are the differences between how others see you, and how you see yourself?
Feel free to elaborate and explain the reasoning.
- The differences between how others see me and how I see myself are simply that other people tend to view me through their own perception, and what I act like towards them. Whereas I view myself as who I really am behind the curtain without external influences.
What is a perfect day to you?
- A perfect day to me is simply being free to pursue my own interests without being interfered with.
What is a perfect night to you?
- Same answer as before.
What is your idea of a perfect world?
- My idea of a perfect world is a world in which people are free to express themselves for who they are without limitations, and fear of restriction (Within reason, of course).
What is your idea of hell on earth?
- My idea of hell on earth would have to be knowing that you could not express your ideas, emotions, logic without some external force telling you how you're wrong, and forcing you to conform.
Are you, most of the time, acutely aware of the people, things and events occurring in your immediate surroundings?
- I would say that for the most part, I'm well aware of the people, things and events occurring in my immediate surroundings, although after I've accounted for them, I tend to zone out until something new happens.
Do you find yourself engaging in the sounds, colours, textures, scents and tastes of your environment - i.e, enjoying what you are currently experiencing, most of the time?
- In the sense that I note the sounds, colors, textures, scents and tastes, and yes.
Do you seek common ground, when faced with new situations - thoughts like "this is like _____" or "this is similar to _____" - something that will stabilize the current situation and turn it into something more comfortable for you?
- I cannot say that I do out of turning it into something comfortable for me. Upon entering a new situation, I tend to disregard the similarities of how it compares to past information in favor of experiencing and noting it for what it is.
Do you find you have a strong sense for how things 'should be', even when faced with something unfamiliar?
- I can't say that I do.
Do you actively engage in promoting a harmonious atmosphere - be honest with yourself, this includes being a conflict-averse introvert.
[ I do often engage in promoting a harmonious atmosphere to the extent that I'm known as the peacemaker of my friend group.
Do you actively seek to connect with other people, and do you make use of social niceties in order to interact with people more smoothly - to make them feel validated, accepted, comfortable? - this includes regular use of "please", "thank you", etc.. general social niceties.
- Yes. I think that it is absolutely essential to do just that, and I cannot recall the last time I left a face to face conversation in which I was not as courteous to them as possible in order to forge a positive connection.
Do you find yourself not being dependent on agreement and harmony around you, as long as the current situation doesn't impact on your own personal inner balance?
An example of this might be if you are doing something, and people are arguing in the same room - are you able to remain yourself, or will it affect your inner balance in a noticeable way?
- I wouldn't say that I'm dependent on agreement and harmony around me, but I often go out of my way to ensure that my environment is a harmonious one, because it allows everyone involved to be productive, and it tends to make me uneasy when there's hostility present.
Do you try to win others over to your point of view, in debates, arguments or just chit-chat in general?
I.e seeking agreement from the other person. Have a real think about this question, and be honest with yourself.
- No. I simply listen to the other person's stance, present the similarities and differences it presents with my own, and acknowledge their points. I see no need to convert someone to my perspective.
You just read that a local vacuum company just went bankrupt.
What your thoughts - feel free to expand and explore your thoughts and ideas as much as you like here. Please don't say "who cares?". Just do it.
- I would most likely think "Oh no, that's terribly unfortunate. I hope that the workers will be able to find new jobs quickly."
Do you comfortably juggle multiple possible options in your mind, when problem solving? Do you find yourself exploring each of them - entertaining any possibilities that may arise from them, and enjoy envisioning scenarios where these might play out?
- I constantly juggle multiple possible options in my mind when problem solving. I explore each possibility to the best of my ability, and often spend ridiculous amounts of time dedicated solely to how each one could play out.
Do you have a tendency to organize the world around you? Is it important for you to be in an orderly environment?
This might manifest as a preference for predictability - consider these questions on a smaller scale than what might be in your mind - i.e. is it important that the knifes go in the knifes slot, that the Nintendo games go where the Nintendo games go, etc..
- I don't have much of a tendency to organize the world around me.
Do you find you are impatient with regards to efficiency?
Again, consider this also at a smaller scale - for example, do you prefer to rush through whatever chores that need to be done, so they're out the way?
