Open Novella Journal 2024

Prompt Use Write Up 1

So, these are likely to be edited later on, but here is my initial write-up of how I'm using the prompts for each story, but I also came up with the titles for each story.

Story 1 - The Hobgoblins

"Sometimes words speak louder than actions."

I'm using the prompt in multiple ways.

The first is as a contrast between the two brothers. Sirius often acts without thinking resulting in often actions that speak louder than words. Regulus on the other hands refrains himself even when he speaks, but when he does speak his words are often louder than actions.

The second lies with self-doubt. The portrait of the family ancestor Phineas Nigellus tells Regulus that, "sometimes words speak louder than actions." This is while Regulus is stuck overhearing his mother and brother argue, but it is also the summer when Sirius runs away which in turn because of Sirius' actions the previous year as this story is interpreting Sirius as an unreliable narrator regarding his family to a certain degree.

The third lies in how Regulus learns to apply what the portrait of his ancestor said, by writing songs to convey what he wants, in particular to his older brother that he feels doesn't listen to him which a Prewett cousin points out likely ties with Sirius not wanting to hear what Regulus has to say.

The forth lies behind the reasons behind putting the Hobgoblins together, a way to bring House unity, an idea thought up by Slughorn when the Prewett cousin mentioned wanting to start a band.

The fifth lies in contrasting words that speak louder than actions and actions that speak louder than words in the story.

Story 2 - The Four Interchanging Lives of Regulus Black

"Your life as you know it has ended. Somwhere in Limbo you're met with the message: 'Something went wrong. Please try again."

When Regulus "died" in the cave he hears "please try again" and awakes from the nightmare to find he's not yet started at Hogwarts. Sirius in turn hears the message of "please try again" after he "dies" falling through the veil. And from there starts a looping through of multiple lives for the two with them, each revolving around Regulus being sorted into either the same or different house, aka one life for each Hogwarts house. At first they're unaware of the loop let alone that the other was sent back, but then things happen.

Story 3 - Gemini' Beach Getaway

"After some long months of working harder than ever, you finally get to your well deserved vacation getaway but when you arrive at the hotel there is this one star that brings all the paparazzi and trouble with them and makes your vacation a one to remember."

Plus... "'Your mom was an alien.' Exactly what a child needs to hear from their father as a bedtime story." and prompt 34 "You wanted to go to the moon, see the silvery white glow of it for yourself. Instead, the moon came to you. One day, at your door.".

Rachel hopes for a nice vacation getaway at a beach resort in Japan after all the hard work put into saving up for her trip. She doesn't expect the chaos of the paparazzi following a certain pop idol, let alone dealing with her brother's peer group. That peer group includes the twin brother of the pop idol who believes the bedtime stories his father told him about their mother being an alien, but an actual alien shows up that reminds the locals of a Tennyu which is often associated with the moon.

Story 4 - Cinders and Magic

"'Fairytales are real,' and there couldn't be anything worse."

The story is a Harry Potter/Worst Witch crossover which blends the two worlds together with a Cinderella storyline. Hermione is Cinderella, Regulus her father and her evil step-sister is Esme Hallow, with Esmerlda being a not so evil step-sister and Sybil being her younger half-sister, but she also learns that magic is real. (And other stand ins as the story progresses.) Sybil is also little red riding hood, Remus is mistaken for the big bad wolf and Sirius is the hunter. Pansy Parkinson is a blend between Snow White and the Snow Queen. There are also elements of Beauty and the Beast tossed in and it all accumilates in a mystery.

Story 5 - Scars and Ashes

"You're a young royal in disguise who befriends a villager with a scarred face. One day they are arrested for stealing something you gave to them."

In this alternate universe the Southern Water Tribe never fell, but I'm sticking to the Southern Water Tribe being a sister tribe of the Northern Water Tribe rather than a colony of the Northern Water Tribe which in turn means Sokka and Katara's father is Chieften which in turn, as Sokka says to Yue, to a prince and princess. Both she and her brother disguise themselves to walk among the common folk, but among the common folk are immigrants from the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nations. The one with the scar is Zuko, but she ends up giving him her grandmother's necklace, which is the item he is accused of stealing in the story.

Story 6 - Free Falling II - Seconds Away

"Reincarnating into your favourite story wasn't what you had in mind when begging for a second chance."

[blank-1] crushed on Lyra Whitechapel while [blank-2], who crushed on him, bullied Lyra for bringing a foster child. Then, Lyra didn't attend class anymore. [blank-1] wishes he had a second chance to confess to Lyra resulting in both him and [blank-2] ending up in the world of Harry Poter, the same world Lyra dissappeared to, rather than her simply not being fostered by the foster family anymore as everyone thought, but he's not the only one whose getting a second chance, but only if [blank-2] woll take the chance of being a friend instead of a bully.

Story 7 - Rouge-Gorge

"You come from a family of highly respected heroes. All three of your big brothers are known as powerhouses, but you rarely see them since they're always saving the city. One day you realise that the only way to see all of your brothers is to become a villain. Turns out you're better at it than you thought, and family dinners suddenly become the most amusing time of day."

The brothers are the four Robins from the Batman series, but to make it work Jason Todd brings Damien Wayne home with him, thus creating an alternative universe for this plot to happen.

Story 8 - Buried Within II - Buried Without

"It is your first day at your first job, and you discover the library you'll be working in is very haunted."

A new librarian finds themselves dealing with Lockwood & Co after learning their library is haunted.

Story 9 - Throne of Ashes

"The royal family needs a male heir to the throne, and they're willing to accept any boy, even if he's born to their least hinged relative."

When Zuko's cousin dies, he is the male heir to the throne despite the knowledge that Ozai was unhinged enough to try and kill his own father. One minor change to the prompt is that Ozai isn't the most unhinged relative. That title goes to Zuko's sister Azula while Ozai is the second least hinged relative, but Ozai is directly responsible for why Azula is the least hinged. There is thus worry that Zuko will also be unhinged as well.