Traveled recently? I’ll be taking a trip to Montreal later this month. So August’s Idea to Steal will be coming earlier than scheduled.

With that announcement out of the way, time for writing prompts.

1. On the national government’s orders, all roads leading into and out of a town are sealed off. None of the inhabitants are told why. Yet clues start appearing in the town a day or so later. What are these clues? What picture do they paint?

2. Write a story that takes place during a gymnastics competition.

3. Virtual reality gaming is a popular pasttime. There’s a virus on the loose that’s able to trap players in an inescapable simulation. Can it be contained? What happens to the people who became its prey?

4. Write a story set in an abandoned mansion.

5. A neat freak’s habitual cleaning gets them in trouble. How?

If you use any of these prompts, please share your story or a link to your story in the comments below.