- I can at times, but I try for the sake of other people to take care in completing what needs to be done, even though I'd much rather be doing something more interesting.
Do you find yourself taking over certain tasks because you know you can do it quicker?
This might be as mundane as telling your partner or friend, that you'll do the dishes - because you know they'll take forever and it's just 'better' for you to do it, and smash 'em out ASAP so they're done.
- I find it's more interesting and polite to observe how they complete the same tasks, as opposed to taking over the task in favor of accomplishing it faster.
Is it important for you to define things in your head?
This might manifest as googling words you've unfamiliar with so you actually know for sure what you're reading, or it might manifest as a preference to completely understand something to the point you can explain it to others in a simplified manner - born out of the precise definitions you've crafted in your mind.
- Absolutely. I read dictionaries in my free time, and make a complete effort to understand whatever crosses my path so that if someone I know needs the information, it's available to them in a way that's easy to understand.
Is it of high importance to you, to understand all of the pieces of a puzzle.. or all of the information you're given, before coming to a decision or a conclusion about anything?
This might manifest as a tendency to hesitate when coming to conclusions or decisions as you don't feel you fully defined, or understood, all relevant information yet.
- It is of utmost importance for me to understand all the pieces before making a decision or conclusion.
Random Word Generator
- Verily, Exsanguination, Paradisiacal. These words came to mind mostly because I've connected them to form a phrase that goes "In truth, only by enough loss to induce the end can one reach the ladder". Which, to me, means that our greatest struggles forge us into the people we need to be, whether we like it or not. Sometimes those struggles defeat us, and force us to examine ourselves; And sometimes they succeed in pushing us in a way nothing else could.
Write a short story - feel free to freestyle, or use the picture you chose as inspiration, or the results from your brainstorm, or all of the above, doesn't matter. Just write a short story. Below is a link for writing prompt ideas.
Page not found | The Story Shack
- Frankly, I didn't just write this, it's actually an excerpt from a longer song I wrote, but:
"The world as we know it lies entombed beneath the ashes of time, as the fires of the end incinerate everything in vain. The wasteland that we’ve created is all that’s left to be, and in this betrayal of ourselves and this world is the result of a broken unity. The dissension of the skies and the bloodstained soil are the remnants of pain defined, and of reason to sympathize at the evidence we‘ve allowed our morals to die. After all, it was only a matter of choices, a matter of life or death, and we’ve run out of time to decide. But how foolish we were to believe that these matters could be handled by men with corrosive ideals and a vainglorious desire for power that couldn’t be rivaled by the most vile of creatures. This apocalyptic ruination is not a disaster of nature, nor a catastrophe of the universe, but rather the symbolization that mankind has annihilated all chances of hope for the environment that granted it life, and that there is no business to be done on a dead planet, and no justice without suffrage for those responsible. As the livelihood of a prosperous world perishes, maybe humanity could benefit from witnessing the very peril that plagued itself, that was never cured."
How did you approach writing your story? Provide as much detail as possible with regards to your writing process.
- The way I approached writing the story was by taking a look at the history of humankind, then pursing a story in which humankind meets its demise due to war (Which happens to be what I predict will become of humanity in due time). I suppose if there's any detail to explain about my writing process it's that I wrote as if I was predicting what would unfold. There's not really much structure to the way I write; It's chaotic, and sometimes takes weeks in order to perfect, seeing as how I only write in moments where the greatest inspiration strikes me.
Describe your verbal communication skills, your written communication skills, and your body language.
Feel free to go in-depth. If possible, detail your natural communication and body language preferences in various circumstances - with friends, with strangers, at work, in one-on-one situations, in group situations, personal, impersonal, that kind of thing. If anything irritates you about how others communicate, talk about that too. The more information, the better.
- My verbal communication skills are not refined, per say. I can communicate effectively more often than not, but I have a tendency to speak nonsensically, so in my interactions with others, (if I can help it) I try to keep the conversation straightforward and concrete. I can express myself much better through writing than in speaking, because I feel less pressure. My natural communication preferences are essentially the same; Straightforward, concrete, and careful not to speak too abstractly that someone misunderstands what I'm trying to say. It's something I've had to work on, because it doesn't come naturally to me, but it's what allows other people to understand what I'm trying to say. I can't say that I have any body language preferences, other than I tend to mirror other people and predict how to react to their body language to ensure the best outcome. Nothing really irritates me about the way others communicate, because I can understand even the most vague forms of communication for the most part.
How do you prefer to make decisions, solve problems and/or puzzles?
Run us through your entire process - use specific examples, if possible - some ideas for your answer -
what questions do you ask yourself, if any? What goes through your mind? What do you take into account? What could alter your decisions? Are you comfortable with making a decision and settling on it? Do you like being able to change your decisions, after you've made them?
- I prefer to make decisions by gathering information, and simply attempting a solution. Sometimes impulsively in an effort to see how doing A leads to B, mostly for fun. However, when I'm not rashly pursuing a possibility, I like to put a great deal of planning into my decisions. When it comes to problems and puzzles, I like to formulate as many solutions as possible, which is why I loathe when someone insists there's only one right solution. I ask myself what kind of information I should have before taking action; Where I should begin for what path. I take into account anything, really. I'm of the opinion that no information from a situation is useless. What could alter my decisions is new information. I take my time making decisions because I enjoy having information to work with, and don't like to think that I'm missing anything before acting. I can't say that I'm often comfortable making a decision and settling on it, because it always feels restrictive if the decision does not allow for the input of new information. I love being able to alter my decisions after I've made them.
Detail some things that piss you off - stress triggers - feel free to explain the reasons why these things irritate you - I don't want to hear about mild irritations - I want to hear about things that simply make your blood boil, or make you want to take action to alter the situation - things that make you want to leave an environment, things that make you dislike someone, things that truly get to you as a person and grate on every fiber of your being.
- Nothing really makes my blood boil, but:
Stubbornness/Dogmatism. The reasoning behind this being that I always strive for open-mindedness, so when someone refuses to change their opinion or consider another perspective, I can't help but feel angry, because they're wasting my time. Especially if someone attempts to force their idea on me by saying it's the 'right' one, because then they're forcing their narrow view onto me, and I won't be held back by that kind of foolishness.
Detail a time (or times) in your life when you felt at your absolute best - when you didn't feel any kind of anxiety, when you didn't feel judged, when you felt appreciated for who you are, when you felt at your most creative, when you felt like "you".. you get the gist. You at your best, tell us about it.
- A time in my life when I felt at my absolute best was when I was able to work with my fellow band members on song ideas. There was no anxiety, no judgment; Just music, the idea of knowing that whatever you threw onto the table would be respected, and the fact that I had a place where my creativity was respected instead of criticized.
What are the strongest parts of your personality? The best traits about yourself.
- By far, in my opinion, the strongest part of my personality is my adaptability.
What is one specific trait that you value in others, yet simply do not possess yourself - though, if you were to work on it, it would really balance out your personality?
- I honestly could not say one trait that I value in others, yet don't possess myself. I tend to work on traits in myself as I need them, then discard traits as I don't need them. Adapting to other people is the way I balance my personality.
What are the differences between how others see you, and how you see yourself?
Feel free to elaborate and explain the reasoning.
- The differences between how others see me and how I see myself are simply that other people tend to view me through their own perception, and what I act like towards them. Whereas I view myself as who I really am behind the curtain without external influences.
What is a perfect day to you?
- A perfect day to me is simply being free to pursue my own interests without being interfered with.
What is a perfect night to you?
- Same answer as before.
What is your idea of a perfect world?
- My idea of a perfect world is a world in which people are free to express themselves for who they are without limitations, and fear of restriction (Within reason, of course).
What is your idea of hell on earth?
- My idea of hell on earth would have to be knowing that you could not express your ideas, emotions, logic without some external force telling you how you're wrong, and forcing you to conform.
Are you, most of the time, acutely aware of the people, things and events occurring in your immediate surroundings?
- I would say that for the most part, I'm well aware of the people, things and events occurring in my immediate surroundings, although after I've accounted for them, I tend to zone out until something new happens.
Do you find yourself engaging in the sounds, colours, textures, scents and tastes of your environment - i.e, enjoying what you are currently experiencing, most of the time?
- In the sense that I note the sounds, colors, textures, scents and tastes, and yes.
Do you seek common ground, when faced with new situations - thoughts like "this is like _____" or "this is similar to _____" - something that will stabilize the current situation and turn it into something more comfortable for you?
- I cannot say that I do out of turning it into something comfortable for me. Upon entering a new situation, I tend to disregard the similarities of how it compares to past information in favor of experiencing and noting it for what it is.
Do you find you have a strong sense for how things 'should be', even when faced with something unfamiliar?
- I can't say that I do.
Do you actively engage in promoting a harmonious atmosphere - be honest with yourself, this includes being a conflict-averse introvert.
[ I do often engage in promoting a harmonious atmosphere to the extent that I'm known as the peacemaker of my friend group.
Do you actively seek to connect with other people, and do you make use of social niceties in order to interact with people more smoothly - to make them feel validated, accepted, comfortable? - this includes regular use of "please", "thank you", etc.. general social niceties.
- Yes. I think that it is absolutely essential to do just that, and I cannot recall the last time I left a face to face conversation in which I was not as courteous to them as possible in order to forge a positive connection.
Do you find yourself not being dependent on agreement and harmony around you, as long as the current situation doesn't impact on your own personal inner balance?
An example of this might be if you are doing something, and people are arguing in the same room - are you able to remain yourself, or will it affect your inner balance in a noticeable way?
- I wouldn't say that I'm dependent on agreement and harmony around me, but I often go out of my way to ensure that my environment is a harmonious one, because it allows everyone involved to be productive, and it tends to make me uneasy when there's hostility present.
Do you try to win others over to your point of view, in debates, arguments or just chit-chat in general?
I.e seeking agreement from the other person. Have a real think about this question, and be honest with yourself.
- No. I simply listen to the other person's stance, present the similarities and differences it presents with my own, and acknowledge their points. I see no need to convert someone to my perspective.
You just read that a local vacuum company just went bankrupt.
What your thoughts - feel free to expand and explore your thoughts and ideas as much as you like here. Please don't say "who cares?". Just do it.
- I would most likely think "Oh no, that's terribly unfortunate. I hope that the workers will be able to find new jobs quickly."
Do you comfortably juggle multiple possible options in your mind, when problem solving? Do you find yourself exploring each of them - entertaining any possibilities that may arise from them, and enjoy envisioning scenarios where these might play out?
- I constantly juggle multiple possible options in my mind when problem solving. I explore each possibility to the best of my ability, and often spend ridiculous amounts of time dedicated solely to how each one could play out.
Do you have a tendency to organize the world around you? Is it important for you to be in an orderly environment?
This might manifest as a preference for predictability - consider these questions on a smaller scale than what might be in your mind - i.e. is it important that the knifes go in the knifes slot, that the Nintendo games go where the Nintendo games go, etc..
- I don't have much of a tendency to organize the world around me.
Do you find you are impatient with regards to efficiency?
Again, consider this also at a smaller scale - for example, do you prefer to rush through whatever chores that need to be done, so they're out the way?
- I can at times, but I try for the sake of other people to take care in completing what needs to be done, even though I'd much rather be doing something more interesting.
Do you find yourself taking over certain tasks because you know you can do it quicker?
This might be as mundane as telling your partner or friend, that you'll do the dishes - because you know they'll take forever and it's just 'better' for you to do it, and smash 'em out ASAP so they're done.
- I find it's more interesting and polite to observe how they complete the same tasks, as opposed to taking over the task in favor of accomplishing it faster.
Is it important for you to define things in your head?
This might manifest as googling words you've unfamiliar with so you actually know for sure what you're reading, or it might manifest as a preference to completely understand something to the point you can explain it to others in a simplified manner - born out of the precise definitions you've crafted in your mind.
- Absolutely. I read dictionaries in my free time, and make a complete effort to understand whatever crosses my path so that if someone I know needs the information, it's available to them in a way that's easy to understand.
Is it of high importance to you, to understand all of the pieces of a puzzle.. or all of the information you're given, before coming to a decision or a conclusion about anything?
This might manifest as a tendency to hesitate when coming to conclusions or decisions as you don't feel you fully defined, or understood, all relevant information yet.
- It is of utmost importance for me to understand all the pieces before making a decision or conclusion.
